The Year of the Dragon

I hated being Chinese growing up. (Maybe not hated lol but had to hook you in somehow) I thought being Chinese was ‘weird’ and everyone always thought all other Chinese people were my cousins. (They still do ahaha). I always thought it was strange that people called my mom Mrs. Chin even though her last name is Murphy and that I was a little ugly cause I was Chinese. (lol)

I was always the ‘Chiney Man’ in my year in high school. The one who brought chopsticks to school, did martial arts (yes kung fu) and you could ask for the math homework. Around this age I kind of leaned into the other sides of me, my ‘Jamaicanness’ or ‘Whiteness’. While I still did all the things a true Mr. Chin would, I kind of didn’t let that side of me show too much.

Fast forward to University, I had a shik shak shock. Majority of people didn't even realize I was Chinese. When I told people I was Chinese-Jamaican, they were aghast. ‘Real’ Chinese people didn’t even think I had a drop of Chinese in me. “Wow, you know how to use chopsticks?”. I felt really white that day.

I had a second shik shak shock when I went for Chinese food with a few Canadians. Everyone ordered their own ‘mains’. One man just sat there and ate a whole plate of sweet and sour pork by himself. No rice, no veg, didn’t even ask if anyone wanted any. I felt really Chinese that day.

These days I know I’m not quite Chinese, not quite Jamaican, not quite Canadian. I’m just a little bit of each and such is life. I can cook steamed egg, listen to dancehall and complain about the weather simultaneously. At the end of the day, maybe we define ourselves and which cultures we want to be a part of or not. (within reason, please don’t tell me you claim Trinidadian and love jerk chicken cause your great grand uncle came from ‘the islands’)

For some reason, this Year of the Dragon feels special to me. Amendri says I’m obsessed about anything Dragon this year and she is 100% right. I feel like it’s a turning point, a certain energy is flowing and I can’t quite place it. Maybe it’s just because the commercialization is extra this year or cause I can finally get my dragon tattoo. Who knows?

If I’m honest, I don't quite know what I wanted to get out of this story. I really just felt compelled to share my experience and wish you all a great Year of the Dragon, filled with love, joy and most importantly prosperity :p

Gung hei fa choi ! 恭喜發財!

See you next week,
Max