My photo essay is about a special place for me in Atlanta, Chinatown. Most Chinatowns were centered on food, and as a result Chinatowns worldwide were usually popular destinations for various ethnic Chinese and other Asian cuisines such as Vietnamese, Thai, and Malaysian. Besides, they were also places with highest density of people from Asia. For me, Chinatown, helping me get adjusted to this new place, is like another home in Atlanta.
I can well remember that when I firstly came to America I felt unable to get adjusted to this new environment very well. Since a place will shape a person, my hometown, or the country I was from, shapes the perspective of me towards things and also shapes my life style such as food, hobby, and etc. The reason why I choose Chinatown is that, as an international student coming to an unfamiliar place for education, I was always trying to find some connections between my life here and before in my hometown. Starting my new life in university, I missed lots of things before, and sometimes I even preferred to hear Chinese instead of English, to eat rice instead of sandwich. During the first year, Chinatown was like the place that reminded me of my own culture.
In the first photo, it is a poker card labeled joker, and there is also words “made in china” in the card. As we known, poker is a product of western game. In this photo I use the poker to represent the United State where I am studying and living now, and use the words “made in china” to show that the place I was from and the experiences I encountered before. It also shows that the life nowadays is worldwide and people around the world have more opportunities to communicate with each other in different ways like travelling, studying abroad, so there is no doubt that cultures will meet each other and diversity will come out. In this case, learning how to get adjusted to new environment gets more and more important. As for us, We are speaking English, eating the same food, studying in the same university, and even living in the same dorm, but what inside of our bodies, just like the “made in china” label on the poker, are different. I am trying to be the person I want myself to be, getting used to all of new things, but I still need a place to get relaxed from stress and give me courage to become better.
The second photo is the view of a small part of Chinatown in Atlanta near the Buford highway. Although the restaurants seem a little bit far from traditional Chinese buildings, this area still gives me a different feeling compared to my college or some local place like big shopping mall. Every time I came here, it delivered to me a sense of the combination of two cultures, or in other word, a way that early Chinese immigrants make livings in a totally unfamiliar place. Moreover, not only Chinese people who want to seek the feeling of their hometown come here, but also lots of local people go to Chinatown to try different types of foods and some Chinese immigrants bring their children born in America here to let them get touch with their own culture. Besides, Chinatown also let local people learn about Chinese culture, and Americans started to know assiduous Chinese workers and delicious Chinese foods. This scene shows that whatever people’s views towards Chinatown are, this land has accepted the existence of such kind of place. As for me, I also learn from it a lot, because I am also on my way of trying to get accepted by the place I am in now and find a way to live here for the rest of my college years.
Moreover, I also use some photos of foods in the restaurant. The reason I think is that the foods will always remind me of my home. At first, I went to Chinatown just because I could not get used to the foods here. Sometimes I would get tired of eating chicken breast, burgers, pizzas, and salads every day, so I decided to eat some traditional Chinese foods. Although most of foods in such restaurants have already been transformed into “American style” Chinese foods, at least, I can eat rice and cooked vegetables that I am not able to eat near college. However, even though I got used to American style foods later, I still went to Chinatown regularly in a month, because every time I eat them I have a feeling of home that makes me feel warm and comfortable. These foods let me start to recall the time with my parents and my grandma who cooks for us. Home is not like a place, it is more likely a feeling, and Chinatown is one of places in America I can have the feeling of home, so it is important to me.
The workers in the restaurants are usually some old immigrants; some of them even are as old as my grandparents. They have lived here for decades, but most of them are not rich and have not been to school. Although they may not speak English very well, they work hard and use their own way to survive in this land. I really respect them, because there is no doubt when they first came to America they encountered lots of problem but they still chose to face them instead of doing nothing. When I have some trouble in my life just because of my identity, international students, I always think about them, and get encouraged from their experience.
The reasons mentioned above put Chinatown into a significant place for me. Finally, I decide to use the poker in the beginning to end this photo essay. Made in china, but live in America.
I can well remember that when I firstly came to America I felt unable to get adjusted to this new environment very well. Since a place will shape a person, my hometown, or the country I was from, shapes the perspective of me towards things and also shapes my life style such as food, hobby, and etc. The reason why I choose Chinatown is that, as an international student coming to an unfamiliar place for education, I was always trying to find some connections between my life here and before in my hometown. Starting my new life in university, I missed lots of things before, and sometimes I even preferred to hear Chinese instead of English, to eat rice instead of sandwich. During the first year, Chinatown was like the place that reminded me of my own culture.
In the first photo, it is a poker card labeled joker, and there is also words “made in china” in the card. As we known, poker is a product of western game. In this photo I use the poker to represent the United State where I am studying and living now, and use the words “made in china” to show that the place I was from and the experiences I encountered before. It also shows that the life nowadays is worldwide and people around the world have more opportunities to communicate with each other in different ways like travelling, studying abroad, so there is no doubt that cultures will meet each other and diversity will come out. In this case, learning how to get adjusted to new environment gets more and more important. As for us, We are speaking English, eating the same food, studying in the same university, and even living in the same dorm, but what inside of our bodies, just like the “made in china” label on the poker, are different. I am trying to be the person I want myself to be, getting used to all of new things, but I still need a place to get relaxed from stress and give me courage to become better.
The second photo is the view of a small part of Chinatown in Atlanta near the Buford highway. Although the restaurants seem a little bit far from traditional Chinese buildings, this area still gives me a different feeling compared to my college or some local place like big shopping mall. Every time I came here, it delivered to me a sense of the combination of two cultures, or in other word, a way that early Chinese immigrants make livings in a totally unfamiliar place. Moreover, not only Chinese people who want to seek the feeling of their hometown come here, but also lots of local people go to Chinatown to try different types of foods and some Chinese immigrants bring their children born in America here to let them get touch with their own culture. Besides, Chinatown also let local people learn about Chinese culture, and Americans started to know assiduous Chinese workers and delicious Chinese foods. This scene shows that whatever people’s views towards Chinatown are, this land has accepted the existence of such kind of place. As for me, I also learn from it a lot, because I am also on my way of trying to get accepted by the place I am in now and find a way to live here for the rest of my college years.
Moreover, I also use some photos of foods in the restaurant. The reason I think is that the foods will always remind me of my home. At first, I went to Chinatown just because I could not get used to the foods here. Sometimes I would get tired of eating chicken breast, burgers, pizzas, and salads every day, so I decided to eat some traditional Chinese foods. Although most of foods in such restaurants have already been transformed into “American style” Chinese foods, at least, I can eat rice and cooked vegetables that I am not able to eat near college. However, even though I got used to American style foods later, I still went to Chinatown regularly in a month, because every time I eat them I have a feeling of home that makes me feel warm and comfortable. These foods let me start to recall the time with my parents and my grandma who cooks for us. Home is not like a place, it is more likely a feeling, and Chinatown is one of places in America I can have the feeling of home, so it is important to me.
The workers in the restaurants are usually some old immigrants; some of them even are as old as my grandparents. They have lived here for decades, but most of them are not rich and have not been to school. Although they may not speak English very well, they work hard and use their own way to survive in this land. I really respect them, because there is no doubt when they first came to America they encountered lots of problem but they still chose to face them instead of doing nothing. When I have some trouble in my life just because of my identity, international students, I always think about them, and get encouraged from their experience.
The reasons mentioned above put Chinatown into a significant place for me. Finally, I decide to use the poker in the beginning to end this photo essay. Made in china, but live in America.