The Struggles of An American-Born Chinese

As an American-born Chinese, you’re almost destined to be crushed by the reality that is our society. Growing up with a blend of different cultures and expectations, many struggle to discover their identity, and are in a constant dilemma between conforming to societal norms and reinforcing personal cultural heritage. It’s an identity crisis that is much more complex than meets the eye, a topic that is “just a phase” expected of you to experience.

Before we move on, I’d like to point out that these conflicts are not exclusive to the American-Born Chinese. There are many other racial minority groups, such as Black, Hispanic, other types of Asian, etc. The Asian-American population  in the United States alone is rather prominent; they make up 19% of the country, and 4 in 10 are US born. However, even though it seems like an issue so significant it would be openly discussed about, the opinions surrounding the topics of racial discrimination and segregation are extremely severe.

Cultural Identity 

As an American-born Chinese, you’re born into two different cultures – American and Chinese, hence the title. On one hand, there’s a strong sense of societal pressure to fit in; when you’re surrounded by Americans, embracing your cultural heritage would make you stick out like a sore thumb. On the other hand, conforming to societal standards would make you appear to be an assimilationist, someone who disregards their own ancestry. 

There is also the issue with language barriers. With a different cultural heritage, not being able to speak your native language can bring significant controversy. It is likely that others would question your cultural authenticity, and would prove communicating with older relatives to be difficult. There is almost a sense of shame to it — that even though I’m Chinese, I can’t speak the language. 

How Does Society Enhance Such Personal Struggles?

When people don’t understand or can’t empathize with situations, the easiest thing to do is filter their observations through their ways of life, molding a perspective shaped by personal values and beliefs. Thus, when you don’t fit within the stereotypes, such as not being good at maths despite being Asian, it is likely that many would make satire or sarcastic jokes and comments.

There is a prominent sense of shame associated with being a non-dominant racial group. Instead of being grateful for your heritage, many are embarrassed by it purely because you appear differently and others don’t like it. Recognize that most of these audiences would be in their teen years – at such a vulnerable stage of life where one is discovering oneself, it is extremely easy for them to be influenced by the opinions of others. 

Furthermore, there is a lack of representation for American-born Chinese. Especially in western societies, it is extremely difficult to find media where the main character is Chinese, or a Chinese household is deceived as an abusive relationship between tiger parents and a neglected child. This makes it extremely difficult for Asians to embrace their identity in a world where it is not accepted.

I don’t believe that Americans should be fully to blame. Although there are extreme cases of racial discrimination, many are only acting based on how they were taught and how the pillars of American society were built. However, it’s crucial that there is awareness on not only appreciating American-born Chinese, but also other ethnicities that were born into a society with another racial dominant group.

Works Cited

Lee, Josephine. ““American Born Chinese” and the Limits of Cultural Representation.” The Texas Observer, 22 May 2023, www.texasobserver.org/american-born-chinese-disney-frantz-fanon/. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.

Nakano, Lindsay. “How Shame, Self-Acceptance Fueled Creation of “American Born Chinese” | Watch Now on Disney+.” ABC11 Raleigh-Durham, 22 May 2023, abc11.com/post/embracing-are-how-shame-acceptance-fueled-creation-american-born-chinese-watch-now-disney/13284416/. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.

Pew Research Center. “Chinese Americans: A Survey Data Snapshot.” Pew Research Center, 6 Aug. 2024, www.pewresearch.org/2024/08/06/chinese-americans-a-survey-data-snapshot/. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.