I take off my shoes upon entering my house and slide into a pair of slippers once through the doorway. The aroma of jasmine rice hits me before I even enter the kitchen which initially appears to be a typical American kitchen however their hints that one is in a Asian household a jar of toothpicks, a rice cooker, and a dishwasher being used as a drying rack. As a Vietnamese American I grew up in a house where two cultures mixed together however when I was younger I tried to hide the Vietnamese side of me within the walls of the house. When I was a girl I used to be ashamed of being Vietnamese and wished I was Caucasian instead.
There were times my accent was made fun of and when I brought Vietnamese food in for lunch my classmate thought it looked and smelled unusual because of my appearance I’m asked questions such as “what are you” or “where are you really from” or “do you eat dog?” Those remarks weren’t as difficult as the language barrier I faced which frustrated me most. Vietnamese is my first language and that impeded me from communicating well with English speakers for instance I was late to school one day and my teacher asked me the reason why. I replied that I was getting my picture taken for my passport, but I pronounced passport how the non-English speaking Vietnamese say it which sounds more like baseball. After I spent several minutes attempting to explain what I meant my teacher gave up on trying to understand me and sent me to the next class. After ever situation someone did that I became more determined to improve my English. I worked hard to achieve that goal so that communicating with English speakers would become easier however that wasn’t the only reason. Vietnamese is my first language also hindered my growth as a student and I wanted to catch up to the level of my classmates. I will always remember the day I was crowned as the English princess in third grade after I earned high grades on my essays. That was the first day I realized my potential to reach the pedestal that I imaged my classmates to be on.
As I made progress on my English I no longer viewed Vietnamese being my first language as a negative aspect of my life. Instead I was grateful for it because although my Vietnamese has worsened over the years I spent focusing on English I still know enough to hold a conversation with other Vietnamese people including family members who don’t know English. Accepting other parts that make me Vietnamese like my accent, the food I eat, and my appearance became easier. Now I bring my Vietnamese side with me when I leave the house. I get exited every time I get the chance to share with others about what it’s like being Vietnamese American. Wearing Ow young’s traditional dress I represent the South East Asia booth at the festival Nations. People still ask questions like do you get in trouble if you don’t get straight A’s, but rather than feeling offended or staying silent I can now answer them in English and I’ve realized some are genuinely curious. I stopped avoiding bringing in Vietnamese food for lunch and sometimes I encourage my friends to try out some of my “unusual” food. I love to share the pokes of being Vietnamese American including knowing how to use chopsticks to eat a variety of foods occasionally I even use chopsticks when eating snacks like Cheetos as they keep my fingers from getting stained. Although I was born and raised in America I’m not just American. I am Vietnamese American and proud to embrace both cultures.
