Benjamin King

March 24, 2014

Cultural Semester Project MUSC 1040

CHINESE POP-CULTURE
I was given the opportunity to interview a close friend of mine that is from China, her name is Chi Tang. She normally goes by Gigi by her family and friends. I chose to interview her as she was originally from China and Vietnam. She was raised in that culture and comes from a very diversified background. Her cultural background involves a lot of traditional Chinese customs, as her mother mainly only speaks Cantonese, Mandarin, and some Vietnamese. Gigi is also fluent in Chinese, both Cantonese and Mandarin. She was born and raised in Vietnam. This country has a traditional Chinese culture, as there are lot of Chinese populations in Vietnam. These populations migrated away from China to get away from war and government. Gigi came to the US when she was younger and was brought over with her mother. She was 11 years and 10 months old. She was excited and curious as to what to expect when moving to a place shes never been to before. It also made her scared not knowing how the change would turn out. She was sad about having to leave Vietnam, but not upset. She remembers feeling a lot of pressure from her grandparents wanting her to go and live a fulfilling life. They wanted the best for their family and felt like this would be a great opportunity for Gigi and her mother. The life quality wasnt the best in Vietnam, so they felt this would be a great new beginning for them. Some of the background of Gigis culture involved the way they eat. When eating dinner, breakfast or lunch, you are supposed to address everybody older than you before actually eating. If you are the youngest, you will be the last to start eating. To address them, you will say the role of each family member such as stating, Grandmother, Mother, Father, Brother. You dont say

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March 24, 2014

anyone younger than you, just older. This is a sign of respect for your elders and is very traditional. When you are visiting someones home, you will still have to address those that are older than you, as well as the homeowners. You will have to formally greet yourself to the parents. If you dont follow these rules, you will be considered rude and a disrespectful person. If your parents later found out you didnt follow the respectful rules, you could be punished. Any action you make is very serious and always has some sort of consequence. The traditional Chinese way of life, in theory, advocates the harmony and order among the individual, the family and society. The best way to accomplish this ideal is to cultivate ones mind. The culture of the Chinese people, as shown in the conduct of their daily lives, closely adheres to the precepts of Taoism. Taoism is inclined to simplicity in all things. Peoples thoughts and feelings conform to each season as they become one with nature, acting in harmony with everything on earth, and valuing human relationships. (Cultural China) Gigi wanted to discuss family issues relating to her life and music. When she was very little, her grandparents would take care of her while her mother would go out and work. Her mother would work for the family as the grandparents were retired. She would work full time at a local restaurant in their city. This was how her family functioned every day. There was only Gigi, her mother, grandmother, and grandfather in her family. When Gigi was young, her grandfather used to work, but eventually lost his job and was too old later on. He ended up dying when Gigi was only 7 years old. Gigis family members all had their own roles. Her grandmother would go to the market every day to buy fresh food to cook for the family. Gigi would stay home with her grandfather while her grandmother was at the market and her mother was working. When her grandmother would

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March 24, 2014

return home from the market, she would cook, do the dishes, clean, do laundry and take care of Gigi. Gigi remembers feeling spoiled and always getting her way when she wanted something. Gigis family was one that was very similar to other families in Vietnam when it came to their customs and traditions. They spoke more than one language such as, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Vietnamese. Her family would eat Dim sum (breakfast), Lunch, Dinner, and another very small meal before bed. Gigi didnt remember the name of this meal, but after further research, we found it is called Xiaochi. (Wikipedia). Gigi let me know this small meal is one where you would usually purchase from street markets and consisted of only small portions of different kinds of food. Gigis family also participated in the Chinese musical community in Vietnam. Her mother would sing Chinese Opera at the restaurant she worked at. On some nights at the restaurant she would also play an instrument with a lot of strings. Gigi couldnt recall the name of the instrument, but she related it to a Harp/Piano. After researching online, we found that it is called a Guzheng. (Wikipedia) Gigi remembers her mother taking her some nights to the restaurant while she performed her Chinese Opera. Because of having to listen to it so often, Gigi later decided she didnt like Opera. Food is a very important thing in Asian countries. Gigis grandfather was once a manager over a restaurant and would promote Chinese music within the restaurant for the customers. When Gigis grandmother was much younger, she used to work at a night club. This also involved the traditional Chinese music within the club.

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March 24, 2014

It was a common thing during times of war for Asian families to be separated from one another. Gigis mother was adopted by her grandparents as she was once an abandoned baby. She doesnt know if she is truly Chinese or Vietnamese. One of the most influential wars in Asia, was World War II. Many families were separated during times of confusion and other issues during the war. Gigis grandmother became lost and completely separated from her parents when she was only 5 years old. She ended up not having anything and not knowing who she was or when her birthday was. She told Gigi that she remembered having a nanny and that her actual parents were very wealthy. She lived her life without a birth certificate, or any governmental paperwork. Gigis grandmother ended up dying at an old age in 2007 while still living in Vietnam. Gigi said that a lot changed when she and her mother decided to come to the U.S. Her grandparents decided to stay in Vietnam and didnt feel the need to move to another country. Her mother only speaks Cantonese, Mandarin, and Vietnamese, but not English. Gigi usually is the one to help her mother with translating for her, and helping her fill out important documents. As previously mentioned, Gigis mother used to work as a Chinese Opera singer at a local restaurant in Vietnam. Today she works as a waitress in Salt Lake City and continues to keep her traditional Chinese music alive within her family. Gigi feels that her and her mother had a lot of maturing and growing up to do when coming to the states. When she first made it here, she felt like an outcast and didnt open up as much as she had hoped she would. She still feels like she has a lot of learning to do about the U.S. culture and the music that is part of our culture. Gigi is always excited to talk about her culture and

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March 24, 2014

incorporate it into her daily life. Its a very important thing to her and she feels like she can keep it going through her family. Gigis taste in music is mainly Chinese pop. A lot of modern day Chinese pop includes U.S. influences and the use of English in the songs themselves. This has made Gigi feel she can include her traditional way of living while being in the U.S. Some of her favorite Chinese artists are as follows: Jolin Tsai, Raymond Lam, Show Lo, and Joey Yung. The last artist mentioned is the one Gigi and I chose to include on this paper. The song is called, See Me Fly. Below is a link for the song from YouTube as well as a separate link that includes the lyrics. This is one of Gigis favorite songs. The lyrics are in Chinese and also English. Gigi feels this song suits her because she has made it to the U.S. and is making something of herself. The lyrics talk about being lifted up by a loved one so they can be successful and happy. Im so thankful to know Gigi and to have her as a friend. She has definitely come a long way while growing up in the U.S. and is a very influential person. Her music and style is a positive one and she knows how to be a very personable individual. Ive been able to learn a lot about her culture and the music she listens to. I enjoy it myself and will continue to learn about such an amazing culture. YouTube Music Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhL_lRzobYs English lyrics: http://m.metrolyrics.com/see-me-fly-english-version-lyrics-joey-yung.html

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March 24, 2014

1 BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cultural China. 2007-2010. 20 March 2014. <http://www.culturalchina.com/chinaWH/features/chinaoverview/TraditionalLifestyle.html >. Wikipedia. 17 February 2014. 22 March 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiaochi>. Wikipedia. March 2014. 25 March 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guzheng>.

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March 24, 2014