Whats more beneficial, your country being strong or your ancestor's?

I'm a teenager born in the U.S. and raised here all of my life. My ancestors are of Han Chinese descent. My parents taught me that I must remain loyal to the country I am born in even if not many people will accept me. My homeland the U.S. is the current most powerful nation on earth but my ancestor's homeland, China is rising as well.





SO which do you think would benefit me more? I don't think the Chinese will give a damn about me but then again not everyone in the U.S. will recognize me as one of them... Right now my loyalty goes to my country but I just wanna see what you think.





Thanks and happy 2008

Whats more beneficial, your country being strong or your ancestor's?
I have no idea where my ancestors are from and don't care either. I love the country I was born in.
Reply:Although your cultural past helps to define who you are it is the future you must be concerned about. Defining yourself only helps you to create a baseline for which you measure your own progress in life. Without a baseline you can't tell how far you have come. Without concern about the future you are stuck in the past.





As seen in American Indian reservations the people can't seem to intergrate into society fully because they lost much of their ancestural culture in a relatively short period of time. In a way that was not of their choosing They lack a strong basis and self definition as a group in order to progress into the future.





Your ancestors seem to have choosen a life in the United States. A life that now includes the culture of the United States. You are not full blooded Chinese as far as culture goes. The change of culture can be hard on some but the strong will adapt and do what will benefit themselves and the future of thier families.





So your parents are right and farsighted no matter if you were born here or any other country.
Reply:I would say you should be proud of your heritage which in this case is Chinese and you'll also be pleased to know that in a matter of just a few years China will own the US so you have the best of both worlds.





Never deride your ancestry kiddo--China has a long rich history and is way more powerful than the US
Reply:I appreciate my heritage, but I am an American. I want my country to be strong. I think that the good cultural values of all the places we've come from help make the US what it is. I feel no loyalty to the countries my grandparents left, but I like what they brought here.

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