Archive for: 2021

Learning Chinese opened up my world

By: Ava Lee

Hi, my name is Ava and I am 9 years old. I have been learning Chinese since Kindergarten.   

At Barnard Elementary, a CI classroom school, I learned Chinese and calligraphy, Kung Fu, how to use an Abacus, and the fan dance. There is so much more to learn about Chinese culture.  

Learning Chinese has opened up my mind. I wish other people would have a chance to learn Chinese too because then there wouldn’t be so much racism. 

Certain politicians caused racism to grow by saying that Covid was caused by Asians. They said Covid was a “Kungflu.” Since COVID started, there have been a lot of crimes against Asian Americans. 

This isn’t new. I also learned about the Chinese Exclusion Act that happened. This happened a long time ago and it was a law that prohibited the Chinese from immigrating to America for 61 years. Chinese helped build the railroad and were contributing members of society, yet they were banned from coming to America. The act was very unconstitutional and It was very racist.  

Learning Chinese makes people more aware and less racist. Some people may think that learning Chinese is too difficult or a waste of time, but I feel it is not. When someone learns a new language, they get to learn a new culture. It opens up your whole world and outlook. It’s a new world and different culture. Learning Chinese is very different than English in that there are characters for every word. It is like drawing pictures and I am fascinated by learning new characters. 

The last trip I took before the pandemic started, was a trip to China. I went with my mom on a CI-sponsored trip to Beijing and Changsha. It was so fun! I got to meet a host family and they taught me how to make dumplings! They also took me to a mall and it was a little different from my malls in New York. They have so many different types of toys and fashion.  

We also went to visit a high school and it was very inspiring. It was a big school and it seems like they work a lot harder than us. They have school on Saturdays and their school is from 8-6 pm.  

We also went to art museums and I saw a very old mummy. The buildings are so interesting too. There is so much history in China. We also went to an island and saw a huge statue of Mao’s head.  

I got to climb the Great Wall of China and it was very tiring. The view was so amazing but it was worth the hike.  

We went to a food alley in Changsha and there were so many types of foods, even chocolate-covered bugs which you would never see in America. I enjoyed this shop called “Snack is too busy.” I wanted to try everything and it was delicious. 

When I was on this trip, I made friends with a photographer named Wang Sai. He didn’t speak very much English so I had to speak in Chinese. I wish my Chinese was better so that I could talk to him more. Learning Chinese allows people to make friends more easily because they can speak the same language.  

Thank you, CI for the opportunity to learn Chinese as it has opened up my world

 

 

 

 

Spyros-Andres Velez Zervos’ Life 

By: Spyros-Andres Velez Zervos

 

When I was born, I was learning Greek, English, and Spanish. That is because my mom is from Greece and my dad is from Colombia. My name is Spyros-Andres Velez-Zervos and I was born in College Station, TX, in America. Spyros is my Greek grandpa’s name and Andres is my Colombian great grandpa’s name. Same story with my last name. Velez is my dad’s last name and Zervou/Zervos is my mom’s last name. 

I met my grandma and grandpa when I went to Greece. That’s where I started crawling. I wanted to chase my dog, but I could not crawl or walk.  So then after one week of trying to crawl, I did it! 

It was in Italy where I learned how to walk. In Italy I was at a park. I saw pigeons and wanted to chase them, but I knew by crawling I could not catch them. So I took three steps, but my mom got scared so she stopped me. 

When I was one year old, I met my brother, Thalis. I gave him my favorite toy. When I was two years old, my brother and I started fighting. 

While I get to spend every summer and winter break with my grandma and grandpa on my mom’s side in Greece, sadly, my grandma on my dad’s side died when I was only three years old. She died because she was very sick. Since after she died, we only would see my mom’s side of the family and only the aunts and cousins on my dad’s side. 

When I was three years old we moved to Austin, TX and I went to Academia Preescolar Spanish Immersion school. I learned different things about different places where people speak Spanish, for example songs from Spain, Colombia, and Mexico. I also learned about Mexico’s and Spain’s flags. 

When it was time for me to go to kindergarten, my parents found a school for me called Little Tiger Chinese Immersion School in Austin, TX.  When I was testing out the school, my only classmates were Elliot, Ariella, my brother, and Daisy. But then I finally got to go to the school for real! My best friends were Elliot, Davis, and Rylan. But there were more kids. I liked to pretend to be a puppy and my owners were Ariella and Eden. My only teacher was Liu Laoshi.  

In first grade, I got a new friend, Atticus. In second grade, I got a new classmate called Aanya. Also, I met Lucas. At after-school, we liked to play a game called “Stealing”.  Some kids try to steal the leaves that the other kids gather and break the sand nests (but I did not break them). Starting from the ending of  2019, we had (and still have to) wear masks to school because of Coronavirus. Now my teachers are Meggie Laoshi, Li Laoshi, Cecilia Laoshi, Tony Laoshi, Zheyi Laoshi, Sharon Laoshi, Rudy Laoshi, and Ms. Wearden.   

Chinese has changed my life because if I did not know Chinese, I would not know how to read in Chinese. If I did not know how to read in Chinese I would not know the stories that are only written in Chinese. I would not know about Chinese things, for example the ancient Chinese clothes, songs, and Chinese manners. I also would not eat much Chinese food or talk with people who can only speak Chinese. I also would not have my Chinese name Sai An, which means “peaceful person”.  Also, I of course would not go to my wonderful school, Little Tiger, and I would not have all of my school friends and teachers and I do not want that to happen. This is my essay and I hope you will like it. Thank you for reading it. 

 

 

The Pandemic’s Silver Lining

By: Michelle Liu 

 

The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) started in December of 2019 in the city of Wuhan in central China. Within months, it has affected the daily life and national economy of every populated continent. People have found new ways to live their lives indoors and connect over the internet. Social distancing is reinforced and numerous schools have closed.  

My family planned to go to Shanghai and neighboring cities such as Suzhou, I. M. Pei’s hometown, and Hangzhou during the spring break of 2020 but obviously with the COVID-19 situation, it was cancelled. Today, we spend our time at home and interact only with our family members. But even through hard times, it is always possible to find the positive. It is just a matter of how you look at things. I found this to be true with my experience of connecting with a Chinese pen pal, Yue, a sixth grader, who lives in Suzhou, China! My parents and Yue’s parents are old friends, but they haven’t seen each other for over 20 years. When our trip was canceled, she contacted me and now we write to each other on a regular basis.  

 Yue and I communicate with each other by email and write mostly in Chinese. We became pen pals since February of 2020 when America has not yet been impacted but China was shut down. I was still in school and had my regular activities.  

In our emails, we like to talk about our daily lives. Living in China is very different from living in America. It is fascinating to see the differences in our cultures. For example, school is quite different. Yue has at least two hours of homework to do everyday while we get much less. Yue and I also talk about the books we read, especially Chinese classics. We both like the Chinese fantasy “Journey to the West”. Together we celebrated Chinese and American holidays such as Saint Patrick’s Day, Easter and the Dragon Boat Festival. As the coronavirus got worse in America, we talked about how China and America were changing everyday. We both were experiencing the effects of social distancing and self-isolation. We couldn’t see our friends, or go to parties, or visit a movie theater, or eat at our favorite restaurants and going to the mall was definitely out. These similarities brought us together and made us feel that we understand and support each other.  

Although we have never met in person, we hope to keep being pen pals. Our conversations let me see the contrast between American and Chinese cultures and opens another door for me.  

The COVID-19 situation has made me realize that through hard times, there are good things that will change your life, even though they may be small. It truly depends on you finding the silver lining during hardships in life. Of course, we need to be cautious and concerned about the current situation, but we can also try to turn it around. It is important for all of us to keep an open mind when we look at problems and reach out to help others. At this time during the COVID-19 pandemic, giving back to communities and doing good provides opportunities for everyone to find a new path or a new interest. 

 

 

Proudly Chinese-American: Flying Halfway Across the Globe to Reclaim My Identity 

By: Kaityn Cui

 

I remember the first day of second grade like it was yesterday. 

All eyes were on me as the teacher called out our names for attendance. “Kaitlyn…..” she stuttered, readjusting her glasses as she struggled to pronounce my last name. “Kaitlyn… Koo-wee?” My classmates failed to stifle their laughs as they turned towards the back of the class, seeing a small, black-haired girl shyly raise her hand. “That’s me.” I stammered, not meeting the gaze of the teacher, and not correcting her wrong pronunciation of my last name, Cui. I was used to it anyway. Plus, I disliked having so much attention on me. 

Nonetheless, it seemed that with all the ways I stood out from the rest of the class, garnering attention was inevitable. On another day in class, a classmate who sat behind me tapped me on my shoulders and pointed at another black-haired, Asian boy sitting far across the room. “You guys must be related right?” He said in a mocking tone, and proceeded to pull back his eyes, giving them a slanted shape. “You both look like this, and speak the same language. Ching chong ching chong.” He started laughing so hard that the teacher had to stop mid-lesson to tell him to be quiet. Meanwhile, I had been quiet the entire time sitting next to him, the tips of my ears burning and my cheeks flushed a bright shade of tomato. I wanted to correct him, tell him that I hated what he just said, but I could not muster up the courage to do so. 

Another vivid set of recollections I have is lunchtime at school. Sitting in a sea of cafeteria chocolate milks and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, I looked forward to my lunch every day. From handmade 小笼包 (xiǎolóngbāo) with yummy pork filling that melted in my mouth, to the various kinds of mouth-watering fried rice, noodles, and stir-fried dishes, my mom and grandma always worked hard to pack me nutritious lunches filled with their love. Each day after I took a bite from my thermos, I closed my eyes and could imagine myself transported to a different region of China. But this euphoria did not last long. Pretty soon, the rest of my classmates would notice, saying things like “Your food looks so weird and gross!” and “Do you eat dogs? Don’t eat my pet please!” I was horrified at what they had to say about me, and soon, lunchtime became something I dreaded. I begged that my mom buy me cheap Lunchables and make me flavorless sandwiches to bring to school. Even though I didn’t like the taste and missed my Chinese lunches dearly, I would do anything to fit in with everybody else, instead of enduring their taunts. From this point onward, rather than trying to coexist with my vastly different American and Chinese cultures, I chose the easier path of running away from the culture I grew up with, in order to fit in with Americans. 

Thankfully, all this changed when I was invited to attend a cultural exchange summer program for free. It was a three-week camp with other foreign-born Chinese students from all over the world to “search for our roots”, sponsored by the Huzhou government. At 11 years old and standing at 4’11”, I was the youngest person there, and undeniably frightened at the thought of spending so long without my parents. But, with the coaxing of other older students, I began to open up, becoming more outgoing, participating more in Chinese lessons, and actively reaching out to fellow campmates, asking to become friends. 

I will never forget my experiences from these short three weeks. I got to meet students from all over the world (whom I affectionately called “哥哥” and “姐姐”). For example, the boy next door lived in Japan, and the girls staying across the hall were from France and Switzerland! Though we all led totally different lives across the globe, our common Chinese language and culture acted as the glue which brought us together. Despite just meeting, we all immediately felt an unspoken connection through our shared heritage as we spent late nights cracking jokes and sharing stories about being Chinese in different countries. Together, we all trekked from the 太湖 (Lake Tai) to a silkworm factory to a Chinese history museum, listening to tour guides, absorbing stories about the history of Huzhou and the process of making silk. My new friends and I used every minute of free time we got to walk around downtown, trying a new restaurant each day. Back in the classroom, along with our daily language lessons, we dabbled in 书法 (calligraphy), learning to play 围棋 (Chinese checkers), Chinese paper cutting, performing traditional dances, and so much more! 

This trip opened my eyes to the beauty of Chinese culture and history, introducing to me all the rich art forms, traditions, and stories that I never even knew existed. I felt ashamed at my previous attempts to throw away such an invaluable part of my identity, times when I refused to speak Chinese with my family in public, didn’t eat my mom’s cooking, and did not listen to my grandma when she told me traditional folk tales and when she recalled her childhood. 

From this point on, in an attempt to reclaim and re-immerse myself into my beautiful heritage, and to thank the older campmates from the trip who helped me discover my “roots”, I decided that I wanted to pay it forward by not only studying hard to improve my own Chinese knowledge, but also to help other students do the same; I knew that I was not the only one who struggled with my Chinese-American identity. I studied hard in Chinese school, skipping multiple levels ahead and graduating in 9th grade, with one of the highest grades in my class. I took electives to further practice calligraphy and painting. I stayed behind after our weekly lessons, sacrificing lunch time because I enjoyed tutoring younger kids with their Chinese homework and supervising them on behalf of the teachers. I also helped out at summer camps, acting as teacher’s assistants, helping them with their lessons and using a camera to document memories. I volunteered at local Chinese cultural festivals attracting hundreds and even thousands of people, helping with the logistics of the annual Lunar New Year performance, and operating a booth selling Chinese snacks to festival participants. For my own academic enrichment, I have entered in competitions and won various awards at the Southern California level for English-to-Chinese translation, composing original short composition in Chinese, poetry recitation, and more. I was also chosen as the lead actor for my class’s play about filial piety and Confucian values; we performed at different venues, and even won first place in a local performance competition, winning hundreds of dollars for our teacher to use to buy more classroom supplies. At school, I serve on the leadership board for the Chinese club. In my free time I have started a podcast with friends interviewing Asian-American, specifically Chinese people, from all over the nation, asking them to tell us about their unique heritage, stories, and how their journey of living with two different cultures. I would have never had these amazing experiences if I was not Chinese-American, and never learned to love my Chinese culture just as much as my American culture, which I did by immersing myself into the overseas program. 

I am no longer the same person I was those days in second grade, all thanks to a short yet life-changing summer program. I am proud to know how to speak Chinese. Now, I never hide the food my mom cooks that I bring to school. To thank the people who helped me reconnect with my roots, I continue to work hard every day to spread the same passion and love of learning Chinese to other students around me. 

I am still a teenager, still with a long walk of life ahead of me. At this age, so many things are uncertain, and I have so many questions about my future. But, I know that one thing will stay true for the rest of my days, and that is my love and pride for Chinese language and culture! 

 

My Experience Learning Chinese

By: Avery White

My name is Avery White and I am in eleventh grade at City Honors School.  I have been taking Mandarin Chinese classes since the fall of 2014, when I was in fifth grade.  When I stepped into the Chinese classroom for the first time, I was instantly intrigued, and I have really loved learning and practicing Mandarin ever since.   

When I was in middle school, I had Chinese class for two days out of a six day cycle.  I would always look forward to those days, and to learning something new.  One of my favorite activities was when our teacher would give us a poem or song to memorize.  There was usually a video to go along with it, and we would practice together as a class.  I would be very excited to go home and share or practice the poem with my parents.  After practicing for some time, our teacher would have us recite the poem to her one at a time, in order to assess our memorization and speaking skills.  Those tasks always gave me a sense of accomplishment.  But looking back, as I was practicing, it never felt like work.  I thought I was singing a song, and having fun with my classmates.  I find this idea of making learning fun and inclusive, to be one of the greatest parts of my experience in Chinese.   

In middle school, and now in highschool as well, going to Chinese class has always been a part of my day that I look forward to.  My teachers have done an amazing job encouraging all of their students, and introducing new ways to learn.  I believe that the variety of methods my middle school teacher chose to use, ultimately led to my decision to continue learning Chinese.  When I was in seventh grade, my classmates and I were given the choice to either continue with Chinese or to learn a different language.  I chose to stick with Chinese, and this is a decision that I am often questioned about.  People often ask “why did you take Chinese?” And the question is usually followed by “isn’t it really difficult?”  Over the past few years, my answer has never changed.  I like to challenge myself.  I believe that my knowledge of the language will enhance my future, and my teachers are incredible at helping me understand.  However, the most prominent answer would be the assistance from my teachers.  The repetition of their teaching, assessments, and especially character writing homework, really clicked with me.  Their lessons are easy to follow, and their constant inclusion of Chinese culture helps me to understand the language even further.  I am beyond grateful for the support they have given me, and the numerous opportunities they have provided to me.   

Some of the most valuable lessons that I have learned from my teachers are to appreciate the materials and information you are learning, and to always review that information after it is taught.  My teacher says 学而不思则罔，思而不学则怠。This translates to “learning without thinking is worthless, thinking without learning is slack”.  I think that this saying reflects my particular experience.  I have found that if I don’t think about the information that is being given, I don’t understand the concepts, and difficulty is added to the learning process.  The same goes for the second half of the saying.  If I take the time to think and I don’t learn, then I am not thinking deep enough, and I am only wasting time.  My teacher has also reminded us to review after learning.  This helps me to further process new materials, and retain them. Whether we are simply learning new words, or reading a dialog, reviewing later makes learning much easier.  These sayings and lessons have helped me greatly, especially through the Covid-19 pandemic, and I believe that they will be of great use throughout the rest of my life.  Even now, in other subjects, applying these strategies has improved my ability to learn.  And further down the road, when I get to college and a career, I know these tools will make learning more effective.  The life lessons that I have gained from being in a Chinese classroom are truly one of the aspects of learning the language that I appreciate most. 

About two years ago, my current Chinese teacher told our class about a Chinese Bridge Speech Contest.  One of my classmates and I were hesitant, but we decided to participate.  The belief that my teacher had in me gave me confidence and allowed me to realize that I was capable of succeeding in this challenge.  In order to prepare for the competition, I first had to write a brief article, or story, in Chinese about my life and how I use the language.  I wrote about my family’s Christmas and the activities that we did each day.  Then I had to spend some time memorizing my speech, which was quite difficult, but as time went on and I practiced consistently, it became much easier.  I would meet with my teacher, who was extremely patient with me, almost every day before school for about a month, in order to work on my pronunciation and clarity when reading.  I also made sure to review my speech after school or whenever else I had the time.  

During a week of regents exam testing, I did not have school, but my teacher and I set up a time to meet so that we could continue to perfect my speech.  And during the following week, we had two snow days, making it hard to drive around, so we spoke on the phone for about an hour on both days. This time was very useful and helped me to gain confidence in my ability to recite my speech and to answer any questions that the judges would choose to ask me in Chinese.  

On the day of the contest, I was very nervous, and I remember barely being able to sleep the night before.  When I woke up that morning, I felt as if there were butterflies in my stomach, and when I learned that I was going to be the first one to recite my speech, the feeling became more intense.  In my head I was telling myself to pronounce each word correctly, and I tried my very best to do so.  But I knew that I had to trust all of my practice and that I would be fine. As I finished answering the judges’ questions, a sense of relief came over me, and I was pleased with the way that I had performed.   

I received second place and was then invited to take part in the Chinese New Year celebration at the University at Buffalo the next week.  It was exciting to be able to go on the stage with the other participants and be recognized.  I was also very amazed and enjoyed watching all of the different dances and acts that had performed that day.  Overall, although I was nervous to take part in the competition at first, I am so happy that I did.  That experience made me think about my future, and helped me to realize that I am interested in studying Chinese after highschool, and maybe even incorporate it into a career.  I hope to visit China one day, and be able to fully embrace and understand the culture, after hearing about many of the customs from my teachers.    

Finally, I would like to express how thankful I am for being put in Chinese.  If I had not had the opportunity, I may have never considered learning such a unique language.  I have had such a positive experience in Chinese because of my teachers and the programs my school has offered.  The effort that they put in to spark interest in their students is the reason that I have been successful in understanding these topics.  The speaking competition, in particular, allowed me to expand my horizons of the Chinese language, and the culture as well.  If my teachers had not pushed me in the ways that they did, I would have never been able to grow as a student.  Throughout the next few years, I hope to be able to partake in other events and competitions, and continue to enjoy my time learning Chinese