Th e E l o c u t i o n i s t
and her father and grandfather both left China to go to school in America. Therefore, when my mom did extremely well in school, her schoolwork was emphasized; she wasn’t enrolled in any extracurriculars, and had few chores. My mom still values education, as does my dad. She works as a professor of Asian art history, and my dad taught ESL for over two decades. Despite their similar interest in education, their methods of trying to give me life skills are different than the ones her parents used. At a young age, my parents enrolled me in violin lessons because they believed this would help my brain develop, and they have assured me that while getting an education is important, imperfect grades are acceptable and trying one’s best is what matters most. My family culture places value on education, encouraging me to always try my best. This environment takes some stress away from school, as there are no punishments attached to failure, only encouragement to try again. In addition, another aspect of family culture that has helped me is the value reading holds in my family. My maternal grandmother, paternal grandparents, and parents all enjoy reading. Our house is filled with books, so I often see my family reading. This has helped me view reading as an enjoyable activity rather than a chore, and in turn extra reading has improved my reading comprehension, which is important in multiple areas of school. I also genuinely enjoy reading. I think this makes me happier in school, and I think my happiness with the things I learn and my grades are important. I’m not a perfect student, but I still feel content with how I do and look forward to learning more, which I think matters just as much as my performance. If I constantly berate myself for not doing better, I don’t think I can count myself as successful, because success seems emotional just as much as anything else. The importance of enjoying education and reading in my family helps me do better in school, as my parents have always tried to ensure I have necessary life skills. 36
