“...my mother said to me, ‘You want to be the same as American girls
on the outside....But inside you must always be Chinese. You must be
proud you are different. Your only shame is to have shame.’”
— AMY TAN, “Fish Cheeks”
Sometimes we feel the need to express an idea, to describe our experiences, or to make a statement about
something we believe. In Amy Tan’s personal essay “Fish Cheeks,” she describes an experience in her youth
that helped her to understand the importance of self-acceptance. As you read the nonfiction in this unit,
consider what each author is trying to say about him- or herself or the world.
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