HBA: A Time of Learning

While I was thrilled to have the opportunity to go study Mandarin in China, I was not expecting my stay in China to be so transformative and educational and for me as it actually was.
I ignorantly thought to myself as I was preparing for my summer: I have been to Beijing before. I am Asian American. I went to Chinese Sunday school. I have some knowledge about Chinese culture. I already know what to expect.
Ha.
Little did I know, being in a foreign country for nine weeks allowed me to learn more about America, Asian American identity, and myself through the perspective of people from a nation of rich history, complex cultural traditions.
Never before did I see the unique position China is in: politically, economically, socially, culturally—or at least to the extent that I did during my summer there.
To recap my 2018 Summer studying Mandarin at Harvard Beijing Academy, I’ve decided to devote blog posts to several themes that defined my experiences in Beijing: American-ness, the Chinese perception of America, language learning, and much more to come.