Made in China” by Ellie Mandel is a narrative explaining why the author feels that she is denied an “American” identity. Mandel is a Chinese adoptee living in Louisiana, where the Asian demographic is very small. She describes how white people often ask her where she’s from, and more specifically, where her ancestors are from. She mentions how their interest increases when they realize that her adoptive parents are white. I get it. I am not adopted, but I am a first generation Chinese American from New York City. I have had my fair share of prejudice. It’s tough, being surrounded by people that don’t look like you. It’s even harder when they’re white and you are a person of color. 

But what I don’t get is why Mandel still does not seem proud of her Asian heritage. She writes, “I request for people to go beyond my bright, golden skin – to look into my beautiful slanted eyes and explore my individuality rather than my appearance and my origin.” It seems to me that Mandel would rather blend in with her white peers instead of accepting what makes her unique. Instead of responding coolly to people who inquire her about her roots, she should take the opportunity to share her story because it is a meaningful one. The non-Asian people that ask her where she’s from are just curious. If they didn’t care, they simply would not ask. Mandel has grown up immersed in Western culture – but she should not forget her history.