Interview with Mabel

Mabel (China, 16)

CV: What is your history? What is your home of origin? Why did you/your family settle in NJ?

Mabel: I was born in China, in Shandong province, a eastern coastal province. I first moved to Florida from China because my parents were doing their masters at the University of Florida. After living there for 11 years, my dad got a new job at Manhattan and so we moved to New Jersey.

CV: What is your favorite aspect of the Chinese culture?

Can I say food? I like all Chinese food.

CV: Define and describe the most important holiday of the Chinese culture.

Mabel: Definitely the Chinese New Year! It’s a really big festival because it celebrates the new lunar year. It’s the idea of a fresh start and everything starting over again. And also so there is this familiar aspect to Chinese New Year where you want to be with your family and celebrate all the good with your relatives.

CV: What would you say is, from your perspective, the most commonly held misconception about people of your culture?

Mabel: Probably the idea that we only care about education and school. That’s definitely not true because there’s so much more to Chinese culture like holidays and celebrations that people don’t even consider. And even on a day-to-day basis there is so much Chinese culture everywhere. So Chinese culture is not just about the stereotypical Asian kid that studies all the time to get into a good school. It’s not like that.

CV: Have you ever experienced racism? In what form?

Mabel: I mean going back to the idea of the stereotypical Asian kid. There is a stereotype because it’s generally true but it’s still racist to look at an individual and say that you only care about grades and good school because you are Chinese.

CV: What is the best thing about living in the USA?

Mabel: Probably the level of freedom to explore your dreams and interests because in China a lot of times you have to stay at home with your family to help and your parents expect you to do what they want you to do or is the most financially stable. For example, both my cousins work in banks because it’s a fairly common job and is stable. On the other hand, in the U.S., even though that can sometimes be true, there is much more freedom to explore what you want to do personally.

CV: How do people greet one another?

They shake hands and say ni hao.