| Eyes of Asia |
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By Jenny Tang Mississauga, Ontario My name is Jenny Tang, I am currently sixteen years of age and residing in Canada. I attend Streetsville Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario. I haven’t always lived in Canada; in fact, I was born in China. My parents and I immigrated to Canada when I was seven, searching for a better life and better opportunities. Being a Chinese-Canadian citizen has pushed my family and I to better ourselves as people; obstacles that we have faced taught us life-long lessons. This is me, and my life so far as a Chinese-Canadian citizen. My family and friends are my inspirations. My family has always pushed me to do all the things they believe in. Although it’s hard sometimes to meet their expectations and standards, over the years, I have begun to appreciate their input and pressure. As a Chinese family, they have strongly implemented in me the values of learning and education. They believe that education is the key to success in life. In turn, I believe those morals as well, which helps me to strive for the best and work hard for my academic grades. My friends inspire me in a very different way; they are supportive and positive. They’ve inspired me to be the best I can be and to be an individual. They have helped me overcome personal obstacles and academic troubles. My friends are amazing people. Many of them have achieved something great in their life early on; therefore this encourages me that I can do the same. Over the years, I have developed a strong passion for volunteering and doing community services. It is my personal goal to make our community, Mississauga, a better place to live in. For the past three years, I have volunteered in many different ways gaining experiences and skills I never would have thought I could. I actively participate, and am now a proud Board member of the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Committee (MYAC). This committee dedicates itself to giving youths opportunities to volunteer and get involved with the city. We promote volunteerism, advocacy and initiative in our committee, and are also proud to have celebrated our 25th Anniversary this past year. MYAC has been the best extra-curricular activity that I have participated in, and in the future, as a representative from MYAC, I hope youths will take a much more active participation in making Mississauga a better place to live. The future is bright, and I intend to seize every chance that I can. I’m proud to represent the Chinese-Canadian heritage as we have established ourselves in Canada as an ever-growing community. My family, like many other Chinese families, immigrated to Canada to build a pathway of opportunities for us. Now, it is our job to dust off our shoes and walk on that pathway to success! Background InformationMy name is Jenny Tang and I am currently 16 years of age. I attend Streetsville Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. This is now my 10th year of living in Canada. On my free time I play the piano, I am a part of M.Y.A.C., a youth leadership group, and am a proud member of my school’s DECA team. One of my hobbies include cheerleading, it is a sport which I enjoy doing and keeps me in great physical shape. My family and I try to be traditional, meaning we keep up with Chinese New Years and many other customs that our culture has. My friends are also an important part of my life and are an inspiration to me. “Eyes of Asia” is basically about my experiences in Canada and how I feel about being a Chinese immigrant. In my opinion, there is nothing more sincere and expressive about the Chinese-Canadian culture as retelling your experiences. More than often, immigrants overlook the past and don’t take the time to indulge in the experience of living in Canada, which I think is a real shame because only then, you can truly appreciate all the opportunities that have been offered to you. Writing this piece gave me the time to reflect back on my experience and gave me the chance to appreciate what my parents have done for me, and what I can now contribute back to them, and my community. |
