There Goes The Neighborhood...

As you can probably tell from the first time you saw me, I am an Asian. Yes, I am one of the 1.4 billion Chinese people that are walking the face of the Earth every day. (: I love being Chinese, and I love China's culture. Though my opinions on certain traditions may differ at times, but I do not look down on it. I do not make fun of it. And I definitely am not ashamed of it.

About four years ago before I moved from 28th/Normal street into Chinatown, I didn't feel that my neighbors welcomed me. On 28th/Normal, most people were Asians. There were Asians that just came from their home country and couldn't speak or understand English. There were young Asian children that attended schools around that area. There were gangster Asians that came out at night and partied. You would think that the Asians living on this street would be living in peace and joy. Haha funny idea and I wish that was the case.

People from the neighboring streets weren't Asians. They were mainly Caucasions or Latinos. So, you have this group of Asians surrounded by people that could speak perfect English in America. Already, things sound like they could be complicated. And they did get complicated.

For as far as my memory can stretch, I can recall that there were times when  kids from a few streets down came and spray painted my garage door with "Fre$h Off Da Boat." I remember walking down the street with my Grandpa and two adults would say "Ching Chong Chingyyy, Gung Hay Fat Choy. Hahaha!" Strange isn't it? Because, if they were trying to speak Chinese, I'm pretty damn sure they failed miserably at doing so.

But I was sure as hell they were making fun of the Chinese language. They were looking down on the Asians that spoke broken English. Sometimes, it's not all about being EXACTLY the same. It's okay to step out, share your uniqueness and not be picked on for being who you are. Being away from your home country doesn't mean you lose who you are, lose your history, and the pride of your past. That's the concept that those people who picked on us did not get. They are ignorant. And no, ignorant is not bliss in this case.