The Hybrid

(This article was originally posted on my other blog, PunchPunchFrontKick.com. However, I recently decided to halt that site, and felt compelled to re-post this article here.)

(The Great Wave by Katsushika Hokusai)
Conflicted by two cultures, the Hybrid has to constantly learn what to absorb and what to abandon. What is right? What is wrong? What do I believe in? Confused by these questions as she walks the road of life, the Hybrid never really fits in completely and never sees herself properly represented. "What am I?" the Hybrid often asks. When she travels to her motherland, everyone acts differently from her. When she comes home to North America, she never truly fits into society because she practices "the other" ethnicity. "So, what am I?"

After years of dueling beliefs and confusion, the Hybrid learns. She learns to absorb from both cultures. Even though she will always be the imperfect puzzle piece in both cultural jigsaws, she learns to fit in as best as possible by absorbing and practicing the goods from both cultures; the Hybrid takes in the best of both worlds. She soaks up and applies the respect, loyalty, love of family and friends, and pride for her traditions from her heritage, while also soaking up and applying the use of facts instead of myths and superstitions, and being moral and law-abiding citizens from her western culture.

The hybrid knows that if she were to be rude and disrespectful to her parents like her friend did the other day, that her parents will not turn their cheeks the other way. As well, she knows that her future will be her future and that parents should not interfere when she is making college plans or career choices. It is her life.

The Hybrid sees through the lens of two cultures, swallowing and digesting only the beliefs which are right. This is the mind of the Hybrid Asian.

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