Not everyone learns to accept themselves; however, at a young age, I am fortunate to know who I am. You may think that I’m cheeky, but I’m just trying to keep my individualistic personality. Tell you a secret: I have a diamond heart; it’s priceless, pure, unique and this is me. I spent my childhood in a communist country; I just moved to the U. S. with my parents about three years ago.

Thanks to China’s One Child Policy begun in Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution, I’m an only child. I don’t know the feeling of having any biological brothers or sisters. This meant that I was often lonely growing up. Fortunately, as a junior in high school, I got the opportunity to work with children at two libraries in Queens, NY. As a volunteer, my goal is to help the children finish their homework and give them suggestions for studying. But as the only Chinese volunteer, my other goal is to make sure the children, who are mostly Chinese, can develop an unbiased understanding of Chinese culture. For example, I have worked to dispel the stereotype that all Chinese eat dogs. It simply isn’t true. To accomplish this, first of all, I need to thoroughly understand my own culture. Although I’ve learned much growing up in Dalian, China, there is still much more to know.

I have spent a considerable amount of time in school researching Chinese history and culture. I also work very hard with the young students helping them to take pride in their heritage and language. I have heard their parents speak to them in Chinese, and I know that they are fluent in the language, but the children are reluctant to speak it. I love to work with small groups of these children and tell them stories of ancient China in both English and Chinese. One of my favorite stories involves a farmer who is too parsimonious to fix his rundown sheep pen, until a wolf comes along and eats some of his flock. Then the farmer repairs the pen, but it is too late. A story such as this helps connect the children to their Chinese heritage as well as instill a good life lesson. By working with these elementary school children, sharing life stories, playing board games, and helping them with their homework, I have been given a small glimpse into what it is to have siblings. Over time, I have also seen positive changes in their behavior. They now ask me to tell them more stories from ancient China, and I have witnessed several of them interacting with their parents in Chinese.

At the end of the semester, with the librarians’ consent, I gave a presentation to the students and their parents. I will never forget that afternoon. I was understandably nervous, and my hands and voice were a bit shaky. Luckily, I was able to reach into my heart to find the strength to continue.

For about 40 minutes, I shared with the parents the work we had done all semester and reflected on the importance of appreciating one’s heritage. I can still see the smiles on the parents’ faces, and I was proud when several of them asked me if I would be returning in the fall — to which I enthusiastically responded “Yes!”

These experiences have taught me to be kind and generous with others and to appreciate the relationships we make in life. I may not be perfect but I have a diamond heart.