Knowing Their Roots

By ethnicity, my children are 75% Chinese and 25% Japanese.  But I know that growing up in America, they will most likely behave, speak, and overall conduct themselves as 100% American.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.  I just hope to instill in them the importance of recognizing their roots.  

I am very fortunate to be raised by immigrant parents who taught my brothers and me our Chinese traditions and customs.  I grew up knowing I am both American and Chinese.  I speak and write both languages.  I know the customs and values of both cultures. Sometimes I recognize with one culture more strongly than with the other but other times the reverse occurs.  I am proud of this dual identity.

While I've already given in to the fact that my children will never be fluent in the Chinese or Japanese languages (due in large part to our own failure as parents to reinforce their teachings in them), I do wholeheartedly wish that they at least recognize the importance of knowing their roots.  I hope they recognize that their ancestors were Chinese and Japanese and that they had their own unique sets of cultures and customs.  I hope to show them these customs as much as I can and for them to pass them forward to generations beyond.

This is why I try my best to engage our family with the festivities of major holidays and festivals of the Chinese and Japanese cultures.  The major holidays/festivals that we try to recognize each year include:

• Chinese/Lunar New Year
• Japanese Girls Day (Hinamatsuri - March 3) celebrates/prays for the safety of children.  As the name implies, this festival gears mainly towards the celebration of girls.
• Japanese Childrens’ Day (Kodomo no hi - May 5) celebrates the happiness of all children and expresses gratitude toward mothers.  In the past this holiday was geared more towards boys but had been changed to celebrate all children in more recent years.
• Chinese Qingming Festival (usually around April 5) is a day to remember and honor one’s ancestors at their grave sites.
• Japanese Obon festival (usually around August 15) honors the spirits of one's ancestors.
• Chinese Mid-Autumn Moon Festival (August 15 of the Lunar calendar) is a day to gather with families and give thanks to a good harvest and harmonious unions.

At the young age of 3 and 1, Chloe and Ethan have a long way to go before they understand the meanings that these holidays/festivals carry.  For now, they just like to partake in the festivities surrounding them, including the foods and fun.  For Chloe, the pretty cultural outfits add another layer of fun to it all.

Japanese Obon Festival 8/4/13

Lunar New Year 2013

Lunar New Year 2012

Japanese Girls Day 2010