Story Time
I once felt self-conscious and ashamed of being Chinese.
As a Chinese immigrant who started a brand new life at 12 years old in Canada, I hated being different. I tried my best to hide my Chinese accent and avoided speaking Chinese in public spaces.
I struggled with this visceral fear of being an outcast; I just wanted to belong.
Despite my insecurities as a young girl, I have always felt a deep connection to Chinese people, the language, and the culture.
After all, I had spent 12 years growing up in the Motherland. I was already familiar with the meaning and history behind many Chinese traditions and customs.
But ...
what if Canada was all that you’ve ever known growing up ?
What if you have to negotiate your identity with this faraway culture that defines so much of your appearance and upbringing yet remains so foreign ?
After spending 7 years working as a consulting dietitian, I’ve had thousands of hours of deep conversations with descendants of Asian, Caribbean, Middle Eastern, African, and Latino cultures.
Their stories are peppered with the pattern of trying to fit into Canadian society. They often avoid identifying too much with their ethnicity. Many could barely speak the language of their culture of origin.
Different cultures, same pain.
Deep down, you just want to belong.
You want to be seen and accepted for who you are, not despite your differences, but because of them.
You crave being recognized and embraced for the whole of you—a unique blend of being a descendant of Chinese people and a Canadian.
And you are ready to receive the wisdom of your Chinese heritage and reclaim this previously suppressed and dismissed part of your identity.
You are ready to redefine what it means to be Chinese Canadian.