Cross-Cultural Experiences: A Reflection on Fish Cheeks by Amy Tan - Essay Sample

Introduction

It is quite often in contemporary society that we have multicultural encounters in our daily lives. The difference in cultural behavior amongst us may sometimes act as hindrances to effective relations, sometimes inevitably ending up in awkward and embarrassing situations due to having a different interpretation of events or practices. Eventually, we may end up with varying perceptions of other cultures and the way we take them. The story Fish Cheeks by Amy Tan is an excellent example of this case. This paper discusses what Amy Tan identifies as "being American" and challenges her opinion.

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The narrative is set in Tan's home on Christmas Eve when her parents invite a minister and his family for dinner. Tan expresses her feelings towards Robert, the minister's son, saying that she had had a crush on him the moment she turned fourteen. There is extensive use of symbolism and imagery to portray the theme of culture in the course of tracing the occurrences during that memorable Christmas get-together. Figurative language and tone, are also effectively used in the text as Tan shows conflicts that cultural differences create. However, throughout the narrative, Tan is a lot more embarrassed due to the idea of the minister's family amongst her crude family and is disturbed by what the minister's family would think of her own family's culture.

At the beginning of the article, Tan described the physique of an American. She describes them as being white as Mary in the manger, with long blond hair and having slim new noses (Amy 94). The use of Mary in the manger, a description of Mary the mother of Jesus in the Christian religion is the use of symbolism which, in this context, can be interpreted as the way Tan sees an American. Mary, in the bible, was a virgin who gave birth to the son of God and is considered pure in heart. Tan adores Americans and considers them pure with such magnificence. This depiction could be a product of her adoration of Robert, the Minister's son whom she has a crush on. On the other hand, it could be how she views all Americans as she is embarrassed by her own culture during the entire Christmas Eve dinner, where she considers her relative's behavior as inappropriate when compared to the Americans.

Amy briefly describes a typical American Christmas Eve dinner and compares it to her family's "shabby Chinese Christmas" (94). She says that the American family would expect roasted turkey and sweet potatoes but they would instead find Chinese food which, according to her is inappropriate. According to Amy, an American dinner should have these ingredients and as they were preparing dinner to host Americans, they would have made these instead of the Chinese recipes. In America, a lot of families include turkey and potatoes in Christmas dinners, and could as well be considered a tradition. Roast turkey is, however, more associated with thanksgiving in the United States, a day celebrated in Novembers every year (Anderson & Allan 257). These foods could be associated with American culture and Tan identifies it with being American.

After dinner had started, Tan describes the events in the dinner table, saying that her relatives "licked the ends of their chopsticks and reached across the table, dipping them into the dozen or so plates of food" (95). This behavior is then put in comparison to that of the minister's family who was waiting patiently for platters to be passed along to them. the Americans, in this case, are described as patient and orderly compared to the Chinese relatives. They also disapproved of the behavior displayed by the Chinese. This is shown when tan says that Robert grimaced (95).

After having the meal, Tan's father is described leaning back then belching loudly while thanking his wife for the food and her good cooking (95). The Americans are astonished by this behavior and Tan's father has to explain that belching is a polite gesture showing that one is satisfied in Chinese culture. However, this behavior makes the Americans uncomfortable as Tan explains that Robert was, during that incident, "looking down at his plate with a reddened face", obviously embarrassed (95). According to Tan, such behavior was not American and she was ashamed of it. In American culture, burping or belching is considered bad manners and is discouraged (Rodriguez, Naseem & Kim 67). However, in a bid to blend in and show appreciation for the Chinese custom, the minister attempts to do the same but only manages a small burp. This depicts the Americans as considerate and understanding.

Tan's opinion of the Americans is biased from the beginning of the narrative. She states that she has a crush on Robert, which is apparent throughout the narrative as she is always keeping track of what he is doing and his response to the incidences at the dinner table. Due to her adoration of Robert, she considered the American culture as superior and wants her relatives, especially her parents to recognize it. She judges her relatives harshly and is embarrassed by her culture. Her opinion of being American is thus meant to favor her feelings for Robert who should not represent all the Americans and their culture. This is clear as while Robert's father tries to appreciate some of the Chinese cultures, Robert is always showing displeasure. Nevertheless, some of the cultural tendencies of Americans is seen in the narrative with the thanksgiving and Christmas meals described as having roast turkey and potatoes, some of their physical appearances as white and slim noses.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Amy Tan's Fish Cheeks is a good story that describes a multicultural encounter and the resulting misinterpretations that may lead to friction between cultures, in this case, Tan's interpretation of "being American". However, it shows the importance of such events as those involved come to understand and learn more about different cultures. The narrative ends with important teaching when Tan's mother telling her to always be proud of her culture, no matter what the case. She explains it only is a shame to be ashamed of our cultures.

Works Cited

Anderson, Jay Allan. "Thanksgiving in the USA: The Meal as Medium and Message." Food and Folklore Reader (2015): 257.

Rodriguez, Noreen Naseem, and Esther June Kim. "Asian and American and Always Becoming: The (Mis) Education of Two Asian American Teacher Educators." Oregon Journal of the Social Studies (2019): 67.

Tan, Amy. "Fish Cheeks." The Brief Bedford Reader (2003): 92-95.