Welcome to Learning My ABCs!
My name is Wenting Hu. 胡雯婷 (HúWénTíng). In Chinese, it means “Graceful Cloud Tint.”
The funny thing is, I’m not even an American Born Chinese! I was actually born in Shanghai, China and came to America with my mom when I was three. Still, I consider myself an ABC, since I was raised in San Francisco, where I have assimilated into the American culture.
Growing up, I had always been ashamed of my heritage and ethnicity. Being Chinese just wasn’t cool, so I would try everything in my ability to make myself seem anything but a FOB (a “fresh off the boat,” as they say). I would pretend to speak to my parents in English on the phone at school, refuse to speak or learn my native language at home, and mirror my clothing, articulation, and behavior to the kids at school.
Naturally, over time, I simply lost touch with the Chinese part of my identity.
In high school, things changed. Because of my busy schedule and the vastness of my school, my priorities were no longer to assimilate or to morph myself into social standards, but rather, to focus on myself and figure out MY identity.
Seeing the increasing Asian influence in media—such as the Fresh Off the Boat TV show, Internet production companies like Wongfu, and books like The Joy Luck Club—as well as learning in-depth about the Chinese culture in my AP Chinese class, I began to realize just how awesome it is to be Chinese.
So now, I would like to play my part in contributing to the rising Asian influence in media. Join me as I share my journey of learning (or rather relearning) my ABCs!
Above: A picture of 14-year-old me standing in the middle of People’s Square in Shanghai, China.
Learning My ABCs: Hi, My Name Is Graceful Cloud Tint
Wenting Hu
Welcome to Learning My ABCs!
My name is Wenting Hu. 胡雯婷 (HúWénTíng). In Chinese, it means “Graceful Cloud Tint.”
The funny thing is, I’m not even an American Born Chinese! I was actually born in Shanghai, China and came to America with my mom when I was three. Still, I consider myself an ABC, since I was raised in San Francisco, where I have assimilated into the American culture.
Growing up, I had always been ashamed of my heritage and ethnicity. Being Chinese just wasn’t cool, so I would try everything in my ability to make myself seem anything but a FOB (a “fresh off the boat,” as they say). I would pretend to speak to my parents in English on the phone at school, refuse to speak or learn my native language at home, and mirror my clothing, articulation, and behavior to the kids at school.
Naturally, over time, I simply lost touch with the Chinese part of my identity.
In high school, things changed. Because of my busy schedule and the vastness of my school, my priorities were no longer to assimilate or to morph myself into social standards, but rather, to focus on myself and figure out MY identity.
Seeing the increasing Asian influence in media—such as the Fresh Off the Boat TV show, Internet production companies like Wongfu, and books like The Joy Luck Club—as well as learning in-depth about the Chinese culture in my AP Chinese class, I began to realize just how awesome it is to be Chinese.
So now, I would like to play my part in contributing to the rising Asian influence in media. Join me as I share my journey of learning (or rather relearning) my ABCs!
Above: A picture of 14-year-old me standing in the middle of People’s Square in Shanghai, China.
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