What IS the "American Dream?" Traditionally, it is the dream of fame, success, and wealth. In history, it is "that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement." [first used by James Truslow Adams in his book The Epic of America, 1931] I like this. For my parents, I think the "American Dream" is having the freedom and opportunity to lead a happy successful life and anyone can achieve it with hard work. This is what makes America so great. It truly is a land of freedom and opportunity where anything is possible, if you work for it. I share the same "American Dream" as my parents, but with my own little twist. The twist being the definition of happiness and success. Naturally, this is different for everyone.
This week, the Austin Asian American Film Festival is premiering All About Dad, a comedy about a Vietnamese-American family with generational and cultural gaps. The main character, Ty Do (I also have the same household nickname), tells his dad he doesn't want to be a doctor, but rather a filmmaker. I, myself, am in a similar boat. Growing up in a very traditional Vietnamese and Catholic family, my Dad constantly reminded me that if I don't work hard for my education and career, my future would not be so bright. And he was absolutely right. Thank God I listened to him! I studied biology and women's studies, got a Fulbright scholarship and a Master's degree. I thought I was doing it all right, but there's something that still doesn't feel quite right for me. I've come to realize that my parents' idea of happiness and success is not the same as mine.
Finally, after years of working hard for a good education and a stable career while trying to figure out who I am and what I really want to do, I've decided to take a turn to the wild side. I am exploring my creative side. It's ironic that the same parent that I get my creative side from is the same parent that would love for me to be a doctor, lawyer, engineer, or teacher. I don't want to quit my public health career that I've invested so much in, I just want to transform my creative side into something more tangible for my future. So, here I am, living in Austin, Texas (the perfect city for aspiring artists and entrepreneurs) and at a fork in my journey, where the options are endless and I have the freedom to choose my destination. For me, the "American Dream" is not about success, fame or wealth. It's about what makes you happy. I'm a boat girl, so whatever floats my boat, right? Seriously, it means having the freedom and opportunity to do whatever makes you happy and only you can determine your idea of success. This is often taken for granted because not everyone can do this (if you've been to a Third World country, you know what I mean). But fortunately, I can. I am an aspiring artist who has been dreaming and has escaped....with my first henna design to be screenprinted on 100% recycled cotton canvas bags. Keep on dreaming America!
Being a part of traditional Vietnamese culture, chances are, children don't live their own lives, don't dream their own dreams. We have to live with our parents' expectations....It's just hard to escape from the fact and live for ourselves...But it would be great that we can do what we love without caring about what ppl think.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your journal, di Ngoc :) Thank you for sharing your experiences :X
You're right, Niki. You're lucky to even have the choice that those in many third world countries don't. But you're also lucky to have the skills and talent to be able to do many things. I think when we have special skills - such as the ones you have been given - we need to express that. They weren't given to you by chance. I hope that this weekend artist Niki can finally make her big debut! :)
ReplyDeletecool...you can post it on etsy and we'll post it on our blog!
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