Mom, Why Can't I Sleep?

There exists a plethora of stories telling the tales of hardship and success of coming to a new country. Many first generation immigrants share similar experiences, but only few are able to become successful. In Amy Tan’s narrative “Fish Cheeks” she recounts the troubles of being a first generation American-born immigrant. She stresses how hard it is to be proud of her Chinese “manners” in the company of an American, especially that of a boy she likes. Her parents confidently embrace their traditional “customs” because it is their way of holding on to their fond memories. However, for Amy she has no connection to China other than through her parents. This puts her in an uncomfortable position. She does not know which culture she truly belongs to, either the one she was born into or the one she was born from.

Many children today are in the same position as Amy is. It is a unique situation to each person, ironically. Each first generation child has their own battle they must struggle with against their parents. For me, it is having my parents understand how I spend my time. My parents were born and raised in India. Due to their limited financial resources, education was highly stressed at home. To study, they were taught to write and rewrite the same facts till they were engrained in their memory. This is different than how we learn today. For me, I have to learn how to balance my academics with my extracurricular activities. Today, my parents have provided me with more opportunities than they were ever afforded. It upsets them to see me sleep in or watch television. My parents pester me to wake up and do something productive. Because of changing circumstances it is hard for my parents and I to see eye to eye on this issue. This, I feel, is a common experience for many people because of the cultural divide that exists. Amy reveals at the end of her narrative that later in life she comes to appreciate her mother’s message; I, too, know that I will eventually understand my parents’ reasons. It is because they truly want what is best for me. Hard work and capitalizing on ever opportunity has worked for them, so they want to prove to my sister and I that we too can follow the “Indian” way and succeed.