I am Mark Li, but I am also 李润麒; so who I introduce myself as when I meet someone for the first time? Usually, Mark is what I say. Growing up in the United States among diverse communities, it is not a surprise to me nor my family that my first tendency is to identify as American. Until a few years ago, I had always thought that when people looked at me, they would see the same American identity I saw in myself. This belief shattered as we weathered the COVID-9 pandemic, when anti-Asian sentiment invaded my community, my school, and eventually my self-identity. The negative feelings became apparent once my very own friends began to look at me whenever “China” was spoken in our conversations. That made me feel extremely uncomfortable––exiled. Yet, this experience has become overwhelmingly positive for me. Over the years, I’ve become more exposed to my Chinese heritage whether it was through Chinese school or my family’s traditions. Amid the challenging times of the pandemic, I felt empowered to claim both of my identities, understanding what it meant to be Chinese-American. My identity is rooted in personal ties to both countries, connections which are unconditional and unbreakable.
I have also come to understand the solemn responsibilities which come with my identity, compelling me to greater curiosity about my community’s challenges and action in service of it. As is the case with every ethnic group in the United States, within the Chinese-American community there are countless diverse opinions; how everyone feels about their motherland varies. As different as we all may be, as deep as we all are into our individual endeavors, one thing us Chinese-Americans all have in common is that we are the group of people whose daily lives are most impacted by U.S. and China relations; it is a lesson everyone has learned during the pandemic, either the hard way or an easier way. As a Chinese American student with many more years ahead of me in school and life, I dearly hope that the United States and China maintain and reach new levels of harmony and diplomacy; we cannot afford the consequences of hostile U.S. and China relations, nor can most people living in any part of the world especially in these two countries. It isn’t just my future on the line, it is the futures of over 5 million people. This realization has urged me to become more aware, to educate myself on how the U.S. and China are getting along, whether it is in politics, business, science, or any other topic of debate that involves agreement and disagreement. In this current state of the world, I believe the U.S. and China have the most complicated yet important relationship by far; it isn’t just country to country, what happens is globally influential. The actions and interactions between these two superpowers affect so many other countries and how their people live their lives. That is a fact. But what can those people do to better control their future? What can I do for my Chinese American community to prove our significance, to make our living environments more secure and inclusive for all of us?
At the height of the COVID-9 pandemic, I became a student founder of the Howard County AAPI Youth Ambassadors Program. It was during a crisis when the Chinese American community needed the most they could get from their youth; and so through years of community service and hard work, I became a key component of how we would establish a platform in our community where the rest of society could become more familiar with Chinese culture; my culture. One thing that I have learned growing up from a 3 year old to a 6 year old is that mutual familiarity fosters understanding, which more often than not leads to acceptance. And that has remained true through the negative experiences I have had as a student advocate as well. Without an understanding between people who live in one large community, there will inevitably be prejudice and ignorance; it is all about what we do to proactively rid our environments of those things. As a Chinese-American, I find myself able to do things to take part in and boost cultural exchange between the United States and China. Take this year’s Chinese Cultural Festival held in Washington D.C. as an example. Under the blazing sun and along with others, student leaders, adult leaders, the community came together to participate in a day’s worth of cultural celebration. As one of the student leaders, I engaged with everyone that I could, particularly those not of Chinese or Asian heritage; their enthusiasm not only fascinated me, but it gave me hope for the next generation, myself, and our future. Those hours were a symbol of cooperation; a symbol of attention; but most importantly a symbol of ambition. That day has become a snapshot of what advocacy looks like among the many others in an album we call unification for the world to see. Even though we only had so many hours to come together that day, back in the small communities, the tireless efforts are continuing to bridge the gaps we find ourselves separated by. If the United States and China make their working together the utmost priority in their relationship, the entire world will benefit from it.
Headlines will try to control the narrative on US-China relations, but at the end of the day the core of all US-China relations are the people who are a part of the grassroots efforts within our small communities; they are the true heroes. The grassroots efforts are what serve as the foundation to fostering harmony between the United States and China and open up new doors for exploration among these two countries and more. I have to admit, as a 0th grader I am truly optimistic for what the future holds––in today’s world, I believe there is no identity which bears the responsibility to strive and to serve more than Chinese-Americans, and I will continue to be a part of the efforts in achieving a positive US-China relationship within my expanding community. In the long run it is the people in our communities, large or small, who facilitate the future of our countries; if we continue to be proactive in establishing mutual understanding and even appreciation for each other's cultures, the future of US-China relations will be bright. I am proud to be a part of the shaping of our future as a Chinese-American.
