I come from a vibrant cultural Chinese background. Across the globe, research has proven the Chinese culture to be the most reifying and in-depth in terms of adhering to the values and structures that shape our identities as Chinese people. Having being born in China, from Chinese heritage, I am legally considered a Chinese national. Nationality, in this case, does not only pertain belonging to a particular nation but rather the incorporation of specific distinct values (“Chinese Nationality,” 2020). The different cultural values of China form a standard nationality standard that shapes the identity of an individual. My nationality is characterized by courtesy, peace, wisdom, loyalty, and filial piety.
At the moment, I reside in Australia. As such, the cultural identities within this place are different from how my nationality dictates. Nevertheless, migration to Australia does not mean that I lose my identity and enculturate fully into the Australian culture. For instance, stereotyping Australians as proud because they have no interest in history may be inaccurate (Meissner, 2020). After all, stereotypes provide the benchmark through which individuals behave. It is right in many contexts that immigration has caused an intersection and integration of cultures, which affects different ethnic identities. Besides, research has proven that group identities impact special status (“Stereotypes of Australia,” 2018). One of the major concepts I am struggling with within Australia, which is affecting my identity, is the bicultural conflict and continuity of traditional meaning. One of the dominant stereotypes about my culture as a Chinese is that people are usually good at math. Entirely, this might not be wrong, as different Chinese people I know, within Australia and back at home, are quite good at math. In conclusion, it is difficult to resist the impact of the intersection of Chinese and Australian culture.