Cultural Conundrum: Profile of John Lee
by Jackson Liu, Special Contributor

Math and science is my forte. Algebraically adept and socially inept, I'm probably not in your realm of existence. You won't catch me at any clubs Friday night. I keep to myself and do what I'm told. I am shy, reserved, and reliable. In ten years, I'll be your doctor. The verdict is in: I'm a Chinese-American guy.

You've read the chain e-mails and you've heard it all before, but bear with me as we look into the life of the common Chinese person who we'll call John Lee. John is the type of guy you joke with but never understands that you're trying to make him laugh. He may be listening, but fantasies of textbooks and pencils-tips caressing paper undoubtedly cloud his mind. It is clear that Chinese people are often viewed as being unassertive and quiet. Is this persona of John merely a social consequence of being in an intimidating American society or is it more a result of being in a traditional Chinese household? Although society plays a large role in molding our personalities, it is the values we learn from home that are ultimately used to dictate how we carry ourselves in society.

It seems that the traits making a person "American" are the very same characteristics that need to be repressed in order to make a person "Chinese". For instance, Chinese tradition has dictated to John that he should stay quiet unless spoken to, whereas American society tells John to speak up for his beliefs. Americans regard assertiveness and confidence as everyday needs in the social realm. Those who speak the most and articulate are the ones who stand out. In John's house, opinions used in expressing needs to join a rock band for spiritual fulfillment inevitably lead to a scolding "Aiya!". John is told only to listen to what his parents say because one time or another they were given official Confucian doctrines about life. He is instructed to be one way whether or not he likes it. In essence, he is being told to not be American.

Imagine the pressures John Lee has to face everyday of his life! He is put into an American society and expected to excel without ever really being a part of it. He is told to keep what makes him Chinese, but to survive and develop in a society that emphasizes qualities that are repressed by Chinese terms. It is similar to joining a union and trying to get benefits without ever paying for membership. John is expected to succeed no matter the obstacles, be they originating in his Chinese household or in the American society. His parents once biked five miles to school every morning when they were six and his grandparents were all geniuses at one time. How can John Lee fail with such a prestigious heritage of hardworking ancestors? I once saw a Chinese mother refuse the idea that her daughter had a learning disability, even though two tests were done to confirm it, on the basis that her family has had a history of famous/creative artists. Her daughter was scolded for being stupid and not paying attention.

There is a Chinese belief that any person can succeed, usually meaning that any person can be a doctor, albeit rich. It views everyone as an equal in potential. Getting an 86 while your sister got a 96 is unacceptable because you and her are the same intellectually. To do worse is seen as a lack of diligence and a lack of realizing one's potential. The aforementioned mother refused to understand her daughter's inability to the point that an uncontrollable biological consequence becomes an issue of the child not doing what she was supposed to do. It is the equivalent of telling a blind person to look at how beautiful the sky is. It is both insulting and ignorant.

To put everyone on equal footing takes away what makes one person different from the other. The desire to be an individual and to be creative is suppressed to the path of success. Identity crises seem natural. John Lee and his friend are both the same person, other than the fact that John had 4 A's last term while his friend only had 3. To be considered different just because of grades seems a far cry from what the meaning of being different really is. Americans welcome differences and find excitement in what is new. Chinese people find it exciting to keep the new from ever being exciting.

Imagine a scenario in which someone, in this case Michael, can be either a good child or a bad child. Michael does something his parents wanted him to do and he gets rewarded with praise. In John Lee's world, there is no such issue as the good son because he is already expected to be "good". The difference in the two cases is that Michael reaps the rewards of being outstanding while John suffers the consequences of being average. John isn't encouraged to take that extra step and to push himself to achieve greater deeds because those deeds are only mediocre. In effect he can only be an "OK" son, as if John Lee wasn't average enough. There is only one designation - that of the bad son. Going out of his way to wash the dishes and throw out the garbage isn't really out of his way at all because it should have been part of his goal in the first place.

The Chinese have had such a long and proud culture that was once recognized as being complacent and stubborn to change. To be American in a Chinese household is such a departure from being Chinese that change is seen as an act of rebellion. It is seen as a wish to forget the long-standing history that has put Chinese people on the map. Parents act to establish, in John's mind, what has made Chinese culture unique, ironically inhibiting the creation of something even higher. The Chinese once had a kingdom that far outmatched any other. The fall of this empire came when they refused to learn from other cultures. Is the Chinese-American person being subjected to a repetition of history?