Fish Cheeks? I'll pass

One of the most distinguishable characteristics of a culture is its food.  Most cultures have a staple food like rice or pasta that has been eaten at almost every meal for generations.  This often makes it tough when a family relocates because they have to choose between assimilating and sacrificing part of their own culture or maintaining their own cuisine in the new place.

In "Fish Cheeks," Amy Tan describes a Christmas Eve dinner scenario from her teenage years that involves a white boy named Robert (whom she had a crush on) and his family coming to her very Asian household for dinner.  In addition to her father's loud belch at the dinner table, Amy's mother serves traditional Asian cuisine rather than the usual ham or turkey dinner that Americans are accustomed to.  She finds this very embarrassing and worries that Robert won't like her because of her family and culture.

However, there are numerous things that can be taken away from other cultures.  If you think about it, the American lifestyle that most of us have grown up with is really just a combination of a bunch of other cultures.  Rather than being ashamed of the way your family acts and what your family eats, take that as an opportunity to teach those around you about your background.  And if you're in Robert's shoes, enjoy the learning opportunity that you've been given.