I’m grateful to everyone who has been a part of my 1.5-generation journey and helped me along the way. To the classmates who invited me to sit at their lunch table when I was in seventh grade, thank you for making me feel welcome when I was still trying to figure out where I belonged.… Continue reading Gratitude
Tag: blog
Reflections – Written in 2019
There have been multiple stages of identity shifts since I arrived in the U.S. with my family at age 12. Beginning Stage — Culture Shock (Ages 12–17)Disliked the language; didn’t feel like learning; didn’t feel like I belonged; became a loner; homesick. I remember hating this place so much. I remember thinking: I didn’t choose… Continue reading Reflections – Written in 2019
Gloomy Nights
For most of my life, I’ve tried to understand myself by looking at where I came from: Taiwan, the United States, the languages I speak, the cultures I grew up around, and the constant feeling of being somewhere in between. But identity isn’t the only thing I’ve had to learn to live with. There are… Continue reading Gloomy Nights
Quiet Nights
We eventually started living in a nice, four-bedroom house in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. I honestly never really liked the house. It was nice and spacious, with beautiful natural light, but something about it made me feel lonely. I remember those late work nights when I was the only one home. I couldn’t bring myself… Continue reading Quiet Nights
Year 2000, Leaving Taipei
I’d like to really understand everything that led me to become who I am today. I remember taking the airplane to America that day, full of excitement. At the airport, I saw my aunt and uncle for the first time in what felt like forever—though honestly, I couldn’t even remember how many years it had… Continue reading Year 2000, Leaving Taipei
Learning to Stop Being「白目」
I used to always want people to understand me and accept my opinions. I tended to look down on people when they held values or behaved in ways that I disliked. I often wanted people to become “better”—by my own definition of better. Even though I genuinely love learning about new things, ideas, cultures, languages,… Continue reading Learning to Stop Being「白目」
Preface: My 1.5-Generation Story
Everyone has their own version of growing up as a 1.5-generation immigrant, and this is my story. I was born in 1988 in Taipei, Taiwan, where it’s common for people to grow up speaking or at least understanding a mother tongue—whether that’s Taiwanese Hokkien, Hakka, or one of the Indigenous languages—and then learn and use… Continue reading Preface: My 1.5-Generation Story
