My mother came to the United States from Taiwan and my father from Beijing, China. They met here, in New York City, where my brother and I were born. Being a first-generation Asian-American has its difficulties as I try to stay in touch with both cultures. Despite understanding and speaking my parent's language, it is hard trying to balance both my Asian identity and American identity without being seen as too "Americanized" to my family members in China, or seen as an outsider by other students. As a child, other kids would look at the sticky rice my mom packed for lunch and laugh in disgust. I'll admit at the time I was a bit embarrassed of my Chinese identity but quickly came to appreciate it. I love helping cook my mother's authentic meals because it lets me learn about where my family came from and pushes me to stay in touch with my culture through different dishes. I realized how the different foods I eat represent my complex identity. One night, my mother was too tired after work to cook. She brought home a few burgers from Wendy's and reheated the leftovers she made from the other night. I remember looking down at my meal, at first laughing at the two completely different dishes, but then realizing that in a way those two dishes represented who I was.

– Harmony Z

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant