Personal Reflection: A Journey in Progress

       Coming to St. Olaf, I knew I would major in Chinese but I never thought one day I would choose Asian Studies as well. Growing up in Vietnam, I was not really interested in social science and with a great emphasis on natural sciences stemming from both culture and family, majoring in Asian Studies was an unexpected path. This journey started out because I wanted to explore my Vietnamese identity relative to other Asian cultures and ways to utilize my Asian knowledge for real-life applications. In addition, professors in the Asian department also played a key role in keeping my journey going strong because they continually pushed my language and critical thinking skills which further motivated me to create new projects.

       Although I never considered majoring in Asian Studies, my class choices showed otherwise. In Fall of 2022, my first Asian Studies class was Second Language Learning/ Asian Context with Professor Zhou, and in this class, I learned of the pedagogy of teaching second language and the process of understanding and comprehending the second language in language learners. I signed up for this class because I was interested in foreign languages, particularly East Asian languages, and as a language learner myself, I wanted to grasp the theory and concept behind the complex process of learning new languages. From this class, I learned that depending on one’s first language and cultural background, their second language acquisition varied quite a bit, so as a teacher, one should find various methods of teaching to account for students’ differences and as a learner, one should not compare themselves with other students but instead find a learning method best suited for them. This core idea helped me tremendously when I learn Chinese but more importantly shaped my attitude and teaching style when I am holding my Chinese tutoring sessions. This job not only introduced me to many new students, it also helped me practice and relearned many Chinese words and sentence structures that I had long forgotten about. 

       In my second year, I took a course on Buddhism with Professor Yun and I could say it was one of my favorite classes throughout my time at St. Olaf. Growing up in Vietnam, I had some exposure to Buddhism but it was only on the surface level, so it was a great opportunity for me to formally learn about the religion. I enjoyed studying the concept of the Middle Way, suchness, and interconnectedness because to me, they are all universal truths that anyone anywhere can practice to become a better person. The course helped me better understand the formation of three Buddhist branches and the significance each branch had on Asian countries. Every lecture and reading challenged my preconceived ideas of the world so it was a good exercise of practicing letting go of my own attachments. (I took the lesson of “letting go” to heart so maybe that’s why I’m never stressed about anything…). As a Vietnamese, I often saw the lack of Vietnamese-related materials in my courses, so I was happy when Professor Yun talked about Thich Nhat Hanh and his famous quotes in class. For my final research paper, I focused on the movement of Engaged Buddhism started by Thich Nhat Hanh and its positive effects if implemented in the prison system. I remembered writing the paper nonstop on the fifth floor of the library because I was able to make many connections between my sources and the real-life implications Engaged Buddhism has on the prison system. This project reinforced my growing interest in bridging the gap between Buddhist teachings, which are often hard to grasp and appear theoretical, and their practicality in society. 

       Another memorable final project I created was for What is a Hero? with Professor Wong, in which I used Vincenzo, an anti-hero K-drama character, to analyze his heroic traits using existing hero frameworks. It was a challenging yet fun and creative project because I used Canvas to design my research project instead of writing a traditional paper, so I constantly pushed my artistic skills and Asian Studies knowledge throughout this project. This project was special to me because I got to connect my favorite Korean drama to my academic course, incorporating Korea’s cultural figure, Hong Gil-dong, into my analysis of Vincenzo and making reference to the social significance of big conglomerates such as Samsung in contemporary Korean society.

       Furthermore, last semester, I also had the opportunity to reflect on my Vietnamese identity through my final paper in Food & Language in Chinese Society with Professor Zhou, where I compared and contrasted the culinary differences between northern and southern China and Vietnam. This essay was an informative piece written in Chinese that pushed me to incorporate advanced vocabulary and sentence structures to achieve a more formal essay. In this essay, I explained the geographical and cultural reasons that give distinctive characteristics to the dishes in northern and southern China and then used the same argument to Vietnamese food.     Drawing on my country’s history, geography and personal experiences, I examined both internal regional food differences within Vietnam and broader comparisons between Chinese and Vietnamese cuisines. The project not only deepened my understanding of my Vietnamese identity and its connection to a broader Asian context but also demonstrated the use of Chinese language to analyze and communicate my Asian cultural knowledge effectively.

       Building on this ability to connect my language and cultural understanding, I began to see how these skills could extend beyond the classrooms into real-world implications. Although I did not have the opportunity to study abroad, early this year in January, I was able to travel to Taiwan for five days with my family. The tour took us all over Taiwan from Kaohsiung, Tainan to Taipei, visiting famous sites, Buddhist temples and scenery spots. It was a wonderful experience to be in a Chinese speaking environment where I could apply my Chinese skills to read and understand all the signs around me. On one particular occasion, while I was visiting Fo Guang Shan Buddha museum, a staff member approached my group to ask in Chinese if we would like to attend a mediation session and I was able to use Chinese to tell them that we are short on time and need to go soon. The encounter was short but it definitely made me feel more accomplished and proud about my decision to learn Chinese and Asian Studies. Not only did I practice my Chinese language at the museum, I also got to experience the teachings of Mahayana Buddhism in real life. This particular trip to the museum made me reflect on the interdisciplinary aspect between Chinese and Asian Studies majors which further motivated me to explore different ways to combine both majors in my daily life.