Quote Sandwiches Revised for the essay

Rui Deng

Professor Bowe

English 1005B

Section 15

5/03/2021

My Community, My Memory

What does your community mean to you? Have you ever thought about this question? For me, my community means so much that I can remember everything. Ever since I grew up in Canton, China, that's my first community. After that, I moved to the United States When I was 15 years old. My first community is a big, fancy city that stands in the southern part of China. I spent almost 16 years living there with my parents. The reason I pick my hometown as my community is because it shapes my personality. People in my community shape my personality the most. My grandparents shaped my personality ever since I was little. 

Back when I was still in Canton, my parents asked me if I could go to America. The first thought that went through my head was "no," not because I do not like America, and I cannot leave my community. I still remember the alley that I lived in when I was a little boy. My grandma would wash vegetables outside the house and have a small chair sitting next to the door. Grandpa watched TV while I did my homework on the dining table; my older cousin came downstairs and helped me with my elementary school homework. They would tell me to wash my hands before the meal. Grandma often makes some healthy Chinese soup while my cousin teaches me my homework. I spend most of my little boy's time with my grandparents and my cousin because my parents work out of town. Those are the essential memories for my community and me. Those tiny, unforgettable memories shape my personality profoundly and teach me how to be a better boy.  My community of people shapes me a lot, and it shapes me to have a satisfactory manner. Grandparents taught me to be a kind and satisfactory person. I never see my grandma in a bad mood. Back then, she often took care of a neighbor's kid when they were out of work.  Her neighbor wanted to pay her for that, but she said it's fine and rejected the money. I was in Arcadia Mall and I saw a person drop his ID. I picked it up and gave it back to him, he wanted to buy me a drink, but I said it was fine.

"My soul is in the streets of Buenos Aires" this phase sentence comes from Jorge Luis Borges' poem. It refers to my community as my soul is in the street of Canton. The street that I live in Canton is called QiXing Street. I live in the middle of the street, and it has plenty of old houses sitting next to and next. People in this street have known each other for a long time. They often talk about daily updates such as how much the price is for the supermarket. You will feel like the whole street represents a group of spirit and shows everyone's personality. As my personality also refers to how my soul is. "We've been in Compton before," rapper Eminem, who's collaborated and toured with Lamar, told the New York Times. "But the way that Kendrick did it was so different. ... The album is crafted from front to back, the way each song ties into each other — to me that's genius." (Three Articles and Their Neighborhoods) When they asked rapper Eminem, he admitted they have been through the same community with Kendrick Lamar, but Lamar still has the best performance on his music.

 If I choose to stay in my community for the rest of my life, will my identity be different? I always think about this question while I am in Los Angeles. My parents tell me they want me to have a better education, so that is why they chose to take me here. However, if I stay there, can I benefit my family or myself? "I can say I am mad, and I hate everything, but nothing changes until I change myself. So, no matter how much bullshit we've been through as a community, I'm strong enough to say, 'fuck that' and acknowledge myself and my own struggle" (Rodriguez, 2015). 

It is a conversation while they asked Kendrick Lamar from Three Articles and Their Neighborhoods. Although my community is not as challenging as Kendrick Lamar's, I realize you have to be strong enough to face every situation to have the power to challenge more in the future. Kendrick Lamar uses his music to write about his neighborhood youth life and try to change his community's challenging situation. However, I hope to gain more knowledge outside of my small warm community and benefit my street and my family in the future. 

After all those memories and connections with my community, I am aware that my community shapes my identity. I feel that my community of people and cultures defines me, and I hope I could make it and expand those nice and kind spirits to my spouse in the future.

Overall, people in each of their communities could shape their identities differently. You could realize even my community is nothing special, but somehow it shapes me into a unique person. Every person should have their unique identity even though they live in the same community. It does not matter what community you live in, but the most important thing is how you can absorb from your community and contribute to your community in the future.