Yue Wang

Yue came to the United States all by herself in 2011. During her first two years in the U.S., Yue only hung out with Chinese students at her school. She felt more comfortable being around them because they spoke the same language and had the same lifestyle as herself. Two years later, she transferred to another high school where she was one of three Chinese students in the entire school. This situation encouraged Yue to step out of her comfort zone and become friends with local students. Yue slowly found herself in a place where she felt separated from Chinese students. She realized that being Chinese did not fully define who she was because she had become “Americanized”. Yue felt especially disconnected with Chinese society when she returned to China during break. Because of the disconnection she felt, Yue now values her culture and traditions more than before, and tries to incorporate them into her daily life. She often helps her American friends with their Chinese through Chinese calligraphy classes, and also educates her classmates about Chinese culture and society in her classes at school. Although Yue occasionally feels disconnected with China, her Chinese background and her U.S lifestyle are still interconnected and interdependent.