FEATURES
WHICH ASIAN GENERATION? by Evelyn Cheng
W
here are you from? Distinctive
Asian features have others assuming
either retain their Asian tastes or become more
that I come from another country. Perhaps I
Americanized, depending on their environments.
have—four generations ago. In technical terms,
Particularly in Asian conclaves in New York,
I am a fourth generation Asian American, which
California, and Illinois, immigrants have been
displaces me far from my Asian roots. But so many
able to maintain a sense of their homeland
years after my great grandmother was born in
while enjoying benefits from the American
this country, generational distinctions may not
government and society. In these areas, the
be valid representations of my ethnic identity.
larger community has come to understand
Selective immigrant groups like Asians
Asians well and the cultural differences among
are often labeled according to how long their
generations of Asian Americans. But in the
families have been in America. This label can
rest of the country, nearly every Asian is
imply their level of connection with the mother
assumed to be an immigrant, because the local
country. Although labeling methods may vary,
experience with Asians has been minimal.
first generation Asian Americans are typically
4
or higher. I have seen these international students
I sensed this attitude of foreignness when I
either born in America to immigrant parents
moved from New York to Kentucky in high school.
or come here at a very young age. By the third,
Although there were a few other American-
or even second generation, Asian Americans
born Asians like myself, the predominately
are essentially only Asian in appearance and
white neighborhood thought that we had been
have American cultural values. Successive
born in Asia. Complicating my identity, for both
generations are usually assumed to be completely
American and Asian audiences, is the fact that
Americanized, meaning that they are mostly
my mother was born in America to a Cantonese
Western in preferences for food, music,
immigrant while my father is an immigrant from
language, cultural values and lifestyle habits.
Taiwan. To the Chinese, there is the difficulty of
Although this is the typical rubric, does
explaining that I am not from the mainland; to
how long one’s family has been in the United
Americans, there is the difficulty of explaining
States determine one’s cultural identity?
that my mother was also born in America. I
Complicating the situation is the presence of
would have liked to put both of my parents in one
“half-generations,” which consist of those who
category, America, Taiwan, or China, but doing
immigrate to America for high school education
so would also devalue the rich heritage I have.
Which Asian Generation?