THROUGH GENERATIONS

Exploring how community members’ cultural identities have changed over generations

BY ALYSSA YANG AND STEPHANIE ZHANG

Junior Danica Novotny doesn’t expect anyone to look at her and think that her family immigrated from outside the United States. Still, Novotny — a thirdgeneration immigrant — believes that her heritage has greatly shaped who she is. Novotny’s maternal grandparents immigrated from Hong Kong, while her paternal grandparents immigrated first from Czechia to Canada, and later to the U.S. in search of better opportunities.

families. In contrast, MVHS parent Cynthia Kim initially came to the United States only intending to study abroad for a year in high school, not to immigrate.

parents and grandparents.

Parent

Kim’s father was an astrophysicist and had received a year-long international research grant at UC Berkeley. The grant was later extended, and Kim stayed to attend college, which required Kim to assimilate into an American lifestyle, she admits that her high school years remain “the hardest years of [her] entire life.”

“Every generation, we lose a lot of traditions and customs,” Malik said. “I would say I’m in between [Indian and American] because I was born here. … I’m a mix between doing mostly American things while still trying to maintain some connections to my Indian heritage.”

Likewise, Kim notes that the decades she’s spent in the U.S. have transformed her cultural identity into something different from that of her parents, who traveled back to Asia and remain Chinese citizens.

Although both of Novotny’s parents were born and raised in the U.S., they have remained close with her grandparents. As a result, many of her grandparents’ superstitions have impacted how Novotny lives. For instance, Novotny says the maternal side of her family avoids the number four, as in Mandarin, it sounds similar to the word “death” and is thought to bring bad fortune.

Similarly, junior Sidhant Malik, whose parents immigrated from India, says that his parents’ faith still holds a fairly strong impact on his family’s lifestyle. Some traditions and customs are foundational in his day-to-day life, such as going to temples. Others influence how his family handles loved ones passing away and holidays or special events.

Both Malik and Novotny say their families immigrated to the U.S. in search of better educational and work opportunities for them and their

“[As an immigrant], you don’t want to be considered foreign, right?” Kim said. “You want to assimilate into your new setting as quickly as possible. But I dressed wrong. I spoke wrong. Everything felt wrong. I kept in touch with my junior high school friends through snail mail, and I feel that it’s truly those connections that kept me [whole]. It’s really your friendships and your family that thread you to your past and to your culture.”

To remain connected to her cultural roots in Hong Kong, Novotny spent eight years learning Mandarin. Despite never visiting the countries her grandparents immigrated from, Novotny says she’s never felt disconnected from others who share her heritage.

“[The difference between us has] not been significant at all,” Novotny said. “I still feel connected to my culture and my background.”

In contrast, despite Malik’s efforts to maintain his relationship with his heritage by praying and following his parents’ lead at special events and gatherings, he feels that his cultural identity has changed from that of his

“Nowadays, there are moments where I talk to my mom, and she [says], ‘That thought is just so American,’” Kim said. “I have to remind her [that] … how I look, perhaps even some of the foundational ideas of who I am [and] what my culture is, were formed in the years when I was in China. But how I think, how I process information, how I acquire my knowledge, those were all in the years when I [was] in the U.S.”