I'm Chinese.

I aspire to be a doctor.

I love calculus.

I play the violin.

My parents are Tiger parents.

I eat rice for every meal, every day.

I was born in America.

All of the statements above are false, except two - I'm Chinese and I was born in America.

I'm Asian American.

Ever since I can remember, I've felt like an outcast. Due to the lack of racial diversity in my elementary and middle schools, whenever I stepped into a classroom, I felt as if everyone automatically looked at me because I didn't look like the majority— I wasn't white. Not only did I look different, but I also ate "unusual" food. When I was in middle school, I used to bring leftovers from dinner the previous night for lunch. Whenever my friends saw what I was eating, they'd say something along the lines of "Ew, what is that?" or "Wow, that smells weird," as they ate their daily peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I quickly began to feel self-conscious. I started to become embarrassed of the Chinese aspect of my cultural background and I began to hide it so that I could fit in better with the rest of my classmates. I didn't want to be part of the minority— I wanted to conform with the majority. As time went on, I gradually became more and more separated from Chinese culture as I tried to fit in with American culture. I started to eat the same food, participate in the same activities, and listen to the same music as my classmates did. Eventually, I felt as if the only Chinese part of me was my appearance.

As I became older, I began to realize what I had been doing— I was fully embracing myself in American culture and completely losing myself in Chinese culture. Once I realized that, I knew something had to change— I couldn't keep disregarding Chinese culture and pretending to be someone I'm not. Slowly, I began to embrace both cultures. I started to learn more about Chinese culture, and I even added some traditional activities into my daily life while continuously expressing American culture. At times, I'd combine both cultures as I proudly ate pizza and pasta with chopsticks. Eventually, I started gaining more confidence in myself. Although some people still ask unnecessary questions such as, "where are you really from?" I'm forever grateful that I opened my mind to Chinese culture while still possessing my American culture.

So yes, I'm Chinese...

But I don't aspire to be a doctor. In fact, chemistry and biology are my worst subjects.

I don't like calculus.

I don't play the violin, and I'm not in orchestra, but I do play the saxophone and clarinet.

My parents are loving and hardworking parents, who motivate me to succeed. They are definitely not Tiger parents.

I'd prefer pasta over rice any day.

So yes, I'm Chinese, but I'm also American. I'm not my stereotype, and I'm proud of who I am.