What I learned from failing a major placement exam
Aura Barrera /File
Failing the HSK made me realize that failure is not the dark pit I imagined it to be — instead, it can be an opportunity of reflection and redirection.
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Stars for sentences
Resting at the nucleus of these stars, I found a sense of communication, an avenue to express what I wanted to without the constraint of phrases and descriptors.
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Lost in translation: My journey to gaining proficiency in Chinese
While learning a new language may seem daunting and while the process is certainly difficult, it opens up new worlds and brings you to places you never would have imagined.
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To be Asian and American
Off the Beat
When we celebrated and acknowledged Chinese traditions, however, it never felt like my culture. There has always been an intangible sense of displacement or distance from my birthplace.
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Talking back
Off the Beat
I didn’t see choosing to study French as an affront to my heritage or as leaving my culture behind. But my mother disagreed.
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Bombastic, dazzling: Devendra Banhart engages with fans in splendid performance
Throughout the show, it became clear that one does not go to a Devendra Banhart show just for his music, but also for his personality.
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Dumplings full of culture
The Half of It
The childhood memories associated with food always remind me of the significance of my Chinese heritage that is erased because I’m mixed. Even when the world may not perceive me as Chinese, these memories of cooking with family and friends affirm my connection to China.
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My mixed family is not the solution to your racial divides
The Half of It
I felt like only I could understand exactly what was going on in both languages. So I bore double the burden and experienced double the emotional pain. I was the only thing keeping my parents together, the only person who could get them to communicate.
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An unlikely pairing
Adding Up
Looking back, I wouldn’t trade my semester abroad for anything. But I do realize that as a STEM major, it’s probably simpler not to go abroad at all.
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Not quite bilingual
As is the case with many second-generation students, 12 years of English-centric education has made me fluent in one language at the expense of the other.
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