America is the home of the free, the land of opportunities. Immigrants from all over the world traveled to America with hopes of beginning new lives, starting fresh, and creating a better future for themselves and their family. But an American life is not always as bright as it is thought out to be. “My American life has been such a disappointment” (Kingston, 45). For my final English project, I created two diaries, one from the perspective of a male Chinese immigrant and another from the perspective of his American-born daughter, to show how traditional families are affected by immigration. I based the diary entries on my relatives' experiences of living in Hawaii with immigrant parents and family stories of how my ancestors first immigrated to Hawaii. My ancestors faced situations and problems similar to those encountered by Kingston's family while living in America.

As a Chinese immigrant, to be transitioning into a new society, such as America, with different customs and different values from those in China can prove to be quite a challenge in some cases. In “A Song for a Barbarian Reed Pipe”, stories are shared about how Kingston's values conflicted with her new American values. Brave Orchid once told Kingston that ‘a ready tongue is evil’ (Kingston, 164). Chinese believed that a person should be humble and not talk unless spoken to. However, in America, people were encouraged to speak. Brave Orchid and Kingston had to learn to use their voice while living in America because the only way to move up in their new society was to speak up. Still there was a culture block between the Chinese and Americans living in the US because in a diverse culture society like America it's tough to understand what is considered respectful or disrespectful. Many of Kingston's actions were misinterpreted during her American childhood because some were based on her tradition Chinese beliefs and values. "I remember telling the Hawaiian teacher, ‘We Chinese can’t sing- land where our fathers died.’ She argued with me about politics, while I meant because of curses” (Kingston, 166) "I drank out of a toy saucer when the water spilled out of the cup, and everybody laughed, pointing at me, so I did it some more. I didn't know that Americans don’t drink out of saucers."

In "Shaman", Brave Orchid referred to those who were not of Chinese nationality, "ghosts" because she felt like an outcast in the American society. And even though Maxine was more exposed to the American society than the Chinese society, she also felt like outsider while growing up in her childhood. At times they also felt isolated from society and frightened by the regular Americans. "But America has been full of machines and ghosts- Taxi Ghosts, Bus Ghosts, Police Ghosts, Meter Reader Ghosts… the world was so thick with ghosts I could hardly breathe, I could hardly walk, limping my way around the White Ghosts and their cats." (Kingston, 97)

Brave Orchid had to adapt to the ways of an American life and build a strong spirit in order to survive in the society. In America, immigrants, both men and women, had to obtain jobs in order to provide for themselves and their family. When Brave Orchid came to America she had no choice but to change her accustomed life of luxury while living in China where she did not have to use muscles to an American job-working life. "This is a terrible ghost country, where a human being works her life away…. I have not stopped working since the day the ship landed." (Brave Orchid, 104) "I have worked too much. Human beings don't work like this in China. Time goes slower there. Here we have to hurry, feed the hungry children before we're too old to work. "(Brave Orchid, 105. There was one section in "Shaman" where Brave Orchid reflects on how her family was affected by living in America:

"I know how the Chinese talk about us. ' They're so poor,' they say, 'they can't afford to fatten up any of their daughters.' 'Years in America,' they say. 'and they don't eat.' Oh, the shame of it-a whole family of skinny children. And your father- he's so skinny, he's disappearing." (Brave Orchid, 101)
"Don't worry about him, Mama. Doctors are saying that skinny people live longer."(Kingston, 101)

In Chinese culture, someone's wealth could be measure by his or her physical appearance such as weight. A person was considered sickly and poor if they weren’t ‘fat’ enough. Though in America culture, it is considered 'unhealthy' to have extra weight. After living and working in America for a long period of time, Brave Orchid and her family have started to adjust to an American lifestyle, but at the same time moving away from their Chinese ways and beliefs. "She recently took to wearing shawls and granny glasses, American fashions." (Kingston, 100) “She dyed her hair so that the farmers would hire her.” (Kingston, 103)

Immigration is a hard and grueling experience. Chinese immigrants, like Brave Orchid and my immigrant ancestors, had to build strong spirits because they had to rely on themselves to build a strong foundation for their future in America. But over family generations, immigrant descendants start to move mainstream because it becomes harder for them to hold onto their tradition culture values when they are being exposed to a society with different customs. Brave Orchid was able to hold onto her traditional values while living in America because she grew up in China surrounded by these values. But Kingston faced many incidences where she was stuck between her traditional family values and her new American values. Immigration forces families, like Kingston’s and mine, between two different cultures; America’s and their own.