What can I put in the red envelopes? she asks. I think fast. I have bags of dark chocolate purchased for Valentines Day. But this? Is more important. Why? Because Chinese New Year is the one chance my children have each year to celebrate their heritage.
Soon, all three kids are clamoring for envelopes to give to friends. Who took my bag of money? one cries. Calm down. There is plenty for everyone. And yes, you can eat the leftovers.
I have spent my entire life being told I am not Chinese enough. I do not speak the language. Everything I know about the customs, I have learned from books. And yet, I am 100% ethnically Chinese. Why do I know so little about my heritage? Because my family has been in this country for over a hundred years. My children have triple college legacy. That’s right, their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents all attended Ivy League schools. Will my kids wind up there? Maybe yes, maybe no. I see my primary role as a parent is to help my children find and feed their passions. If they are on fire to learn something and dedicate endless hours to learning everything they can about it, I will do everything I can to help them pursue that path. But if something is not the right fit? Then no amount of prodding will ever make it work.
Kathy Zucker is an international social media Shorty Award winner, mother of three and a startup founder at companies including the Metro Moms Network®.
