CROSSING THE CARO-LINE: Over the Pacific

CAROLINE REN
Editor in Chief

In June, for the first time in seven years and for the third time in my entire life, I visited China, a place as familiar as it is foreign to me. Though I could mostly understand the widely-spoken Mandarin, I was unable to read any store signs or make comfortable conversation, unaccustomed to using the language myself.

During my visit, I realized how different China is from the San Gabriel Valley, which has a fairly large concentration of Asians and Asian-Americans. China is, in many ways, still very old-fashioned, and is struggling to catch up in its development. The hustle and bustle never stops, and the streets are always crowded with people and activity. In comparison, Alhambra is empty and slow-paced.

I wondered if I had become out of touch with my culture, born and raised in the United States and only rarely visiting the country my parents had emigrated from. I celebrate Lunar New Year, but in a moderate fashion, and I use chopsticks to eat, although I hold them incorrectly. Somehow, I have become the product of two countries, one of which I have spent approximately two months or less visiting in total.

However, I cannot help but be grateful that I have been able to experience life in both China and the U.S., although I will perhaps always be a little out of place in either one. Ultimately, I am thankful that I have the best of both worlds.