Bao
Though I was excited to watch the Incredibles 2 movie this past weekend, I was even more excited to see the Bao short ahead of it.
There had been a lot of commotion on Twitter about it and couldn’t wait to watch it for myself. And at the core of it, I was so excited because I anticipated that Bao was going to be about me.
If you’re unaware, it’s a story about a dumpling and a mother. I won’t spoil it for those who haven’t seen it (go see it!), but I was blown away.
It was incredibly moving and made me look back on my upbringing as an ABC (American born Chinese). Both of my parents immigrated to the United States and when I was growing up, I often felt like I was being pulled in two different directions by two different cultures.
There was a part of me (at home) that was taught to be traditional Chinese, and then there was another part of me (at school and outside) that tried painfully hard to fit in as American.
I know it must have been hard on my mother as well. I’m sure she wanted me to fit in with all the other kids, but also felt strongly about passing on the Chinese way of life. So I was caught in the middle.
As I was watching Bao, I saw myself and my mom on the movie screen. It brought me back to my childhood and the push and pull of everything – the arguments, fights, understanding, and ultimate love that come with growing up between cultures. Not too long ago, I was Bao.
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