All jokes aside, this is a question I’ve been grappling with for much of my life. The above list is part serious part tongue and cheek, so hopefully you all found it humorously insightful. In an earlier blog (under the “Other Blog” section), titled Semi-Made in China, I discuss some cultural nuances of Chinese people during my 2013 visit to Hong Kong and Shanghai. However, I didn’t really discuss where I fit into these nuances. After my this last trip, I totaled up the amount of time I've spent in China. Since the age of 5, I have spent roughly 42 months in China... I've never studied or worked abroad, but I would argue that with 3.5 years in China, I've lived abroad...
Being first generation American, I easily identify with certain aspects of both Chinese and American culture. However, in the same breath there are times where I have felt extremely distant from both cultures. People have called me a “typical” American, while others have called me the quintessential “ABC” – American Born Chinese, and I am sure many of you have your own opinions, which will all differ. All I know is that the answer is not black or white, rather it is somewhere on the greyscale…
More importantly, how do you identify yourself culturally?