Last year, I came back home from school one day and was immediately hit with a strong, unfamiliar odor. It turned out father had recently taken up the practice of self-moxibustion. Moxibustion, a close cousin of acupuncture, is a traditional Chinese healing method that directs heat to the pressure points rather than using needles. My father said it was good for his allergies and eagerly offered his services to me and my mother. My mother and I recoiled for several reasons. First, the smell took several days to get used to. Second, even though we knew moxibustion is a time-honored, effective method, we still seemed to have a stigma against, or even a fear of, medical methods that were not modern. This is probably because my family has been so assimilated into American culture, not so much in the way that we have become very American, but more in the way that at least the children have become very disconnected from their native culture. After finally accepting moxibustion treatment for various ailments, I became interested in Chinese medicine and took the first few steps towards reconnecting to China's rich history and legacy of excellence. 

– Beracah

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