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maskmatters.org
summer
2012
Torrey Pines High school students share true
stories of family relationships
Personal Stories
educate
S.A.T. (Student
Awareness Tools)
summer
2012
maskmatters.org
65
*Names have been changed to protect the identity of those involved.
A World AWAy//
Moving halfway around the world never seemed like a possibility for
Andrea Larson, a former TPHS student, until the summer of 2011.
While incoming freshmen were preparing for a new school, she was
preparing for the possibility of moving to Shanghai, China. During this
challenging time—when Larson had to confront changes all around
her including language, culture and new restrictions—the one constant
that remained with her throughout her journey was her family.
It was only three years ago that the Larsons had moved from
Arizona to California, where Andrea’s father pursued a better job
opportunity. Now, the ferris wheel of the global economy beckoned
them to China for an even better professional opportunity.
Once Larson arrived in China, she faced huge changes and social
challenges. According to TPHS counselor Jennifer Magruder, families
can overcome these social and personal challenges by finding support
through established groups in their area.
Larson found that stability through her
fellow students at Shanghai American
School, where her classmates, who had also
moved from different parts of the world,
understood her situation.Though the move
was stressful for Andrea, there was an upside.
“[The move] brought [my family] closer
together,” Larson says. “They supported me
a lot by helping me adjust. It was a new
adventure for all of us to experience.”
Her family’s support was an anchor in
the midst of a foreign sea of the unknown.
She knew she could always count on them.
Many families, like the Larsons,
move far and frequently, but
are able to remain close to each
other and support each other through their struggles.
Andrea’s family seems to have become busier in Shanghai, allowing
them less time with each other. Andrea’s father works longer hours
and her brother seems to have matured precociously and has grown
distant from her. Andrea, however, has adapted well to the change and
her family has no regrets. Today, they enjoy a different kind of life in
China, halfway around the world from where they were last year.
– Aditi Munshi
Keeping With trAdition//
Every year, in the midst of the spring school madness, the one thing I can
always count on for some well-deserved downtime is
nowruz
, the Persian
New Year. Falling within the last two weeks of March, the holiday gives my
family and me time to relax from our busy lives and spend time together.
For my sister and me, the month of March marks the beginning
of four weeks of straight studying, right up until spring break.
For my mom, it means taking us everywhere without a break
and
fitting in time for work. For my dad, it’s just busy at work.
But when the two-week-long celebrations are kicked off with
charshanbe soori
, a celebration usually held in Mission Bay, Persians
gather for essentially one big party celebrating the new year. Hundreds
of Persians arrive to a celebration where kabobs are being cooked, bread
is being baked and people are dancing to the latest Persian songs.
During the two weeks, my family sets up our
haft-sin
, a table
of seven items that begin with the letter “s”
in Farsi.The four of us set the table, which is
similar to decorating the Christmas tree.
Our usual weekends consist of hanging out
with friends, doing homework and trying to
squeeze in a family meal here and there. But
during
nowruz
, we try to do more things together
to maintain our Persian heritage, such as visit
family friends that are older than my parents (as
is Persian tradition) and make the traditional new
year’s food of
sabzi polo mahi
, rice and fish.
Being in America, it’s hard to keep up with
customary Persian traditions, so my parents take
any chance they can to reminisce and connect with
their lives in Iran.
Nowruz
is a time when most
of our family friends throw parties, where adults
give money to the children. When my sister and I
were younger, this was a time we looked forward to. But now, with so
many other things on our minds,
nowruz
and other Persian traditions
are almost the only quality time we have to spend with our parents.
Many families just have family dinners, which we also have.
But spending
nowruz
is more than just one meal; it is two weeks
of nonstop celebrations and gatherings that bring my family back
to its roots and allow us to have family time. –
Mahan Chitgari
“[The move] brought
[my family] closer
together. They
supported me a
lot by helping me
adjust. It was a new
adventure for all of
us to experience.”