My Chinese Roommate

         I just realized that, in all of my posts, I have yet to mention the relationship between myself and my Chinese Roommate. Over this Jan Term I have really had a chance, not only to learn about Chinese American history in class, but also to talk to my roommate and learn about her culture and traditions first hand. She is a first generation Chinese American, having come over when she was 13 years old. While she is very assimilated to American culture, her mother, who came over with her, is not. While my roommate does speak Chinese fluently having lived in China for 13 years, she also speaks English very well and behaves very much like any other American teenager. However, her mother barely speaks any English despite having lived here for quite a few years and, for the most part, she still lives as though she were in China. She cooks mainly traditional chinese meals and keeps the traditions and customs of China alive. For example, she is hosting a huge Chinese New Year celebration coming up and is making a ton of traditional foods for it. As a result of this strong Chinese influence, my roommate definitely exhibits double consciousness. She seems to feel as though she truly is stuck between two distinct cultures. She dresses like an American and talks like an American but she still eats mostly Asian foods feels strong ties to the home that she left behind to come to America. I have really enjoyed getting to know more about Chinese Americans in this class and I hope to apply the knowledge that I have gained in my experiences with my roommate so that I can learn as much as possible about her and her unique heritage and culture.