The transition from one culture to another is frequently a profound life experience and, most of the time, is characterized by stark differences in the kind of lifestyle, possibilities the society offers, and challenges one is facing. In “Girl in Translation” by Jean Kwok, Kimberly’s transition from Hong Kong to New York can be considered as overcoming the clear differences that exist between the life that she had there and the life that awaited her in her new home. The essay shows that there is a sharp difference between Kimberly’s life in New York City and her upbringing in Hong Kong, and it also shows the challenges that come with migration.
Kimberly is a young girl from Hong Kong, where her family struggles with economic hardship that drives them to live in cramped and poor lodgings. Their crumbling apartment is a telltale sign of the difference between the housing they can afford and the high-brow skyscrapers dominating the city. Kimberly’s mother would devote herself to a sweatshop by working hard to fulfill their needy-oriented basic needs(Kwok, 2010). Upon touching down in New York City, they do not immediately rebuild their monetary state. They live in a rundown apartment in Brooklyn; Kimberly must experience a fatiguing time standing at the assembly line side by side with her mother, as well as academic pressure.
The cultural shock that is revealed in her person as she touches down in New York City is beyond doubt. While learning from the intricacies of the English language and American ways to conform themselves, she cannot help feeling lonely(Kwok, 2010). In Hong Kong, she is exposed to a largely Chinese culture and feels at home; thus, she has a sense of integration. Conversely, in New York, Kimberley will be thrown into a cultural pot of her own, inducing her to change or reform to live and grow (Claudarista & Murwantono, 2021). Kimberly faces major obstacles, such as prejudice and discrimination, in addition to the problems of being an immigrant in American society.
Education is the most significant gap between Kimberly’s life in Hong Kong and New York. In Hong Kong, she knows that her academic potential will be diminished because of the need for more resources and an inflexible educational system. New York poses a challenge whereby Kimberly’s intellect and determination catch the attention of her teachers, who realize her potential and offer her the opportunities to shine (Chen & Lau, 2020). Though Kimberly had to overcome numerous challenges, education became her way out to a brighter tomorrow, linking her past in Hong Kong with her ambitions in New York. The hardest but most rewarding of all the experiences Kimberly has to go through from Hong Kong to New York is the transformation that came with immigration. According to Reed-Danahay and Wulff (2023), because of Kimberly’s tribulations of poverty, cultural shock, and educational objectives, her experiences reveal the intricacy of migration and the physical strength of the human spirit.
Conclusion
The glaring disparity between Kimberley’s living in Hong Kong and the United States stresses the hardships and chances of immigration. From being poor to feeling cultural shock, her road is a journey not just of resilience but a battle for linearity as well. During Kimberly’s journey to overcome the intricacies of her foreign setting, she dares to face the challenges and ultimately ends up belonging to her new home. “Girl in Translation,” aside from telling the story of one girl, highlights the fact that humans, regardless of who they are, go through these life experiences, and hope and determination are key character traits that can move mountains.
References
Chen, S.-W. S., & Lau, S. W. (2020). Good Chinese Girls and the Model Minority: Race, Education, and Community in Girl in Translation and Front Desk. Children’s Literature in Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-020-09415-8
Claudarista, F., & Murwantono, D. (2021). American Dream Values Experienced by Chinese Immigrant in Jean Kwokâ€TMs Girl In Translation. Prosiding Konstelasi Ilmiah Mahasiswa Unissula (KIMU) Klaster Humanoira, 1(1). https://jurnal.unissula.ac.id/index.php/kimuhum/article/view/17599
Kwok, J. (2010). Girl in translation. Riverhead Books.
Reed-Danahay, D., & Wulff, H. (2023). Anthropological Approaches to Reading Migrant Writing. Taylor & Francis.
write