Describe the world you come from - for example, your family, community or school - and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.
As a child with United States citizenship, born in Taiwan and raised in Shanghai. I am always considered an outsider in these communities. This situation frequently causes me to feel ambiguous about which community I truly belong.
Shanghai, where I grew up, is the most familiar environment to me. However, I still have troubles assimilating into the local community because I am recognized as a foreigner because of my Taiwanese accent. When I was seven years old, my mother and I were talking in a post office; a middle-aged woman grabbed and asked us if we were from Taiwan. When we told her yes, she gaped at us. Then, she bent down, stared at me and started to touch my hair. Suddenly, she exclaimed, "Oh! So cute!" At that moment, I finally realized how pandas feel when they are being gazed at in zoos. However, being special gives me an advantage of making more friends in local school because my classmates are always eager to chat with me.
In Taiwan, where I feel the most comfortable, I am still an outsider even away from my relatives. When I go back to Taiwan, my cousin enjoys telling me jokes that are very popular in the local community. However, every time he finishes a joke, I have to wait until he stops laughing and have him explain it to me.
In California, where I attended a dance party during a Stanford summer program, the way people dance stunned me. Girls put their hands in their hair making the sexiest moves and the boys were jumping and shouting. I never saw people dance so crazy before, and the whole room seemed like a zoo to me. I was so terrified at that party that I really wish to dig a hole and hide myself. However, after my friends encouraged me to let go of my psychological boundaries, I still enjoyed the party, experienced a different culture and become part of the zoo.
My world is a combination of multiple countries, which I am a citizen of many but a member of none. This lack of cultural identity makes me dream of combining these three incongruous identities into one unique perspective. By sharing my experiences in each culture, I aspire to dispel the prejudices among these countries. Furthermore, I will be proud to become a part of all three communities and a transmitter of cultures and social values among them.
As a child with United States citizenship, born in Taiwan and raised in Shanghai. I am always considered an outsider in these communities. This situation frequently causes me to feel ambiguous about which community I truly belong.
Shanghai, where I grew up, is the most familiar environment to me. However, I still have troubles assimilating into the local community because I am recognized as a foreigner because of my Taiwanese accent. When I was seven years old, my mother and I were talking in a post office; a middle-aged woman grabbed and asked us if we were from Taiwan. When we told her yes, she gaped at us. Then, she bent down, stared at me and started to touch my hair. Suddenly, she exclaimed, "Oh! So cute!" At that moment, I finally realized how pandas feel when they are being gazed at in zoos. However, being special gives me an advantage of making more friends in local school because my classmates are always eager to chat with me.
In Taiwan, where I feel the most comfortable, I am still an outsider even away from my relatives. When I go back to Taiwan, my cousin enjoys telling me jokes that are very popular in the local community. However, every time he finishes a joke, I have to wait until he stops laughing and have him explain it to me.
In California, where I attended a dance party during a Stanford summer program, the way people dance stunned me. Girls put their hands in their hair making the sexiest moves and the boys were jumping and shouting. I never saw people dance so crazy before, and the whole room seemed like a zoo to me. I was so terrified at that party that I really wish to dig a hole and hide myself. However, after my friends encouraged me to let go of my psychological boundaries, I still enjoyed the party, experienced a different culture and become part of the zoo.
My world is a combination of multiple countries, which I am a citizen of many but a member of none. This lack of cultural identity makes me dream of combining these three incongruous identities into one unique perspective. By sharing my experiences in each culture, I aspire to dispel the prejudices among these countries. Furthermore, I will be proud to become a part of all three communities and a transmitter of cultures and social values among them.
