Personal Ethnography

During my first month in graduate school at Harvard, I attended an afternoon tea service at one of the undergraduate dorms (or Houses, like in Harry Potter). I wouldn't have known about it on my own, but I was tagging along with another first year graduate student, who had also been an undergraduate there; the tea was at his old House. It was a beautiful event in the headmaster's living quarter, which was cozy and stuffed with antiques. Tiny white china cups neatly stacked on a linen covered wooden table with the headmaster presiding over it. All the attendees (except for me) were current or past house residents; in my memory, that afternoon they discussed literature, philosophy, and other topics that I felt unequal to contribute. My own undergraduate

For me, it all boils down to a matter of psychology: my own willingness and desire to adapt, and my perception of how I am received by the new culture. As a new arrival to this country, I knew that I must learn English in order to communicate with other people. There were some new customs to get used to, but I did not have to give up my Chinese heritage. I also found Americans to be mostly welcoming, since immigration is sort of embedded in to the DNA of this country. Similarly, at engineering school, I embraced "geek culture" because I did, in fact, have an affinity for science fiction and video games and technology (otherwise, I wouldn't have wanted to major in computer science). Being an engineering student did not really impinge on my personal style too much; I could still do "girl stuff" with female friends both in and out of engineering school. In my experience, the guys I went to school with were fairly accepting of me. In short, I quickly assimilated in both

Those undergraduates at the tea party seemed self-assured and perhaps a little self-centered and self-satisfied. While I admired the tasteful settings, I also couldn't help but think of my less privileged friends from college. For all their eloquence, I could not help accusing them of showing off and being pointless. In return, they did not seem to value my opinions or interests; I did not impress them, and was largely ignored. The net result was: I did not entirely like the people in my new culture, and I could not jump in with both feet in trying to remake myself to fit in with this new