Generation Exploringthe lives of immigrants in America and how they cope balancing heritage and intergration
An Introduction...
America is a nation of immigrants, with the exception of the indigenous people. At one point or another new immigrants have come to this country in search of greater hopes for themselves and for their children. Though the individual reasons vary, America has remained to be a land of hope, freedom, and opportunity. People will uproot their families and travel thousands of miles, often times not knowing what will lie ahead for a shot at the America Dream. This book seeks to explore the relationship that first generation immigrants have with their native culture and American culture. How are traditions kept and passed down? What’s the importance of keeping these traditions alive while living in America? And how do these people reconcile their native and American identities.
Silvana and her husband Domenico leaving the church after their wedding, 1990
Silvana Nicolich-Borrelli Country: Italy Born: Queens, NY Raised: Queens, NY Launguages: English & Italian
Elsa Nicolich, Silvana’s mother, after WWII, but before moving from Italy to America
Family dinner with Silvana’s Paternal family
My father came to the US in1945 right after WW2 ended. He was 16 and was brought to the US by the American Red Cross as a war child because my grandfather fought for the US in the Pacific against the Japanese. My mother came to the US in 1958. She and her family were sponsored by an aunt to come to the states. They met in Astoria at a dance hall. My parents are extremely grateful for having had the opportunity to come to America. My father, my grandmother and his brothers actually had to clandestinely escape the new communist Yugoslavia before the Red Cross could arrange his transport to the States. My Mother went back to visit a few times but upon her return has always said “God Bless America” Growing up in Astoria I never felt it unusual to have some differences. Astoria continues to be one of the most cultural diverse neighborhoods in New York. I guess I consider myself more American although I know I have a strong sense of my cultural background. My husband is Italian. Although I actually lived in Italy for a few years and felt very American while living there.
Family wedding, where Silvana was the flower girl
Family dinners are a tradition we continue to keep. My husband and I always wanted the kids to be home for dinner, not just on Sundays. My favorite tradition has to be Christmas Eve dinner, which includes seven different types of fish. Of all my cousins my parents felt it very important to teach me italian. My aunts and uncles wanted to assimilate and therefore never taught them Italian. Very important. We sent the kids back to Italy and Croatia for several summers while growing up. Paid for my daughter to visit Europe upon graduating college and my son will study abroad. Inaccurate. As they tend to portray Italians as italian-American with jersey Staten Island and Long Island type of characters which is very different from true Italians from Italy today. We are not all jersey shore and mobsters. Olive Garden is not italian food. It’s just not. Being a 1st generation kid definitely helped me. Giving me a strong work ethic and family oriented values.
Silvana and her cousin posing with homemade cake for their first communion
John Nicolich, Silvana’s father, in his American military uniform. Served in the Korean War
Pasta Carbonara
“Food is incredibly important in Italian culture. Some of my favorite memories from growing up are from large family dinners at my Nonna’s house” 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a rolling.
8 Ounces Diced Guanciale or Pancetta
6 Egg Yolks, At Room Temperature
In a large frying pan, heat the oil until lightly smoking over medium heat, then cook the guanciale or pancetta until crispy, about 6 minutes.
1/2 Cup Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese
Keep warm.
1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan
Drop the pasta into the water and cook until “al dente” according to the package instructions.
1 Pound Package Bucatini or Spaghetti
2 Teaspoons Coarsely Ground Black Pepper 1/3 Cup Finely Chopped Parsley Leaves (Optional)
As the pasta is cooking, warm a large serving bowl. Place the egg yolks in the bowl along with three quarters of the cheese mixture along with the ground pepper. Use a whisk and blend until well mixed. Drain the pasta, reserving a small cup of the pasta water. Add the drained, steaming hot pasta into the bowl with the eggs, along with a little of the pasta water, toss well to lightly cook the eggs and coat the pasta with the egg mixture. Add the warm guanciale or pancetta, and toss again to mix. Serve the pasta in individual bowls with a sprinkling of the parsley and the remainder of the cheese.
Liz and her siblings being adorable in NJ
Elizabeth (Yuna) Kim Country: South Korea Born: Queens, NY Raised: Elizabeth, NJ Launguages: English, Korean, & Spanish
My mom and dad came to America over 30 years ago. My dad moved together with his older brother, my uncle and my mother moved by herself. They later was introduced to each other through a mutual friend and later married. Although my parents did not move to America together, their reason of coming to America is very similar. They both wanted an opportunity at the “American Dream”. Moving to America, my mom was scared. She was the first in her family to move to america and she was doing it on her own. However, the opportunity to start a new life with new adventures was a very exciting thing to my mom. I was aware of the cultural difference between standard American families and my own at a when my family first moved to NJ from Brooklyn, when I was around the age of 6 or 7. When I attended school in Brooklyn, I was in a regular class. But when I moved to Edison, NJ I did not do so well in the spoken part of the placement test and because of that was put in the ESL class. In an effort to get me out of the ESL class as quick as possible, my mom encouraged me to make more “Americanized” friends. Whenever I went to their homes for a playdate, I was always a bit shocked how different their lives were compared to mine. My friends didn’t have hagwon (school for after-school), they wore their shoes inside their homes, and the biggest shock of all, their parents were not strict about everything in their life! I believe that I am more American than I am Korean. But if I were to compare myself to my younger sister and brother, they are more progressively American than me. I still have traditional Korean beliefs and ideals, while my sister has relatively less beliefs, and my brother has a complete mindset of an American teenager. Despite still believing in some Korean ideals, Koreans believe that I am completely American. The hardest part of growing up in America was the fact that my parents still lived a life as if they were still in Korea. My parents both come from a very traditional Korean family and they could not let go of their heritage so easily. I was brought up believing that I could only get the best grades, learn as many instruments as I can (piano, flute, violin, and drums), participate in sports (soccer, basketball, swimming, and taekwondo), be knowledgeable of the Korean language and culture, be an active
Liz, right, in a tradiotnal Korean Hanbok
leader in my church, and etc. Once my parents realized that I had an interest in art, my life was soon thrown into going to art school and doing as much design workpossible for any organizations. In my family, we still practice many of the traditional Korean traditions. Some of the traditions are not even practiced by families in Korea today. This is due to the fact that my grandfather, on my dad’s side, is very old-school. An example of this is hanbok, the traditional Korean clothing. When you go to Korea today, you will notice that no one wears hanbok on a every-day basis. It is now worn only on special events, such as weddings. A long time ago, families would also wear hanbok on holidays, such as Lunar New Year, but such tradition is not practiced today. However in my family, every Lunar New Year, everyone (on my dad’s side) is required to wear hanbok when we bow to our elders (the tradition of bowing to elders on New Year is still practiced today). This is required even to the families who are not in Korea. It is also expected of those who are not in Korea, to video call my grandparents on Lunar New Year in order to bow to them, in our hanbok of course (although the past two years I did not wear it). One of the tradition in my family that I do enjoy, is the emphasis on family. Because of my grandfather, who is a man you do not go against, I grew up very close to all my relatives. When I was younger, almost every summer, my family in America would go back to Korea back to my grandfather’s house. At first, I was annoyed that every summer we would do the same thing. All my friends went to places
like Disney World and I was stuck going back to Korea every summer to spend time with my family. Today, I appreciate all the times I spent with my family and relatives. The relationship I have now with all my relatives is very special and it has guided me in many aspects of my life and I love that I have so many people could count on. Food is a very important part in my family, especially Korean food. My siblings and I are taught at a young age how to cook the main Korean dishes. As we got older, my parents taught us more and more how to cook and that interest has led me to explore other dishes, outside of the Korean culture. Also, my family is in the food business. We have a number of delis and restaurants throughout the United States, Korea, and Guam. Because of this, my dad and my uncles have instilled in us at a young age the importance of quality in food. My mom’s love to cook and host also has played an important part. She always loved to cook food for all of our church events and always had my siblings and I help. Many people love my mom’s cooking and some even pay my mom for her famous Korean side dishes. I grew up learning how to speak Korean first, Spanish second (my dad spoke more spanish than English and a lot of the people who worked for my dad spoke Spanish) and then English last. Even today my mom’s English is not that great and most communication is done in Korean. My Korean culture is very important to me. Although I do not believe or practice every Korean tradition I believe it is a key part of who I am. When I have children, I do want them to
Liz, center, in a tradiotnal Korean Hanbok
Liz and her family posing, 2007
know about the Korean culture but I would never force them to do anything they did not want to. Media’s perception of the Asian culture has changed dramatically in the past decade. A decade ago, the media had no knowledge of Asian culture and there were many stereotypes that come with being an Asian in America. However today with many Asian American celebrities and famous figures becoming more notable, many Asian stereotypes have been broken. However, there is a big misunderstanding between North and South Korea. I have been asked too many times throughout my life if I am North Korean. Fact: North Korea is run by a dictator and North Koreans are not allowed to leave the country. Therefore any North Koreans that are outside the country are refugees. I am not one of them. The Korean culture is beyond K-Pop and K-Drama. I understand the popularity these have made in America recently, but there is so much more to Korea than just those two. Being 1st generation has had both its pros and cons. The Korean work ethic has pushed me to work hard in everything and anything that I do. It has allowed me to be able to perform under immense pressure and be able to get my work done in time. Some cons include that the Korean culture is very conservative. My parents have very conservative views and often times it clashes with my opinions and belief. And because in my family we were taught to never go against your parents or elders, I have never bring up my difference in opinions to my parents.
Ddeokbokki Hot and Spicy Rice Cake
“My mom’s love to cook and host also has played an important part of my family. She cooks food for all of our church events and always had me and my siblings to help” 1 pound of cylinder shaped rice cake
Add the water, dried anchovies, and dried kelp to a shallow pot.
4 cups of water
Boil for 15 minutes over medium high heat without the lid.
7 large size dried anchovies 6" x 8"dried kelp 1/3 cup hot pepper paste 1 tablespoon hot pepper flakes 1 tablespoon sugar 3 green onions, cut into 3 inch long pieces 2 hard boiled eggs, shelled (optional) ½ pound fish cakes (optional)
Combine hot pepper paste, hot pepper flakes, and sugar in a small bowl. Remove the anchovies and kelp from the pot and add the rice cake, the mixture in the bowl, the green onion, and the optional fish cakes and hard boiled eggs. The stock will be about 2 ½ cups. Stir gently with a wooden spoon when it starts to boil. Keep stirring until the rice cake turns soft and the sauce thickens and looks shiny, which should take about 10 -15 minutes. If the rice cake is not soft enough, add more water and continue stirring until soften. When you use freshly made rice cake, it takes shorter time. If you use frozen rice cake, thaw it out and soak in cold water to soften it before cooking. Remove from the heat and serve hot.
Young Agnes in her home in the North West Side of Chicago, which houses the largest community of Polish people outside of Poland
Agnes Pletnia Country: Poland Born: North West Side Chicago, IL Raised: Chicago, IL Launguages: English & Polish
My dad came to America in the 1980s for work and to get out from under communism in Poland after he had done his mandatory military service back in Krakow. He was in his thirties at the time and he got work as a contractor. My mom came in 1990 to visit a friend but then she met my dad and they got married and had me two years later. They both came to Chicago because there was a huge Polish population that was already established there and they had heard about it from people they knew. My dad was always very happy to have come here, he never planned on leaving once he came and got citizenship but my mom wasn’t even planning on staying here, she was just staying with a friend and was planning on returning to Poland but she married my dad and had me and the decision was sort of made for her. She wants to go back and live there still. English wasn’t my first language and so as soon as I went to pre-school I knew I was different and I mostly kept to myself, slowly learning English from the people around me as well as from watching television. I also played a lot with my neighbors, who were American and that helped me learn English quickly. But as I went through school I quickly saw how different my food and traditions even were as compared to my classmates. I definitely consider myself more American. I do have a certain amount of distance from the traditional American childhood, and a lot of my identity is definitely tied to being Polish, but I understand the way things work in America and I feel like I’ve been raised in a very American context and my independence was formed in that context whereas when I go to Poland I feel displaced. Never Polish enough and never American enough. The hardest part about growing up in American was that my parents never spoke English that well so they never really became friends with my friends’ parents so I always felt a sort of distance from other people in that we couldn’t be as close as maybe some other kids were with their friends. As I got older that changed but it bothered me when I was little that my mom could never like, join the PTA or help plan class parties or chaperone dances Also I hated going to Polish school which I had to do every Saturday morning.
Assortment of homemade spirits
Assortment of homemade Polish desserts baked by Agnes’s mother
Agnes’s mother riding a chicken with the help of her mother in Poland, 1959
Extended family gather in Poland
We kept a lot or traditions regarding Catholic holidays, as Poland is traditionally a very Roman Catholic country, so we would get our Easter basket blessed a week before Easter which I always loved. We also had a very specific Christmas Eve celebration where we would have a big dinner with the seven traditional courses and then open present when the first star appeared in the sky. We didn’t really have family in the States but my parents always invited their friends who were my surrogate aunts and uncles and it was a really nice, comforting thing. Luckily I never had to do any Polish dancing. Polish food was always a big part of my identity and going to the Polish deli was always an event. The smell of the kielbasa hanging behind the deli counter is the most comforting thing in the world. There’s a lot of cabbage involved as well and of course piergois which I would help my grandma make when I was little. We would use a water class to cut circles into the dough which we’d fill with a cheese, onion, and potato paste and those were always my favorite. Thanks to Polish school and I can read and write in it as well as speak Polish fliently. It’s a big part of who I am, especially as a first generation kid because I’m still so close to it. We make a point to visit Poland every couple of years and my parents always tried to make me aware of Polish culture, especially history. The way I look at the world and how the past has shaped it is very influenced by my Polish upbringing. Preserving that is very important to me and if I have any children I want to teach them Polish. It won’t be so great since mine is slowly getting worse the longer I live away from home, but I want my culture to continue through me. Well, Polish people are not super commonly portrayed in the media but if they are they’re usually cleaning women or doormen. On some level I can see the humor in it because my mom was a cleaning lady and she knew tons of other polish
Carepackage of Polish treats from Agnes’s mother with all of her nicknames on the card
cleaning ladies but on another level it hurts a little because I was always ashamed to tell my friends what my mom did when I was little because I grew up in a fairly affluent neighborhood. She worked as a civil engineer in Poland and she came here and had to clean houses. So there’s an element of struggle there that I think is dismissed. And of course there’s the whole “Polish people are stupid” thing which I wasn’t even exposed to until I was older, so I didn’t take it seriously because I knew it wasn’t true. I feel like not many people from America have a very good image of Poland itself. Poland is a beautiful country with a really rich history and is just as worth visiting and exploring as the Czech Republic or Austria. Everyone I know who has gotten to go there has really loved it but it’s always hard to convincethose who have never been. It’s helped me in that I have perspective; America is not the be all end all and the American way of life is not the Mecca. It exposed to me a varied experience that I would have hated to miss out on and I would never want to be one of those “I’m 10 percent Irish, 20 percent German...” kids. I love having a very concrete cultural background because it lets me feel grounded in something, whether I agree with it or not. I think it’s really helped me become more sensitive to cultural difference and appreciate how different we all are.
Pierogies “Polish food was always a big part of my identity and going to the Polish deli was always an event� Sauerkraut Filling 2 tablespoons butter 1/3 cup chopped onion 1 1/2 cups sauerkraut, drained and minced salt and pepper to taste
Potato Filling 3 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup chopped onion 2 cups cold mashed potatoes 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon white pepper
Dough 3 egg 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream 3 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon baking powder
To prepare the sauerkraut filling, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the drained sauerkraut and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then remove to a plate to cool. For the mashed potato filling, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir into the mashed potatoes, and season with salt and white pepper. To make the dough, beat together the eggs and sour cream until smooth. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder; stir into the sour cream mixture until dough comes together. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until firm and smooth. Divide the dough in half, then roll out one half to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 3 inch rounds using a biscuit cutter. Place a small spoonful of the mashed potato filling into the center of each round. Moisten the edges with water, fold over, and press together with a fork to seal. Repeat procedure with the remaining dough and the sauerkraut filling. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add perogies and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until pierogi float to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon.
Miri in a traditional kimono for a tea ceremony
View of downtown LA from Miri’s suburb
Miri Clara Kunii Country: Japan Born: Los Angeles, CA Raised: La Cañada Flintridge, CA Launguages: English & Japanese
My dad came to the U.S. when he graduated college. He traveled around the country without knowing anyone and not knowing much English. He road tripped across the nation on a Greyhound bus and ended up in Southern California. My mother moved to the U.S. when my parents got married and they got their Green Card when my brother and I were born. It was completely different from what they grew up with. They had to do everything by themselves and start their lives all over again. I’m not sure the reasoning behind why my parent’s moved to the U.S. but I think they wanted to experience a new way of living and see a different kind of society. I was exposed to it when I was around 5 years old, but I didn’t think anything of it at the time. It became more prevalent during the last years of elementary school when I would go to my friend’s houses. I think of myself as being a combination of both because I was raised in a Japanese household, but taught American culture in school. I relate to both cultures and my opinions are created because of it. People in my country do not think I’m Japanese from the way I look and the way I carry myself. I am usually looked at as a
Homemade nimono, slow cooked veggies marinated in a soy sauce and mirin based broth
foreigner whenever I visit relatives. I have an American sense of style, but also I have no problem being silly in public, so in general, not very Japanese. The hardest part was having to do everything on my own because my parent’s didn’t understand English. I got myself through high school, legal applications and forms, and the college application process. We go to the shrine when we visit Japan to honor our family and the people who have passed away. I think it’s good to honor relatives and appreciate the people who have worked hard to make it easier to live. Food is really important. We have a lot of holidays represented with food. It is considered an art form in Japan. For example, New Years we eat traditional meals, called osechi, and each item of food represents as a symbol of luck in the upcoming year. I can speak Japanese, but only conversationally even though I went to school for six years. My culture is very important to me. It shaped me and it has helped me be more open to different cultures. I feel like I have a different outlook on situation because I am able to compare two different societies, and create distinctions between them that some people would not be able to have. When I have children, I am certain to teach them about my culture and the language so
Miri, brother, and mother in their LA home
Miri in rural Japan posing in wooden facehole, very popular throughout Japan
they can talk to my relatives. Also, it is good to be able to have the different outlook than just having the one, if at all possible. I think it’s extreme, but the country is kind of ridiculous. The culture of Japan is very secluded from the rest of the world, in my opinion. There are some differences, but they have positive and negative sides as all societies do. I had a hard time trying to figure out my identity. I was bullied in Japanese school because I wasn’t able to grasp the language and I was falling behind in my normal school work, trying to learn english at the same time. When I got older, I had to do everything by myself and get myself through. But I think it was all worth it because I’ve become a very independent person and have more drive to accomplish things.
Ramen “We have a lot of holidays represented with food. It is considered an art form in Japan. ” 1 lb pork 1 tsp salt 6 cups water (1.5L) 50g ginger root, sliced 3 cloves garlic, skinned 1 bunch green onions 4 Tbsp soy sauce 2 Tbsp sake 1 tsp salt 1 tsp sesame oil Noodles 9 oz fresh angel hair pasta (225g) 8 cups water (2L) 2 Tbsp baking soda Boiled egg halves Bean sprouts, blanched briefly Green onions, cut finely
Rub salt on pork and let it sit overnight in the fridge. In a pot, put water, ginger root, garlic, green onions and salted pork, and boil at high heat. Skim fat and other floating scums. Then cover, reduce to low heat, and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Let the broth and pork cool completely in pot. Strain and save pork. Slice pork and set aside for a topping. Prepare the rest of the toppings now as well (boiled eggs, blanched bean sprouts, cut green onions), before making the soup and noodles. Once the noodles are cooked, you will need to add the soup and toppings right away or the noodles will get soft, so you won’t have time to prepare the toppings at the end Boil the broth and add soy sauce, sake, salt and sesame oil. Let it simmer at very low heat until noodles are ready. In boiling water in a pot, add baking soda (be careful, it may boil over), then add the fresh angel hair pasta. Cook the pasta for 30 seconds, and strain. Immediately divide noodles into bowls and add soup onto noodles. Top with boiled eggs, bean sprouts, green onions and sliced pork.
Eden and her older sister
Eden Shats Country: Russia Born: San Fransico, CA Raised: Los Gatos, CA Launguages: English & Russian
My extended family came to the US as political refugees from the USSR in the mid-eighties. I’m the only person who was born in America. My dad knew for a long time that he wanted to leave Russia, but my mom wasn’t as convinced. Emigration from the USSR was pretty limited and for a long time the only way you could leave is if you were a Jew applying for a visa to Israel. I think that’s where they were expecting to end up. Emigration restrictions loosened up temporarily in eighties and they quickly found someone in the US to sponsor them. So, it was more a matter of leaving Russia than coming to America, but they love the US and strongly consider themselves Americans.
Eden’s mother and sister on the Golden Gate Bridge shortly after arrving in America
Eden’s father, right, as a young man in Soviet Russia
The San Fransico Bay Area is generally a very culturally diverse place, so I may not be the best person to ask. I think I started acting ashamed of my culture around the fourth grade when I asked my mom to stop packing me school lunches. What fourth grader shows up to school with caviar sandwiches for lunch? I also refused to speak Russian at home for a long time when I was young. I just wanted to fit in with my American peers so badly. There’s a lot of weird little things that remind me that I’m not ~American~, but I’ve become more proud of who I am. Now, I would take herring in a fur coat over Carl’s Jr. chicken nuggets any day. I think that I’m stuck somewhere in the middle. While I want to maintain my Russian identity, I am still very Americanized. I grew up in America so that is probably One family tradition that keeps my family distictly Russian is that we take vodka shots at Thanksgiving. So while it is an American holiday, it’s still very Russian. I love Russian food! I mentioned herring in a fur coat earlier, it’s layers of pickled herring, hard boiled eggs, potatoes, onion, carrots, etc under a coat of grated beets and mayo. It’s bright pink. A major characteristic of Russian food is that lots of it is pickled. I think just about everyday I eat something pickled. Obviously my parents and sister speak Russian and they wanted me to learn as well. I have a habit of replying to my
Eden’s mother, father, and the top of her sister’s head not long after arrving in America
parents in English, but I can understand and read Russian. I want to learn to speak better. It’s becoming more important to me. I would like to share my culture with my kids if they’re interested. I think that by the 2nd+ generation, people become very interested in their heritage. Especially in America, since this is a nation of immigrents. I think that the media does demonize Russians a lot. Putin, gay rights, spying, etc. A lot of people assume that we? They? Are very cold. I guess that for the most part, Russians do tend to be really cynical, which makes sense when you look at their history. Being a first generation kid has helped me keep an open mind about the taboos/quirks of other cultures. It’s hard when you don’t feel like you really belong anywhere, but I’ve come to terms with my identity.
Eden and her older sister
Borscht “When I am eating I am deaf and dumb�
1 Beef shin 30 gm Lard 1 Onion 1 carrot finely, chopped 1 celery stalk, diced 2 garlic cloves, diced 6 cups Beef stock 1 Desiree potato, diced 4 Beetroots White cabbage, cut into julienne Sour cream Dill sprigs Rye sourdough
Place beef shin in a saucepan, add water to cover, bring to the simmer over medium-high heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Skim scum, drain (discard stock) and set beef aside. Heat lard in a large casserole over medium heat, add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and stir occasionally until translucent (4-5 minutes). Add stock, bring to the simmer, add beef, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the meat starts to fall from the bone (1½-2 hours), adding potato in the last 30 minutes of cooking. Remove beef, set aside to cool, then when cool, shred meat (discard bones and sinew) and return to soup. Meanwhile, combine beetroot, vinegar and 2.5 litres water in a saucepan over medium heat, bring to the simmer, season to taste and simmer until beetroot are tender (50 minutes-1 hour). Drain, set aside to cool, then when cool enough to handle, peel beetroot, cut into julienne and set aside. Add beetroot and cabbage to soup. Simmer over medium heat until tender (10-15 minutes), divide among bowls, top with sour cream and dill and serve with rye sourdough.
A young Hannah and her father in their San Fransico home
Hannah Wong Country: China Born: San Fransico, CA Raised: San Fransico, CA Launguages: English & Mandarin
My mom’s family came to America around the 80s when she was in her early 20s, and my dad came around his late teens. They both came from poor rural beginnings, and lived in villages, and hoped to come to America to find a better life like many immigrants. They felt like they needed to leave China because of a lot of government injustices and come to America, because they couldn’t go to Hong Kong due to legislation at the time. I’m not sure how my dad came to America, but for my mom’s side, my eldest aunt and uncle came first, and then the rest of my family (a couple aunts, uncles, cousins, and my mom) came after. The transition into America was nice for them to ease into because my mom’s side of the family came to San Francisco where there was already a really established Chinatown/ Chinese community. My dad came to the east coast first and lived in New York and Florida and Pittsburg for a couple years before coming to San Francisco. While both sides of my family do miss China and Hong Kong, I don’t think they would ever want to leave because they’ve all made a good life for themselves here.
The cultural differences first became really apparent when I started high school. The preschool and middle school that I went to had a lot of first generation Americans like me, but in high school, I went to a predominately white private school with upperclass families. When I was younger, I always thought I was more American, but starting around the end of high school, I saw a lot more of my upbringing surface. And now, I’m realizing there isn’t that much “American” in me in comparison to the day-to-day things I do that are considered super “Chinese.” For the most part, people from my home country always say how proud they are that I haven’t lost touch with my roots, especially since I can still speak the language (my whole family primarily only speaks Cantonese, and I have some family that doesn’t speak English). The hardest part was feeling ashamed of my culture growing up or not understanding American holidays such as Christmas etc. It’s also especially weird when you don’t see any Asians being represented in the media or beauty magazines etc. I love my parents, but it used to make me nervous introducing them to friends or going to restaurants because they didn’t speak English fluently, and I hated thinking that people were passing judgement. My family basically keeps all the traditions from Lunar New Year to the Autumn Moon Festival. Even my cousins have kept some traditional wedding ceremonies, which I intend to do at my wedding in the future too. We don’t do this anymore, but when I was younger, we used to light lanterns and walk around the streets at night with family and friends for the autumn moon. Food is really important in Chinese culture because it’s all about fostering a communal space. Most meals, everything is shared (unlike in America where people get their own dishes). My favorite dish is my mom’s steamed fish with a side of bok choy and rice. I can speak it fairly well without an American accent but I forget words sometimes. But I can’t read or write. The older I get, the more important my culture has been to me because it’s a facet of myself that most people won’t get to experience soon. I definitely plan on sharing my culture with my children because for me being 100% Chinese, it’s important that they understand where their roots are too. The media doesn’t really focus much on Asian people, and if they do, they’re usually high fashion models that are super androgynous looking. But recently, there has been a new show
Hannah and her mother in their SF home
Hannah and her mother
on ABC called Fresh Off The Boat, which might be the first show to accurately portray the Asian American experience. I want to tell Americans to stop going to Panda Express and putting us into a bubble of the smart, nerdy Asian kids who eat weird food. Not every mom is a Tiger mom… my parents are the chillest. It’s helped me a lot with making major decisions. In Chinese culture, it’s like canon law to respect your elders. In addition to that, my parents came here to make a better life for themselves and for me, so they’ve always supported me to do what I want. Growing up, I pressured myself a lot because I always wanted to make them proud. And to this day, I think of my mom whenever I make all my big life decisions.
Hannah shwoing her California pride
Hong Shao Rou Red Braised Pork “Food is really important in Chinese culture because it’s all about fostering a communal space. ” 2 lbs pork belly cut into 4” x 4” sections 3 Tbsp Sugar 3 Cups Chicken stock, low sodium 2 Cinnamon sticks 2 Star anise 2 Cloves garlic, smashed 3 1” x 2” slices of ginger, skin on 1/3 Cup of soy 1/4 Cup Shao Xing wine or dry sherry 1 Tbsp dark soy
In enough water to just cover the pork, poach belly in simmering water (“cuan”) for 4 minutes or so, then remove. When the pork has cooled enough to handle, cut into cubes appx. 1 1/2” x 2” and in two batches, brown in a hot wok or cast iron skillet with 3 or 4 Tab peanut oil or lard. Be careful, this entails lots of spattering…Remove and set aside. In the same pan, on med heat, add the sugar and stir until melted and beginning to caramelize. Add back in the pork belly pieces, and toss until coated and further browned with caramelized sugar. Transfer the pork and residual oil/sugar mixture to a 3 -4 quart sand pot or sauce pan; add the chicken stock to cover pork pieces, cinnamon, star anise, garlic, ginger, light soy, wine, and dark soy. Bring to a gentle boil, and simmer for approximately 1 hour, until pork lean layers are tender but still moist. As soon as meat is done, remove meat and boil to reduce sauce. When liquid has reduced to desired consistency, turn off heat. Return pork belly to the pot and mix to coat; serve in sandpot or plate with garnish of cilantro and carrot or red pepper slivers