Реферат: Soul Searching Essay Research Paper In the
lived in a terrible neighborhood where there were “drunk men and
prostitutes near corners”, “the fragrant smell of piss and jasmine rice
wafting from windows”, and “a medley of languages: Vietnamese, Chinese,
Cambodian, English, Black English, Laotian”(Quan 216). Kit went into the
situation thinking that she would be able to connect to her culture
through knowing a common language. Somewhat to her surprise, the
connection to her culture did not come through language, but through
observing the experiences of childhood that these two girls were
immersed in. Kit states that “whether they were living in a refuge camp
in the Philippines or in Thailand or in some one-room apartment on Eddy
Street, they were connected to each other through their language and
their culture”(Quan 217). It was not so much Kit’s own interaction with
the girls that allowed her to realize where should would find herself,
but her observation of the girls and their interaction with their native
language and society.
Kit’s experience with Yan and Eng compelled her to learn more
about her native culture, rather than solely try to fit into the
American culture. Kit’s attempt to conform to the American standards and
culture was precisely the mistake she had made with the feminists. Kit
Yuen Quan’s time spent with the Cambodian girls allowed her to see how
important being in touch with her Chinese background is. Not only did
this cause Kit to learn to speak Chinese, but this catharsis also helped
her realize that being in touch with her culture also means reconnecting
with her family. In making this realization, Kit decides to reconnect
with her father, and she says that “speaking Chinese with my father is
the closest I have felt to coming home”(Quan 219). Although being home
was originally something that was uncomfortable for Kit, it is the same
home that she returns to in order to receive that comfort that she has
been missing in all other aspects of her life since the age of sixteen.