Being a second generation immigrant, sociologists would argue that we are the most privileged. For third generation, they are not as privileged because they do not retain their culture as much but fully assimilate into society. The second generation assimilates into modern society but at the same time retain their parent’s culture which is more beneficial. From an early age, my mom would always ask me”do you want to work now and then slack later, or slack now and work hard later?” Of course, I would rather work hard now. Not to say that other cultures don’t value education, but in Chinese culture, parents are willing to sacrifice nearly everything to fully supplement their child’s education. Although my parent’s have never attended any academic institutions high than grade school, they sacrificed everything to give their children a good education. At the roots, it could be filial piety that contributed to education. Filial piety makes you devoted and hardworking, and if applied to schoolwork, it will make you successful.

I struggled in elementary school because I had no knowledge of English, and neither did my parents. However they were willing to work more hours  to get me ESL classes. My parents owned a Chinese restaurant. For my classes, I would have to rely on myself to understand the material taught in class. I was placed into a Catholic private school, to be safe from the ghettoes and public schools. But because of the strict rules and ceremonies, I felt as if it hindered my education, and instead educated me to be well-mannered. The neighborhood I grew up in was filled with violence which discouraged me from associating with the others. This might have contributed to my awkwardness, which resulted in my staying at home and studying. My parents taught me to believe that I should strive to be the best, and be extremely competitive. It fueled my drive to attain a high level of education.