An Adopted Asian-American Tatum Duncan

An Adopted Asian-American

Tatum Duncan

What is your race/ethnicity? The question glares at me on every standardized test. Immediately, I pick up my #2 pencil and bubble in Asian/Pacific Islander. But how Asian am I? Am I Asian because of my skin tone, my hair, my birthplace? Or is being Asian being connected to Asian culture and values? Am I a pretender labeling myself as Asian? My last name is not Asian; I grew up in the United States; my favorite food is cheese or chocolate, and I used to DESPISE all Asian food except rice. I’ve even been to China twice. However, despite the similar features and my minimal knowledge of the language, China and its people were not home. If anything, I felt more out of sorts there than anywhere in the States. So all of this begs the question, who am I? For almost two decades, I could never answer that question. Every other inquiry, every other test, I could answer, except that one. Desperate to find answers, I researched how other Asian-Americans felt. Most people stated that they were the hyphen between Asian and American, East and West; society forced them to choose sides. Still, how does this answer help me? I’m adopted, I have no roots: my branch is fixed to another tree. As I kept digging, searching for a textbook or an article to give me the “right” answer, I could never find anything. My experience as an adopted Asian-American in Texas is unique. So, I attempted to solve the puzzle myself and, thanks to COVID-19, I’ve had plenty of time to reflect. My conclusion, which I finally realized, is that I am 100% Chinese and 100% American. 我是中 国人和美国人。I am from China; I might be the first in my family to immigrate to the United States. But, at the same time, I’m also American through the culture I represent. Now, on a standardized test, I’ll bubble in both Chinese and American. Because that is who I am, an adopted Asian American.