PERSONAL LIFE HISTORY REFLECTION PAPER (PLHRP)
AGE: 20 YEARS.
Part 1.
My ten most important experiences and encounters.
1995. I was born in Shenzhen in Southern China. [10]
2006. I attended weekend classes taught by foreign teachers from Europe and America. [8]
2007. It came to my mind that I should consider going abroad for my higher education because I found the Chinese system very hard. [9]
2009. We moved to the suburbs of Philadelphia in the United States of America after my father secured a job with a multinational organization. I joined a high school in the neighborhood. [7]
2010. I experienced a hard time and bullying, both in school and in the neighborhood, as I tried getting along with classmates and other people. I felt lonely and hated. [2]
2011. I began using a common American name because my classmates and students found it hard pronouncing my first Chinese name. [6]
2012. I left my English as a second language class because I had already mastered the language, both in written and oral. [4]
2014. We visited our extended family back in China after my high school graduation. I could hardly read a book in Chinese language and vowed to study the Chinese language on my own. [3]
2015. I joined college, and I could get along with students from all parts of the world. [1]
2016. Started teaching English to Chinese children who recently moved to America over the weekend. [5]
Part 2.
My experiences after joining college have significantly changed my perception and thinking about the human existence. Unlike from my past, I was able to communicate freely and share ideas with friends and students from other countries other than the United States and China. It has shaped my views on human disparities regarding culture, language, gender, ethnic backgrounds and political affiliations. The intercultural bonding was so strong that I mostly pretended not to speak Chinese at all. During my History classes, I got fascinated by how diverse we were. Students could narrate their social and political histories, which were unique and different from my own. Although my Chinese culture is based on communism, I realized that other forms of political structures existed, and their degree of application differed from country to country. Such interactions created in me a different perception on how I should relate to people regardless of our differences. Due to differences, most of our free time in college was all about making puns and jokes, unlike when with my Chinese friends where we would engage in political and philosophy discussions.
I also learned that every ethnic group had a unique description and views about the United States and its citizens. For instance, one of my friends of African origin confessed to me that he was ready for a life whereby he could at any moment become a victim of social crimes. He could not trust any law enforcers because he thought they were mostly biased against the Americans of African origin. In my old thinking, I thought there were no Muslims in the US. But I was surprised because there were students from different religions and they all had what it took to participate in their religious activities, in and out of the college. In less than a year in my college life, I felt that I could travel in any part of the world, adopt, and free co-exist with the natives without limitations. It was an eye-opener. I can now see the world as a small world, rather than an extensive mass of land with differences and conflicting interests. Any part of the world can be my home; China is just my place of birth. My quest to learn more about other cultures intensified such that I chose to study more historical books on human origin and diversity. I began treating everyone with equal measures as brothers and sisters, taking the diversifying factors as avenues of learning new ideas.
Part 3.
Few weeks after moving to America, I almost wished going back to China. The transition was too much to bear. Contrary to my expectation of the American lifestyle, I found it horrible and unfriendly. It was not the ever joyful life I had read in books and watched in movies. I could hardly express myself in English, and therefore, the only people I could effectively communicate with were my parents. I felt hated in the way Native Americans treated me because I was not one of them, and furthermore, I could not speak English effectively. I felt rejected and at one time, asked my parents that I wished to go back to China. However, my parents were quick to reject my opinion and explained that it was a normal feeling, and I would soon get over it. My father explained that it was a transition to a cultural environment different from ours, but soon or later things would be normal. I had no friends because, even at school, things were worse. My classmates would make fun by intentionally pronouncing my first name wrong. I was lonely; I hated school. But my parents approached my teachers and discussed my situation. It became better and bearable as days passed.
Part 4.
Part 5.
I chose to major on finance for various reasons. First, my father is a financial analyst in a multinational organization. He has traveled to various countries for assignments, which made me love the profession. Traveling across the world has been my dream. Finance is universal and applicable in many industries; it is not limited to boundaries or specific to certain industries. I have had numerous interactions with diverse people. The field of finance has little challenges that arise from diversity, and it is needed by a large number of employers.
Part 6.
1) The Personal Life History Reflection Paper made realize my past regarding thinking, perceptions, and behavior on various aspects of my life and those of others. I am now able to differentiate my past from my present, and precisely see the progress and development as a person. Also, it has provided a direction on my life by comparing and contrasting my past and my present; thus, I can make the right choices in future. The paper has enabled me to understand human nature and diversity better, as well as how to use the difference for a common good. I can now understand, appreciate, and respect my uniqueness and those of others to facilitate harmony and co-existence with my fellow students in college.
2) The PLHRP has taught me about cultural and racial diversity, and how they can be used as a basis for social discrimination and unfair treatment. I learned about how ideas and opinions vary from one part of the world to the other. A better understanding and appreciation of such differences is what makes people live in peace with each other. Unless the issue of discriminations and racial profiling is keenly addressed, traveling, working, and even studying abroad would be a nightmare for many. Without the fear of discrimination, people can be more productive in foreign countries because they will be at peace and contented.
3) Having taken the PLHRP, I have learned a lot about my history and experienced its benefit. For instance, I can now relate my past to my presence. My past experiences can be attributed to my current situation, and I can use the development to define and shape my future. It is also important because it highlights past activities and their respective consequences, both positive and negative. One can, therefore, use the results of past activities to make better decisions on similar current or future contexts, thus paving a way for advancement in their lifestyles.
Bibliography
Swearer, Susan, and Shelley Hymel. "Bullying and Discrimination in Schools: Exploring Variations Across Student Subgroups." School Psychology Review 44, no. 4 (2015): 504.
