MY STORY
Like many other "American-Taiwanese" people, only after a self-realization and identity-confusion have I come to acknowledge the void in heritage. For me, there is a yearning to rediscover the lost tradition because of the mixed culture; living in an American society, I, as part of the second generation of Taiwanese-American, eat Taiwanese food, speak Taiwanese, and uphold some Taiwanese customs, but I cannot comprehend its value. When I go visit my family in Taiwan, there is a cultural shock; there is an obvious difference in cultural understanding, and they cannot fully connect with me, and I cannot fully connect with them. There are similarities, but there is not a thorough mutual understanding of one another's ideas. The cultural conversion from Taiwanese culture to American culture is accountable for this gap. While Taiwan is very much similar to American culture due to Westernization, in Taiwan, there is a retention in traditional values. Furthermore, there is a generalization for many Taiwanese-Americans today, which confuses them with other Asian races. Being classified as Chinese completely undermines the struggle to find independence from China as part of my parent's hardships. This issue is often the motivator to rediscover Taiwanese culture in order to understand identity, for me and for many other Taiwanese-Americans. Thus, loss in Taiwanese identity due to American integration and a generalized perspective to our generation in America have triggered a searching to understand who we are, how we came to be, and how we currently stand. While there has been a loss in heritage understanding, ultimately, the traditional Taiwanese customs and culture have endured; this lack of its presence to modern Taiwanese-Americans like me has only provoked a desire to reunite with our origins which will maintain its significance in our lives, and continue the history of us.