How often do you see a girl doing this? Defy stereotypes as if you could defy gravity. Photo taken September 25, 2011
America: the land of stereotypes and preconceived assumptions; where only hipsters wear big glasses, “playas” spray Abercrombie cologne, all Asians are good at math, all “skaters” are middle-school boys, men from Utah have five wives, and everybody loves to party.
When my Hong Kong classmate and friend recently visited Utah, I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see her. After all, it had been four years since we last met.
We all know that people change – sometimes for worse, and sometimes for better – and honestly, I was quite surprised at the person she had become since our good ol’ school days.
She wore an outfit that was completely against the grain of any trendy fashion, complete with a bright green beanie she had just bought at one of those “skater stores” at the mall. Skateboarding: the somewhat uncommon pastime in America (and even less popular in a country like China) – especially for females – became her passion, out of all things to become passionate about. Oh, but it doesn’t stop there; she took to liking AT40 hip hop, and I sat across from her as the latest Chris Brown and Ne-Yo tunes played from my computer. I also must not forget to mention her awesome Lomography film camera that accompanied us and documented our every fun moment. We even discovered a mutual desire to get a tattoo (which is mostly looked down upon in the Chinese culture).
So how does a skater listen to hip hop, have “hipster” belongings, and defy the traditional expectations of a Chinese adolescent all at once? I don’t know, but that must be my Americanized-self talking. I haven’t seen this level of label-mixing before.
The truth of the matter is that this whole time I have been running from trends, stereotypes, and labels in an effort to be my own person; but she showed me up – big time. I must say that I highly and genuinely admire the individual she has become. She is interested in things that make her happy and isn’t afraid of the stereotypes or the people around her who disapprove of them. She is completely confident and into her own interests. I think this characteristic is the most valuable one can have, and I aim to further garner it for myself.
With that said, I will share some facts about me that go against the stereotype of me. You know me as that Asian-American girly-girl, which means I must love (Japanese) pop music, the vintage trend, getting my nails done, and traveling to paradise-like locations such as Cancun or Phuket. In actuality, although I used to love pop music, I am indifferent toward it now. I would much prefer post-hardcore (screaming and all), classical, or acoustic. I wear whatever I want, which means I don’t have to change my whole wardrobe every year. I have never had my nails done professionally. I seriously don’t care for materialistic luxuries like purses and $200 shoes. I swear I’m a country girl at heart. I like to get my hands dirty, and if a little of it gets on my shirt, I’m alright with that. Oh, and I am completely content that my future does not lie in medicine or science, as it would be expected for most Asian-Americans (aspiring writer, here!).
What stereotypes do you challenge? Tell me the story of YOU 
Like this:
Be the first to like this post.
