How Family/Culture Influenced Me...

As we learned in class, our opinions and who we are today are shaped by where we come from...outside forces, such as family, have influenced and shaped us to become who we are today. My family and culture have definitely contributed to who I am today.

I come from a close knitted Vietnamese family and culture has always been an important part of my life. Even though I was born in the U.S., my first language was actually Vietnamese. My parents spoke Vietnamese to me as a child and as a result, I had to take ESL to learn English. Whenever I speak Vietnamese, I would get surprised looks because people learn that I was born here and not in Vietnam and because of my fluency. I would have to say that being bilingual and able to speak my language with fluency has been something that has set me apart from other Vietnamese American teens. My parents have always been sure to keep me connected with my culture since I was a child. I would sit and watch traditional Vietnamese operas and musical productions with my parents and grandma. As a result, I still enjoy them today and listen to Vietnamese folk music. I would also get surprised looks from this as well and have been called "old school" by some of my cousins. Growing up in a Vietnamese family in America, I learned to balance my Vietnamese culture along with American culture.

Growing up, I was a tomboy. My mother would bring me shopping and I would automatically go over the boys' section. My mother quickly learned that she could not force me to wear girly things and let me be a tomboy. At this age, I enjoyed sports and being athletic and active. My family would often watch Bruce Lee (the father of martial arts) movies and I began to take a great interest in martial arts. I wanted to be just like him. My parents saw my interest and brought me to a Taekwondo class for a trial lesson and from then on, Taekwondo has been a great part of my life. I cannot imagine my life without Taekwondo. I have been doing Taekwondo for about nine years and it is my passion. Eventually, I grew out of the tomboy stage but I still maintain my athletic side.

My parents were both boat people and left Vietnam after the Vietnam War to start a new life. They encountered great hardships and did not have opportunities that I have today. My parents want me to succeed in my academics and to take opportunities that they did not have. As a result, academics have always been an important part of my life and I work hard to make my parents proud. Maintaining a balance between family, academics and athletics is who I am and much of it is contributed by my family.