For my 19th birthday, I decided to take a trip to New York City in an attempt to manifest a life for myself. During my time there, I visited Chinatown with two of my friends, the goal was to eat our way through street food and take in every ounce of culture we could.
The first thing that I realized as we embarked on this venture was that I haven’t had a well-cooked meal in a while. Food is an integral part of my Chinese culture and to be able to eat the foods that I grew up on and took for granted reminded me of how important food is. The second thing I realized was that I am a lot more “white-washed” than I thought. I have many moments that have humbled me and within those is walking up to a Cheung Fun cart and realizing I cannot order because I cannot read the writing.
It’s funny how when I was younger I shoved down the Asian side of me in an attempt to try and make myself appear “normal”. If there is one regret I ever have, it’s that I suppressed a part of me that I love now and am struggling to reconnect with.
However, that doesn’t take away from the beauty that is Chinatown with its lively color and sound. One day I will return and I will try some Cheung Fun.
Photos taken on iPhone 12 Pro | Edited in Adobe Lightroom
February 25, 2022