| The View from across the Pond |
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| Sunday, 23 September 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This December marks my eighth year of living in the United States. My home is in Upstate New York (and not in New York City as family and friends in Britain assume when I say New York) about 160 miles north of central Manhattan in a suburban area with city neighbourhoods and lots of surrounding green, rural and scenic landscapes. A place doesn't stand still I make it part of my daily routine - my link with home - to find out some British news and search new British websites. (The DimSum website wasn't even launched when I left the country). I try and follow entertainment news and gossip but, as the years go by, I don't recognize the celebrities.  Walking across the Millenium Bridge Countries and cities are dynamic and change is inevitable, and even more noticeable if you don't see it everyday. When I came back for my last visit in 2006, I had a moment of pure joy when I walked across the London Millennium Footbridge over the River Thames for the first time and stood in awe at the magnificence of the Tate Modern Art Gallery on the other side. Both structures were mere construction sites when I left England.  The Modern Birmingham Selfridges The new Selfridges department store in the heart of Birmingham city centre was just a mass of metal frames when I left. I saw the completed gleaming and ultra-modern building during my 2006 trip. In both London and Birmingham, a noticeable change was the sheer volume of cars (some very large) on the roads, in the driveways or parked like sardines on both sides of the streets. I remember traffic congestion in the 90s, but now it's become a way of life. The news from home Recently, news from Britain makes for depressing reading: Outbreaks of foot and mouth disease found; average house prices near £200,000 (worrying if we decide to come back and buy a house in the future) and Britain in moral decline are just three news items I picked out. Foot and mouth 'to cost millions' http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6992873.stm Average house price near £200,000 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6979353.stm New survey says people think Britain is in moral decline and religion could help http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/5654 I cried reading accounts of the London bombings on 7th July, 2005; a terrible event that has led to suspicion of certain communities and people who look different. What's happened to tolerance and diversity in the Britain I love? Now all I hear about is the radicalization of some British-born Muslims. Is Britain really in moral decline with the surge in knife and gun crimes, and gang conflict in major cities mostly related to drugs (very worrying as I have family in the police force), and anti-social behaviour, such as violence, unruliness and lack of respect for community from young people. Even the adverse weather with severe flooding fills me with concern and I often find I'm checking the weather forecast to see how it's affecting my family in England. Death of "Cool Britannia?" What happened to "Cool Britannia," the media term used to describe the contemporary culture of Britain from the mid to late 1990s? I left London at the height of its cool, fun image. News was full of the likes of Britpop (Blur versus Oasis), young, hip fashion designers, artists and magazines (remember Damien Hirst and his dead animal exhibits) and Britain was a very popular tourist destination. It felt happy and optimistic or am I looking back with rose-coloured glasses? Did everything change post-9/11, 2001 and deeply affected by geopolitical conflicts subsequently, not least the war in Iraq? Nostalgia - Oh, for a bag of fish and chips! Now and then I order fish and chips from some of the restaurants in my local area and I'm always disappointed when my meal comes out; the chips are inevitably the thin French fries variety and the dish normally served with ketchup. I should know better, but I'm always hopeful some restaurant would get it right. I close my eyes and can smell the salt and vinegar like a fine mist wafting from my local fish and chip shop in London. All immigrants experience degrees of homesickness. You miss your family and friends, and reminisce about familiar things. For me, it's the British sense of humour and irony; witty conversation; fish and chips (of course); British bacon and sausages; real Cadbury's chocolate; Heinz Salad Cream, Walker's crisps; double cream; Marie Claire magazine (UK version); Original Source shower gels and anything in Marks and Sparks' food hall. Think about what you would miss from home if ever you moved and you'll be amazed at the little things. I find myself feeling nostalgic about EastEnders; big costume dramas on the small screen (I confess I'm a big "Pride and Prejudice" fan); the Six O'Clock news and edgy Channel 4 programmes. We get a small fraction of British programming on cable. I wait impatiently for the start of the second series of "Life on Mars" and "Robin Hood," and I'm now watching the first series of "Torchwood." Dim sum is the link Adjusting to life in a new country requires moving beyond the homesickness toward acceptance of your new situation. You rise to each challenge you face and look for the opportunities around you or you'll never feel settled. Undoubtedly, the hardest thing for me was the separation from family and close friends. Right from the start, it became important for me to create a network of friends and contacts, and immediately I had to find the nearest Chinese or Asian grocery store and a decent restaurant that serves dim sum. My quest for good dim sum since coming to live in North America has led me to Chinatowns in New York City, Boston, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Montreal and Toronto in Canada. I feel like a food critic on one of those travel programmes! Dim sum the world over is my connection to my parents' culture (New Territories Hong Kong and Guangdong Province in the southern part of China.) Dim sum connects the Chinese diaspora around the world that shares the love of small buns and dumplings steamed to perfection in bamboo steamers and little plates of meats, fried dumplings and pastries. The Chinese communities in the States are diverse and cover the spectrum of countries from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia and the Chinese diaspora from other Western countries. Some are new immigrants with professional qualifications working in high tech jobs and others come to join their established families in different towns and cities across the country. The majority are American-born Chinese, several generations old and very much part of the fabric of American life. They're more noticeable in large conurbations on each coast or spread out in sparse pockets in smaller towns in the interior. Often, they're Mandarin speakers and in the larger cities you'll find the Cantonese speakers, such as in San Francisco on the West Coast or New York City on the East Coast. Calling all BBCs in the US Lesser known are people like me - a British-born and raised Chinese (BBC) person who came to America as an adult. I'm not sure how many people with my background are out there. It sounds simple, but as a BBC I have a different cultural experience to a Chinese person growing up in New York or California. I look very Chinese, but I speak with a British accent, not American, not Chinese, and I've come to anticipate the look of surprise and confusion from people! As Chinese we can't assume we're bound together by the sameness of our culture; they're very different. I don't have the frame of reference of growing up in the US as do the second or third generations of American-Chinese. They grew up watching "The Brady Bunch" and "Gilligan's Island." My memories are of "Jim'll Fix It," "Swap Shop," and "Blue Peter" in the 1970s and early 1980s. Accepting and adapting I felt like a child again when I settled in the States; learning and stumbling through everyday things that were once second nature to me, but presented so differently - from writing a cheque to posting a letter; from understanding my health insurance policy (no NHS system here) to getting to grips with the education system for my children. You have to accept things are the way they are over here and not compare with back home as that'll drive you crazy. When you settle somewhere, yes, it's about overcoming language differences (The Queen's English versus American English) and there are plenty of misunderstandings - from different food terms (zucchini instead of courgette; eggplant instead of aubergine; cilantro instead of coriander to name but a few) to a different business language at work. (I remember a meeting where it was agreed to table a proposal. I was confused when we came to the end of the meeting and the proposal hadn't been raised. I expected something to be put forward for discussion as in Britain, but over here in the States it meant the item was to be discussed at a later date.) Yes, it's about the courage to drive on what was for me the wrong side of the road. Yes, it's about different social practices like saying: "Have a good day" to "You're welcome" when someone does something for you. More than that, for me, it's about understanding and accepting my background as a BBC coming to live in the States as an adult. I don't fit into the mould of being American or American-born Chinese. The extra layer for me is to interpret what I see and hear, and integrate it with my perspective and experience as a British-Chinese person. I'm on a journey to adapt and carve out a new identity and place for me here with my unique background. Going beyond the stereotypes Simply reading the headlines from afar won't give me the complete picture of what's happening in Britain. I don't hear much about the positive day-to-day events that take place to counter the bad news I'm getting. Likewise, you may have stereotypical views of America and Americans based on the big headlines in the British press, plus anti-American sentiments built up by the British love-hate relationship with the US and exacerbated by disagreements over the war in Iraq. I see a different story because I live among ordinary American people and hear about the everyday happenings. You don't get to hear the stories of ordinary Americans. There's no doubt the US is extremely divided as a country along political lines and in people's support of the war in Iraq. Despite the current tensions, I've come to admire Americans' sense of freedom and fairness, and I like their courteous manners. The stereotypical "Have a good day" and "You're welcome" are said and meant with sincerity. There's something exciting about the American "can-do" attitude and entrepreneurial spirit - it's accepted you can do anything if you dream big and work hard, especially if you want to open a small business. Americans have an innate sense of optimism even when the going gets tough, which may come across as naivety to those from more cynical cultures, but appeals to my own innate optimism. You can't fault ordinary Americans' generosity in their local communities; philanthropy is built into their way of being. This is a land of extreme contrasts in its geography and of great diversity filled with people who have immigrated here from all corners of the world. There is no one America; each State has its own autonomy and laws that adds to the dynamic mix. Much as it's important for me to see beyond the headlines to know the real situation in Britain, it's equally important I embrace and make the most of the tremendous opportunities available to me and my family in the States. Is it true? You be the judge. Here's a selection of my friends' views when I asked them to tell me what's changed in Britain since I left: People are starting to become more "green" in their behaviour (even the Councils provide recycling bins.) Much more Government control over issues affecting people's lives; people's perception is it's becoming a "nanny state." With the credit culture today, a lot of people have big debts with mortgages being high and credit cards being easy to get. Television has a lot of "reality TV" shows (like "Big Brother," "The Apprentice," and "The X Factor") and magazines feature many of the "celebrities" who are famous for being famous. More people have access to the Internet than ever before; everyone uses it as a primary research tool and online dating is the norm. IPods are very popular and many people are downloading music from Internet sites rather than buying CDs. Licensing laws have changed in pubs so they can stay open after 11.00 PM. There's now no smoking allowed in pubs and people don't drink at lunch time on a work day (even on a Friday) anymore. Young people coming into the workplace now have no intention of sacrificing their lives for work. Instead, they want to work to live. Young people used to be scared of older people. Now older people are scared of younger people. Your views: Do you agree with mine and my friends' assessments? Are you optimistic or pessimistic about Britain? If you've moved away, what do you miss most about home? What would you teleport over if you could beam something up just like in "Star Trek?" Do you know any BBCs living in the States? I'd love to make contact so please pass on this link to them. Perhaps, you or someone you know has immigrated to another country and can share your experiences in relation to mine. Maybe, it's the reverse and you've settled in Britain from China, Hong Kong or another country and may see things differently because you weren't born in Britain. Please share your thoughts, comments and views because having this conversation makes us feel connected to the Chinese diaspora around the world. Similar experiences? Let us know by posting your comments below. You can also email Susan directly here: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it Post script As a busy mother of two children under the ages of five, I have many projects I have to focus on at the moment so I'm taking a short break from my writing. In the meantime, be assured I'm thinking of other topics to have great conversations with you. Watch this space as they say and look for my new article at the end of October.
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