While reading "Fish Cheeks" by Amy Tan, I found myself relating her story to my life. I have never had an experience exactly like Tan's, but I have been in situations where my culture or family came in contact with other aspects of my life. What "Fish Cheeks" teaches people is that one's culture is more important than anything else in life. Amy was embarrassed by her family and her Asian foods and traditions; she was focusing on what negative thoughts people would have about them. It is crucial to remember that your culture and family are basically the only things that will be with you your whole life.
There are constantly oppurtunities in my life when I must choose to either be ashamed of my family or culture or to take pride in them. For example, my mom might do something embarrassing in public, but instead of getting mad or feeling humiliated about it, I simply don't mind. I always try to remember that everyone in that public area is very temporary in my lifetime, but my mom will always be my mom and will be with me the rest of my life. If you love and accept your culture and family, then you'll find that others' approval of it won't matter. At the time, Tan didn't realize that Robert and his family would only be in a short part of her life, unlike her Asian culture and her family, so it wasn't necessary to try to please them over taking pride in her roots. Therefore, in choosing how to act in situations, everyone should remind themselves of what is truly important and will be a part of them their whole lives-- family and culture.
While reading "Fish Cheeks" by Amy Tan, I found myself relating her story to my life. I have never had an experience exactly like Tan's, but I have been in situations where my culture or family came in contact with other aspects of my life. What "Fish Cheeks" teaches people is that one's culture is more important than anything else in life. Amy was embarrassed by her family and her Asian foods and traditions; she was focusing on what negative thoughts people would have about them. It is crucial to remember that your culture and family are basically the only things that will be with you your whole life.
There are constantly oppurtunities in my life when I must choose to either be ashamed of my family or culture or to take pride in them. For example, my mom might do something embarrassing in public, but instead of getting mad or feeling humiliated about it, I simply don't mind. I always try to remember that everyone in that public area is very temporary in my lifetime, but my mom will always be my mom and will be with me the rest of my life. If you love and accept your culture and family, then you'll find that others' approval of it won't matter. At the time, Tan didn't realize that Robert and his family would only be in a short part of her life, unlike her Asian culture and her family, so it wasn't necessary to try to please them over taking pride in her roots. Therefore, in choosing how to act in situations, everyone should remind themselves of what is truly important and will be a part of them their whole lives-- family and culture.
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