每年七月四日，家里的后院总会飘出一股奇特的混合味——炭火上的牛排香和蒸锅里八宝粽的糯米甜。这是我们家的国庆节，一半是汉堡和爆米花，一半是咸蛋黄和莲蓉馅。 小时候我常常困惑：为什么别人的国庆节是在湖边看烟火，而我们家的国庆，总像是在过另一个“节”？而长大后，我开始理解，这种混搭的节日，其实是一种我们自己的存在方式。
Category Archives: 移民与身份认同 / Migration & Identity
Our Fourth of July: Finding Identity Between BBQ and Sticky Rice Dumplings
Every July 4th, a strange blend of aromas drifts from our backyard—grilled steak sizzling over charcoal, and the sweet scent of sticky rice dumplings steaming on the stove. This is how my family celebrates Independence Day: half burgers and popcorn, half salted egg yolk and lotus seed paste. As a child, I often wondered whyContinue reading “Our Fourth of July: Finding Identity Between BBQ and Sticky Rice Dumplings”
孩子的国旗，父母的沉默
女儿在超市门口接过一面工作人员发的小国旗，是在国庆节前的那个周末。“他们说这个可以插在花园里，也可以带去野餐。”她一路握着那面塑料小旗回到家，像是捧着一件仪式感十足的宝贝。回到家后，她把旗子插在客厅的花瓶里，插得很正，像在完成一件郑重的工作。 我点点头，没有多说什么。母亲从厨房探出头，看了一眼，又缩回去。锅里煮着老火汤，咕噜咕噜地响着。我们谁都没有回应这面旗。
The Child’s Flag, the Parents’ Silence
My daughter received a small American flag outside the grocery store the weekend before the Fourth of July. “They said I can stick it in the garden or take it to the picnic,” she told me, clutching the little plastic flag like it was something ceremonial. When we got home, she placed it carefully inContinue reading “The Child’s Flag, the Parents’ Silence”
独立日，不属于所有人：一份未完的宣言
文 ｜一呼 每到七月四日，焰火划过夜空，星条旗在风中招展，烧烤的香气在人行道弥漫。人们举杯庆祝“自由的诞生”，纪念那一年——1776年，一个年轻国家扬言要挣脱帝国的锁链，宣告“人人生而平等”。 但站在2025年的今天，当我们回望那份广为传颂的《独立宣言》，不得不问一句： 那份宣言，是否真的属于“人人”？
Independence Day Doesn’t Belong to Everyone: A Declaration Still Unfinished
By One Voice Every Fourth of July, fireworks streak across the night sky, the Stars and Stripes flutter in the wind, and the scent of barbecue fills the sidewalks. People raise their glasses to freedom, celebrating the birth of a young nation that, in 1776, declared its break from empire and its belief that “allContinue reading “Independence Day Doesn’t Belong to Everyone: A Declaration Still Unfinished”
教中文，不只是教语言 —— 华人父母的隐形传承
文｜伍月 “你为什么要教孩子中文？” 每一个在海外育儿的华人家长，大概都被问过这个问题——或许不是别人问的，而是某一天在整理作业、纠正发音、苦口婆心解释一个中文词时，心里升起的疑问。尤其是当孩子眉头一皱、不耐烦地问：“我以后又不住中国，干嘛要学？” 有时候，这个问题会刺痛我们内心的柔软处——那个曾经离家千里的自己，那些渐渐模糊的童年词汇，那些想和父母深谈却词不达意的电话夜晚。 但慢慢地，我们会发现：我教孩子中文，其实是为了我们自己。
Teaching Chinese Is More Than Teaching a Language — The Unspoken Legacy of Chinese Parents
By May “Why do you teach your child Chinese?” Every Chinese parent raising a child overseas has likely encountered this question—not always from others, but sometimes in quiet moments, while sorting homework, correcting pronunciation, or patiently explaining a character. Especially when your child frowns and says, ‘I’m not going to live in China. Why doContinue reading “Teaching Chinese Is More Than Teaching a Language — The Unspoken Legacy of Chinese Parents”
我教孩子中文，是为了谁？
文｜新语 “Can you speak Chinese?”“Uh… just a little.” 那天放学接孩子回家，我听见她和另一个亚裔小朋友这样对话。语气轻飘，带点羞怯，有点回避。我知道她能说中文——至少在家里，她说得并不差。但她，选择了轻轻地，把中文从自己身上拨开。 那一瞬间，我感到一种很细碎却真实的痛。不是为我自己，而是为她。也许她不是真的抗拒中文，而是——不知道该如何承认那部分的自己。 ——
Why Do I Teach My Child Chinese—And Who Is It Really For?
By Xinyu “Can you speak Chinese?”“Uh… just a little.” I overheard this exchange between my daughter and another Asian child as I picked her up from school. Her tone was light, almost shy, with a touch of avoidance. I know she can speak Chinese—at least at home, she does quite well.But in that moment, sheContinue reading “Why Do I Teach My Child Chinese—And Who Is It Really For?”
