Dae-Hyun Jin
Los Angeles, CA
Being Asian American, or Asian (fill in the blank), means higher expectations and standards from society. And not in the traditional sense, such as our strong cultural values and morals rooting from ancient Chinese philosophy; but, rather, a new-age philosophy that has effected our own native culture. To clarify, I was born into a working-class Korean family in Washington state. My parents do not have a professional careers, as most people expect from us. My dad and mom owned a gas station, which subsequently went out of business after five years. After that, our family has been struggling to keep up with the Joneses.
Since I live in America, I’m expected to attend an Ivy League, major in a field of natural sciences, and likely go to medical school to become a surgeon, physician, etc. Another choice would be Accounting. I’m none of those. My calling is in the social sciences and the arts; I love writing. Growing up in America, I’ve faced a disproportionate amount of challenge from my peers, all of whom expect that getting into college is not hard because “I’m Asian.” Personally, this argument that admission to college due to the sole purpose of being Asian is untrue, considering the disproportionate number of Asian students at colleges, such as UC-Berkeley, UCLA, and University of Washington. These social pressures from non-Asian peers have also influenced my parents’ expectations for me. Because others have confirmed it, my parents believe the only way to life is the way the society has constructed and specifically defined for Asian Americans.
Nevertheless, I never seemed to fit the stereotype of Asians in my community. I did not attend prep school, my strong suits were not in neither mathematics nor science, but rather in the humanities and social sciences. My parents made under 10k a year. I was ostracized by the Asian community at my high school for being a “banana,” a derogatory label that analogizes one being “white on the inside, yellow on the outside.” I’m also gay, and I’m proud to say that I’m happy and out. Of course, homosexuality has been a taboo subject for many cultures and religious beliefs, but certainly many Asians are too afraid to be out their own family for the most part.
I continue to be my true self to this day. I didn’t fit in in high school at all, but my dedication to be my true self has brought me wonderful friends and mentors in college. Whether or not I fit the stereotypical mold of an Asian American, I don’t care. I don’t follow standards and expectations, I follow my own desires and pave my own way for a prospserous future.
