Mixed and Multidimensional: Breaking the Binary, Creating New Forms

Identity & Ethnicity Series · Essay 5By Voice in Between Introduction “My dad is a Chinese immigrant, my mom is white American. We celebrated both Lunar New Year and Christmas growing up, and our kitchen always had both chopsticks and forks.”“I never felt like I had to choose a side.” In today’s America, more andContinue reading “Mixed and Multidimensional: Breaking the Binary, Creating New Forms”

Cultural Reconnection: Nostalgia, Heritage — or Isolation?

Identity & Ethnicity Series · Essay 3By Voice in Between Introduction I want my kids to learn Chinese, to know where they come from.Every year we celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival and make dumplings. I don’t want our culture to end with my generation. In an America that increasingly emphasizes “identity diversity,” some Chinese families are choosingContinue reading “Cultural Reconnection: Nostalgia, Heritage — or Isolation?”

Label-Free: When “I Don’t Want to Be Just Chinese”

Identity & Ethnicity Series · Extended Essay II By Voice in Between Introduction “I don’t want to always be seen as ‘that Chinese person.’”“I’m just me — I don’t want to represent any group.” In the United States, an increasing number of Chinese Americans are choosing a “label-free” path of identity. They downplay their ethnicContinue reading “Label-Free: When “I Don’t Want to Be Just Chinese””

What the Amadeo Quindara Case Teaches Us About Justice, Race, and Who Gets to Be Safe

When 75-year-old Amadeo Quindara was brutally assaulted in his garage in Las Vegas, his family hoped the justice system would do what it promised: hold his attacker accountable and affirm that anti-Asian violence has no place in Nevada. Instead, two years after the attack, they watched a judge sentence the perpetrator to just 90 daysContinue reading “What the Amadeo Quindara Case Teaches Us About Justice, Race, and Who Gets to Be Safe”

The Model Minority Trap: The Cost of Conformity

Identity & Ethnicity Series – In-Depth Essay IBy Voice in Between Introduction In our previous installment, we introduced the idea of “conforming to the label” as one of the five identity paths commonly taken by Chinese Americans. It’s a path that appears safe and rational, but often comes at the cost of emotional repression andContinue reading “The Model Minority Trap: The Cost of Conformity”