My Origin

奉某人之命贴应试作文一篇。
Christine Marin’s article “Spanish Lessons” made me think a lot about my language and my culture. Marin told her audience her personal experience as a bilingual scholar. When in high school, Marin was shocked by the power of language when she and her Mexican-American fellows sang in Spanish against a group of Anglo. She felt so proud to sing in Spanish though she did not know quite much about that language. She started to learn Spanish seriously and observe Chicano culture and built up a Chicano Studies Collection in Hayden Library of Arizona State University. Marin has learned the power of language. So have I.
For this couple of years studying in the United States I have been thinking about one question a lot: what does coming to the America mean to me? I could hardly recognize myself in my high school photo album nowadays because I have changed so much since my flight landed in the land of the free. For example, China suddenly became a perfect place in my mind, including its despotic government and stupid ruling party, polluted air and water, traffic jams, and being crowded everywhere. I am pretty sure that there are not so much Chinese people enjoying their life in China and looking forward to American life, which is called the “American Dream”, nevertheless I am missing the life I used to have days and nights.
So what made me changed so much? When I got off the plane at San Francisco International Airport I realized that I had entered an unknown territory with crowds looking strangely and speaking strangely. Although I had been learning English for many years, I did not know why the security officer was shouting at me. After several times of replay I understood that he wanted my passport and boarding passes. The whole world was laughing at me at that moment. I heard a voice teasing me, “Hey dude, you got the best grade for English in high school, didn’t you? Do you really know any English?” I was feeling horrible. Then I heard the officer asking where I came from and suddenly I felt encouraged and replied proudly, “I am from China!” My eyes were definitely shining.
Because of my skin and hair color, I have been asked where I came from for many times and I always feel empowered when answering “I am from China.” I would not have realized that I am proud of my country if I did not come to the United States. In China, speaking English means that you are well educated and successful. I have seen a lot of Chinese people speaking a “mixed” language with basically Chinese sentences but adulterated with a bunch of English vocabularies. I feel jerk when hearing this sort of language. As a native speaker, is it that hard to explain your idea in and only in Chinese? There is no necessity to speak like that, but just a show-off to the majority who do not speak that weird language. Look, guys, I know some English!
Those people don’t understand, and I didn’t understand before coming to the United States as well, that the Chinese language is such a thing to make me feel proud. Speaking English means educated? Don’t be silly! Come to America and look by yourself. Everyone can speak perfect English around you.

To me, the Chinese language means my origin. English is no more than a typical foreign language to me. I am learning German now and will hopefully start to learn Spanish in the near future. I want to know at least 5 languages before starting my own career. Besides I am studying Confucianism, which Chinese people have almost forgotten. I can hardly believe that one can learn a foreign culture well if he don’t know his own culture. Now I am enjoying my new life in the America, however I still belong to my language, my people, my country, and my origin.