Navigating Identity and Cultural Expectations

Jane, who identifies as biracial (Mexican and Japanese), shared her experiences growing up with two different cultures. In her interviews, she discussed growing up first in Koreatown, an area known for its diversity and busy city life, and later moving to Glendale, a quieter suburban community, after her father's passing. She also mentions connecting closely with both Mexican traditions from her mother’s family and Japanese traditions from her father’s family.

Jane shared:

"Being biracial, it's often really difficult for me to even say, like, oh, I connect with one, or I connect more with the other just because I'm very connected to both... My grandparents, my mom's parents live next to me... I see them all the time. They cook Mexican food, so I get that traditional heritage. On my dad's side, I spent a lot of time at the Japanese American National Museum... interacting with other Japanese Americans" (Interview 1).

Additionally, Jane shared the expectations often placed on students from her cultural background and how her experience differed from the norm:

"My family actually isn't like that hard. They don’t say, like, ‘Oh, you have to do this, or you have to do that, or you have to make a certain amount of money.’ They haven't really pressured me to do anything, which I'm very lucky for. I know that in the Asian culture, it's like, ‘Oh, you have to be a doctor, you have to be a lawyer, you have to, you know, succeed.’ And even in the Latino culture, for those who want their kids to continue their education, there's that pressure to follow a set path. I'm very lucky that I don’t have that" (Interview 1).

Unlike many first-generation students, she didn’t face strict family pressure to follow a set career path, but she’s still aware of those expectations in her communities.

Busy city life

Suburban community