TED英语演讲：我不是你们心目中的那个亚裔形象

Word文档TED英语演讲：我不是你们心目中的那个亚裔形象华裔姑娘CanwenXu来自中国南京，2岁时随父母移民到美国，目前在纽约哥伦比亚高校读书。她前阵子，她的TED演讲视频在社交媒体上引发热议。演讲中，她谈到作为一个少数族裔在美国面临的身份和种族问题。在最初失去自我以后，CanwenXu学会了反思自己的亚裔身份，慢慢褪去了当年的惶恐与担心，为自己的身份感到傲慢。下面是我为大家收集关于TED英语演讲：我不是你们心目中的那个亚裔形象，欢迎借鉴参考。

我不是你们心目中的那个亚裔形象

MynameisCanwen,andIplayboththepianoandtheviolin.

Iaspiretosomedaybeadoctor,andmyfavoritesubjectiscalculus.

Mymomanddadaretigerparents,whowontletmegotosleepovers,buttheymakeupforitbyservingmyfavoritemealeverysingleday.

Rice.

AndImareallybaddriver.Somyquestionforyounowis,HowlongdidittakeyoutofigureoutIwasjoking?

Asyouveprobablyguessed,todayIamgoingtotalkaboutraceandIllstartoffbysharingwithyoumystoryofgrowingupAsian-American.

ImovedtotheUnitedStateswhenIwastwoyearsold,soalmostmyentirelifehasbeenablendoftwocultures.

Ieatpastawithchopsticks.Imaddictedtoorangechicken,andmychildhoodherowasYaoMing.

ButhavinggrownupinNorthDakota,SouthDakota,andIdaho,allstateswithincrediblelittleracialdiversity,itwasdifficulttoreconcile

myso-calledexoticChineseheritagewithmymainstreamAmericanself.

UsedtobeingtheonlyAsianintheroom,Iwasself-consciousatthefirstthingpeoplenoticedaboutmewas,thatIwasntwhite.

AndasachildIquicklybegantorealizethatIhadtwooptionsinfrontofme.

Conformedtothestereotypethatwasexpectedofme,orconformedtothewhitenessthatsurroundedme.

Therewasnoinbetween.Forme,thismeantthatIalwaysfeltself-consciousaboutbeinggoodatmaths,becausepeoplewouldjustsayitwasbecauseIwasAsian,notbecauseIactuallyworkedhard.

Itmeantthatwheneveraboyaskedmeout,itwasbecausehehadtheyellowfever,andnotbecauseheactuallylikedme.

Itmeantthatforthelongesttime，myidentityhadformedaroundthefactthatIwasdifferent.

AndIthoughtthatbeingAsianwastheonlyspecialthingaboutme.

TheseeffectswereemphasizedbytheplaceswhereIlived.

Dontgetmewrong.Onlyasmallpercentageofpeoplewereactuallyracist,or,evenborderlineracist,butthevastmajoritywere

justalittlebitclueless.

Now,Iknowyouareprobablythinking,Whatsthedifference?

Well,hereisanexample.Notracistcansoundlike,Imwhiteandyourenot.

Racistcansoundlike,Imwhite,yourenot,andthatmakesmebetterthanyou.

Butcluelesssoundslike,Imwhite,yourenot,andIdontknowhowtodealwiththat.

Now,Idontdoubtforasecondthatthesecluelesspeoplearestillniceindividualswithgreatintentions.

Buttheydoasksomequestionsthatbecomeprettyannoyingafterawhile.

Hereareafewexamples.YoureChinese,ohmygoodness,

IhaveaChinesefriend,doyouknowhim?

No.

Idontknowhim.

Becausecontrarytoyourunrealisticexpectations,Idonotknoweverysingleoneofthe1.35billionChinesepeoplewholiveonPlanetEarth.

Peoplealsotendtoask,Wheredoesyournamecomefrom?,andIreallydontknowhowtoanswerthat,soIusuallystickwiththetruth.

Myparentsgaveittome.Wheredoesyournamecomefrom?

DontevengetmestartedonhowmanytimespeoplehaveconfusedmewithadifferentAsianperson.

Onetimesomeonecameuptomeandsaid,Angie,Iloveyourartwork!AndIwassuperconfused,soIjustthankedthemandwalkedaway.

But,outofallthequestionsmyfavoriteoneisstilltheclassic,Whereareyoufrom?,becauseIvelivedinquiteafewplaces,sothisishowtheconversationusuallygoes.

Whereareyoufrom?Oh,IamfromBoise,Idaho.Isee,butwhereareyoureallyfrom?Imean,IlivedinSouthDakotaforawhile.

Okay,whataboutbeforethat?

Imean,IlivedinNorthDakota.

Okay,Imjustgoingtocutstraighttothechasehere,IguesswhatImsayingis,haveyoueverlivedanywherefarawayfromhere,wherepeopletalkalittledifferently?

Oh,Iknowwhereyoutalkingabout,yesIhave,IusedtoliveinTexas.

Bythen,theyusuallyhavejustgivenupandwondertothemselveswhyImnotoneofthecoolAsianslikeJeremyLinorJackieChan,ortheyskiptheneedlessbanterandgostraightforthe,Whereisyourfamilyfrom?

So,justanFYIforallofyououtthere,thatisthesafeststrategy.

But,asamusingastheseinteractionswere,oftentimestheymademewanttorejectmyownculture,becauseIthoughtithelpedmeconform.

IdistancedmyselffromtheAsianstereotypeasmuchaspossible,

bydegradingmyownrace,andpretendingIhatedmath.

Andtheworsepartwas,itworked.ThemoreIrejectedmyChineseidentity,themorepopularIbecame.

Mypeerslikedmemore,becauseIwasmoresimilartothem.

Ibecamemoreconfident,becauseIknewIwasmoresimilartothem.

ButasIbecamemoreAmericanized,Ialsobegantolosebitsandpiecesofmyself,partsofmethatIcannevergetback,andnomatterhowmuchItriedtopretendthatIwasthesameasmyAmericanclassmates,Iwasnt.

BecauseforpeoplewhohavelivedintheplaceswhereIlived,

whiteisthenorm,andforme,whitebecamethenormtoo.

Formyfourteenthbirthday,IreceivedthevideogameTheSims3,whichletsyoucreateyourowncharactersandcontroltheirlives.

Myfourteen-year-oldselfcreatedtheperfectlittlemainstreamfamily,completewithahugemansionandanenormousswimmingpool.

Ibinge-playedthegameforaboutthreemonths,thenputitawayandneverreallythoughtaboutitagain,untilafewweeksago,whenIcametoasuddenrealization.

Thefamily,thatIhadcustom-designed,waswhite.ThecharacterthatIhaddesignedformyself,waswhite.EveryoneIhaddesignedwaswhite.

Andtheworstpartwas,thiswasbynomeansaconsciousdecisionthatIhadmade.

NeveroncedidIthinktomyselfthatIcouldactuallymakethecharacterslooklikeme.

Withouteventhinking,whitehadbecomemynormtoo.

Thetruthis,AsianAmericansplayastrangeroleintheAmericanmeltingpot.

Wearethemodelminority.Societyusesoursuccesstopitusagainstotherpeopleofcolorasjustificationthatracismdoesntexist.

Butwasdoesthatmeanforus,AsianAmericans?

Itmeansthatwearenotquitesimilarenoughtobeaccepted,butwearentdifferentenoughtobeloathed.

Weareinaperpetuallygreyzone,andsocietyisntquitesure

whattodowithus.Sotheygroupusbythecolorofourskin.

Theytellusthatwemustrejectourownheritages,sowecanfitinwiththecrowd.Theytellusthatourforeignnessistheonlyidentifyingcharacteristicofus.

Theystripawayouridentitiesonebyone,untilweareforeign,

butnotquiteforeign,AmericanbutnotquiteAmerican,individual,butonlywhentherearenootherpeoplefromournativecountryaround.

IwishthatIhadalwayshadthecouragetospeakoutabouttheseissues.

Butcomingfromoneculturethatavoidsconfrontation,andanotherthatisdividedoverrace,howdoIovercomethepressuretokeepthepeace,whilealsostayingtruetowhoIam?

AndasmuchasIhatetoadmitit,oftentimesIdontspeakout,because,ifIdo,itsatthetheriskofbeingtoldthatIamtoosensitive,orthatIgetoffendedtooeasily,orthatitsjustnotworthit.

ButIwouldpoint,arepeoplewillingtoadmitthat?

Yes,raceissuesarecontroversial.

Butthatspreciselyther