A few words from American Chinese youth about their root searching in Guangdong in the past several years as below.
ARNOLD ONG: The greatest part of the "search for roots" program was the opportunity to visit my ancestral village. I felt very fulfilling to finally see what my grandfather and grandmother's daily life that must have been likeĦA and their reason for leaving to the U.S I can now confidently say that I know where my ancestors are from. No one can question my ancestry.
BRIAN YEE: The journey of life began by walking in the rain through rice paddies. It was a growing and ever evolving experience that I will forever use as a basis for my life.
ELIZABETH HOM: This trip has given me the opportunity to open dialogue about my family's history. It has compelled me also to explore the world around me through a new perspective. My roots in China and the U.S. are both solidified by concrete memories --- emotions intermingled with events. Within the context of these events, I have developed a broader, expanded point-of-view. China is no longer just a place on the map ---- it holds images of beauty and of pain for my family and I.
ARLIN CHIN: There are so many facts to the Roots program that it would not do it justice to try to put it into words. Perhaps the closest comparison would be to life.
KEITH A. WONG: The S.F. Roots internship has brought insight and more meaning of what it is to be Chinese. I have learned a lot about my families' past and the life that they had prior to immigration. In my mind, the Chinese traditions that we practice at home have more relevance to my cultural heritage. I actually feel more Chinese-American than ever now. I feel drawn to China because that's where my heritage lies, but I also feel drawn to American because that's where my ancestors have given me the "freedom" to be who I want to be.
LANDON QUAN : The most important thing in the last two weeks was being able to discover new aspects of my family history. Finding relatives and an ancestral home on my mother's side and unknown relatives on my father's side gives me something to take back to my family. For meĦAthis is just part of a larger adventure that will lastĦAfor the rest of my life. There is a lot of work that remains upon my return home, and I look forward to discovering new and interesting facts to my family's history.
CHRISTINE WONG: A critical part of finding my ancestral roots is my parents -----their support and information made it possible to find my villages. Also I realize now, my ancestral roots lead me back to building a stronger connection to my parents. That the process of finding my ancestral roots has so much to do with strengthening my family bonds is my biggest realization.
ERICA MILLER: Finding your roots is seeing yourself for who you really are, No one man can build a bridge alone. And no bridge is built for just one man. Most importantly I feel deeply humbled and grateful to have had this experience and the support of so many people.
Editor: Dawn by: Source:GOCN
