Being an ABC

So there's this international tournament that's going on for baseball, the World Baseball Classic. Alex Rodriguez, who makes a cool $25 million a year, was MVP of the league last year, and Dominican in nationality but born and raised in the US, was invited to join the Dominican team or the US team. After much deliberation, he decided to join the US team. Ozzie Guillen, the manager of the Chicago White Sox, said "He knew he wasn't going to play for the Dominicans. He's not a Dominican. I hate hypocrites. He's full of (bleep)."

So I'm thinking, if there was a World Chemical Engineers Classic (not exactly sure what would go on there, but I'm positive that it wouldn't get many TV dollars), would I play for the US or China? I'm thinking that's a no brainer, I'd play for the US. I was born and raised here. But on the other hand, I would take great offense if something like what Ozzie Guillen was said. I'm also Chinese, since in the history of my family, 99.9999% of my ancestors were born in China.

Welcome to the world of an American Born Chinese... ABC. I'm American, but I'm also Chinese. I'm not completely American, but I'm not completely Chinese either... although the beauty of the US is that everyone came from somewhere else (Native Americans are thought to have come from Asia). The mixed culture results in many humorous things (as I will expound in future posts) and sometimes confusing things. Something my dad said to me when I was little is what I use to help with this... he said that we would incorporate the best out of both cultures. Unfortunately, this doesn't solve my issue. Luckily, there's no chance in heck that there will ever be a World Chemical Engineers Classic.

OK, I can't leave you without a humorous ABC anecdote. As all of us know, and most non ABCs, there's this very consistent, almost obsessive push for us to major in science. Which makes for potentially funny situations when a bunch of ABCs get together to play Trivial Pursuit. My sister and I were at a family friend's party when the kids all decided to play Trivial Pursuit. We all chucked when the first turn everyone moved to green (aka "Science and Nature"). A couple of rolls later, someone chose "Arts and Entertainment" over Science and Nature. Immediately everyone stopped in mock horror, and one person said in the best imitation of a Chinese accent, "WHAT? Are you not Asian?"To this day, my sister and I still use that expression.