Lost in Translation

Maggie Huang

When moving to a new country, is hard to assimilate into its society. I have lived in America almost two years. Before I moved to this country, I had heard many Chinese people say that America is a perfect paradise, and its moon is rounder than China. In fact, when I moved here, I felt everything was not true. I had to face many different problems. As my age, like many immigrants and foreign students, I have brought my own language, culture, social institutions, and customs all to America. On one side, I do not want to lose myself in the new country, but on the other side, I have to adjust my life to this country. I have encountered many problems with language, culture, and respect during the two years in this country.
Language is the first problem that I have encountered in this country. When I moved to America, I felt I like a deaf and dumb person. I could not speak in English; I could not understand the meanings when people talked in English. Many Chinese immigrants have a common wrong way to speak English. We usually use Chinese to speak English. When I want to eat soup, I could say "drink soup", and when I want to turn on the TV, I could say "open the TV". Sometimes my foreign friends did not understand what I said, but they understood that I speak Chinese-English. In addition, when American people talked in slang, I didn't understand them. I even heard my cousin who born was in America talk to her friend on phone. She said "a bigger fish to fry". Then I asked her why she said that word because she didn't know how to cook. My cousin explained that the word meant she was busy. I have encountered those situations many times, and I never knew their meanings. I understand that is a hard way to communicate with native people, and I have to learn the new language, like an infant.
Secondly, respect is another of the problems that I have encountered in this country. When I was a child, my parents always taught me how to respect everyone: our parents, teachers, elders, family and cultural traditions. It is the most important part in life that the young people have to respect the seniors in China. When I got here, I did not know what was the difference about the respect between America and China. About six months ago, I met my American friend and her son in a subway. That day we had waited for a train about fifteen minutes, and the boy started to be impatient. Then he called his mother's name loudly and shouted at his mother. The boy's behaviors made me think deeply about respect. In China, you cannot call your parent's name, your elder brother or your elder sister's name. In other words, you cannot call your all senior's name. I know that it is very common to call senior's name in America. But the boy shouted at his mother, and I could not accept that was very hurt his mother's feeling. That is impossible to happen in China. Until now, I always recall that boy's behaviors, it really make me uncomfortable.
Finally, adapts to the culture has been the problem part that I have encountered in this country. Many Chinese people's emotions are not easy to express. For example, when someone was praised by other people, he or she always says "I am not so good, you are better", even thought he or she was really doing well. In the same situation, American people would say "thank you". The simple respond express you acknowledge your achievement. I had try to learn saying "think you" when someone praised me, but I know that is not easy to change. Another cultural difference is a hug. Giving a hug is American people's normal social activities, but for Chinese people that is hard to accept. I recalled my first job in America, when I met my manager; suddenly he wanted to hug me. I was scared by his behavior. I avoided and said "NO". That was an embarrassing situation. After that, I understood that hugging express American person's polite and friendly manner. Even thought I understand, I still feel embarrassed and can't accept a stranger hugs me.
All of those problems are inevitable when you move to a new country; they are depending on you how to deal with them. May be you will have a perfect life than before in the new country, but you will lose something on your past life. I think that is not worth lose your old life, but you have to learn how to assimilate into the new life. Even thought I still have lots of the problems in this country, I will make lasting contributions to my adopted country and try to become an integral part of the United States population, but will not lose my past.