Fitting in? I'm Japanese-American, growing up I never felt like I belonged either. I never thought of myself as fully Japanese because I didn't have all the same beliefs and traditions as other Japanese. Nor did I feel completely American because I don't fully believe in all American beliefs. I saw myself relating more to Japanese culture because it taught me to be more respectful towards my elders and other people in the community. Growing up I had to assimilate into the prevailing culture because people made fun of me for having unusual views compared to them. It was hard for me growing up; I was trying to identify as a Japanese boy or as an American boy while at school and at home. At school I had to be a normal American kid, while at home I had to be a Japanese kid. I felt like two different people. This also led me to have awkward relationships with other kids my age, especially girls. I would ask my parents if it was okay for me to date, their response was "as long as they're some kind of Asian, then it's okay." Today my parents don't believe that saying, they just want to see me in a good mood, but growing up it was difficult for me to find a girl I liked and who fit my family standards. I was always in love with another race other than my own and my parents weren't very keen on the choices I made when it came to girls when I was a teenager. Growing up was never easy for me; I guess it's never easy for anyone. I think it's certainly harder for anyone of mixed races to try to figure out which one fits in best. Growing up in a Japanese family, there were many differences between my family and everyone's families... middle of paper... skeptical of dating other races; but it doesn't matter because I'm an adult and I make my own decisions. It's hard to believe that my parents would impose social barriers on their children. In conclusion, growing up with an ethnic background was quite difficult; I wasn't ridiculed for looking different or doing things differently. There was when I had to assimilate to be accepted in a new city because I didn't want to be known as a nerd if I played with Asian kids instead when I was in school I adapted and changed my beliefs and played with white kids feel accepted. But the hardest part wasn't the social atmosphere that was created when it came to my parents. My parents put up these social barriers to not allow me to expand outside of my own race. As I grew up I broke their chain and started exploring different friends and started dating people of other races.