(17, WA, USA) Anonymous - Asian American

The ways I would describe being Asian American is being too Asian to hang out with Americans, but too American to hang out with Asians. It is being too attached to my culture to hang out with the Americans but too distant from my culture to hang out with the Asians. It is also being too American to ever join the Asian clubs at school but too Asian not to join. It's getting shamed for not being able to maintain an American accent and also getting shamed for not being able to keep up with my Asian language. It's also feeling too out of place to hang out with either sides of me. But it can also be very beautiful. Instead of complaining about this barrier, we should overcome it and embrace both side's cultures. Being Asian American can also look like me sharing my culture with my American friends; sharing my traditions, recipes, and even our clothing. It can also look like me sharing my American experiences to my Asian family back in the motherland; about how in America, students have a choice to wear whatever they want to school, while in Asia it's really common to wear uniforms.