As a 桥 between both China and America

Nicole was born in Hong Kong and moved to the LA when she was about two. She has been residing in Sunset District in San Francisco since 1989. Her parents are now separated and she lives with her mother and grandmother.

When Nicole was asked whether she could identify the elements which were ‘Chinese’ in her and the elements which were ‘American’ in her, Nicole attributes much of her Chinese influence from her upbringing. She was taken care of by her grandmother who instilled in her Chinese values and traditions such as celebrating Chinese festivals and respect for elders. Like most Chinese families, the emphasis was also on studying hard at school. Furthermore, Nicole feels more incline to follow Asian fashion and keep up with Hong Kong and Chinese serial dramas

At home, she speaks Cantonese “at least 90% of the time”, and feels comfortable with the language because “sometimes, there are things that I can express better in Cantonese than in English”. Does she also use Cantonese among her friends? Nicole uses English a lot more among her friends, especially because some of her friends are non-Chinese Americans or American-born Chinese who could not speak the language.

So what does going back to Hong Kong feels like for her? Now that she is much older, she appreciates going back to Hong Kong more often and does not see herself as a tourist. Nicole goes back almost every year to visit her father who resides there. She says that her father “demands that she goes back to Hong Kong every year to see my (her) elders, and keep in touch with family members”. Thus, she “can fit in” naturally back in Hong Kong, and enjoys the “Asian nightlife and style” a lot more.

When asked if she could see herself residing back there, Nicole was hesitant and did say she would think twice about it because majority of her friends are in America. However, she can see herself shuttling back and forth between the two countries, “kind of like working there and traveling back and forth”. After all, “China is now a major economic power” and she does see it as an opportunity to find a good job in Hong Kong. Hence, as a Chinese American, Nicole sees herself like uniquely as a bridge ( 桥)between both China and America

When asked whether she was more of a Chinese American than an American Chinese, Nicole said she sees herself more of as a Chinese American because the values which she hold are very much “still Chinese in nature”. Her frequent use of Cantonese and adherence to Chinese traditions such as celebrating Chinese festivals and practicing table manners, the Chinese way, make her still very much a Chinese who happens to be “living in America”.