Integrate me? I'm a Japanese American, and growing up, I never felt like I belonged either way. I never felt like I was fully Japanese because I didn't have the same beliefs and traditions as other Japanese. I also didn't feel fully American because I absolutely don't believe in all American beliefs. I saw myself more connected to Japanese culture because it taught me to be more respectful to my elders and other members of the community. Growing up, I had to assimilate into the dominant culture because people made fun of me for having unusual opinions than them. It was hard for me growing up; I tried to identify as a Japanese boy or an American boy when I was at school and at home. At school I had to be a normal American boy, while at home I had to be a Japanese boy. I felt like two different people. It also led me to have a difficult relationship with other children my age, especially girls. I asked my parents if it was okay for me to date, their response was "as long as they're Asian then it's okay". Nowadays, my parents don't believe in this saying, they just want to see me in a good mood, but growing up, it was difficult for me to find a girl I liked and fit my family's standards. of a race other than my own and my parents weren't very enthusiastic about the choices I made in girls when I was a teenager. Growing up was never easy for me; I guess it's never easy for anyone. I think it's definitely more difficult for anyone who is mixed race to try to figure out which one he or she fits best. Growing up in a Japanese household, there were a lot of differences between my household and everyone's homes... middle of paper ...... skeptical of hanging out with other races; but that doesn't matter because I'm an adult and I make my own decisions. It's hard to believe that my parents would have imposed social barriers on their child. In conclusion, growing up ethnically was quite difficult; I wasn't ridiculed for looking different or doing things differently. There was a time when I had to assimilate to be accepted in a new city because I didn't want to be known as a nerd if I played with the Asian kids. When I was in school, I adapted and changed my beliefs and played with the white kids. feel accepted. But the hardest part wasn't the social atmosphere when it came to my parents. My parents put up these social barriers to not allow me to step outside of my own race. As I grew up, I broke free from their chain and started exploring different friends and dating people of other races..