Chapter 7 - by Lina Grajales

Old ways vs New ways.

“Your old ways are not the new ways. Your grandchildren have to live the new ways.” Father worried about the real integration of his family into Canadian society. He seems to understand the value of keeping up with their new reality. The old ways represent the life they left behind, in China. The new ways represent Canada.
Things are different at the new home. They’d better be opened to that. The kids are the first ones to understand it: “Jenny says we should all have real English names. When we’re outside of Chinatown, we should try not to be so different”. Liang (Jook, the girl) spoke out, in the middle of a dialogue about the old ways and the new ways.

They feel safe inside the fortress walls of Chinatown. They don’t have to worry about the new ways, about being what the host society expects from them. But once outside Chinatown, they understand that’s another reality. They should try not to be so different, but be more like Canadians. Their looks won’t help in this case. However, they should do their best to behave, to be alike Canadians at least in that respect.