Because of my culture and community!=)

[Lee Man Tsang]

My culture and family affect me a lot to identify myself. They are the reasons why I do what I do. My parents always tell me the eldest sister is like a mother figure. They expect me to be a role model towards my younger sister. I am also supposed to be the first person to obtain a bachelor’s degree in my family so my sister can follow within my footsteps towards her university applications. Therefore, my parents' standards of my role and responsibilities shape intra-family resources allocation for my sister's and my educations. I’m expected to fulfill certain obligations and also be able to support the family. Their accustomed perspectives about birth order influence me to assume that all firstborns should fulfill family duties. Moreover, I believe that birth rank will affect my personality and social behavior. This belief is mainly caused by Chinese culture, which emphasizes seniority and birth order. However, living in America influences me to research and compare my own culture with American views on the importance of biological rank. Some of my stereotypes on firstborns are challenged. I understand the different perspectives on birth order from the Chinese and American cultures. Chinese parents pay more attention on their earlier born children due to cultural factor while American parents spend more time on firstborns because of psychological curiosity. In American society, firstborns are not necessarily the one who offer financial assistance to their parents. Instead of this, the siblings who have the best ability, such as money, time, and closer living locations, will help take care of them. As a result, I value myself for being a Chinese firstborn daughter and sister, both of which contribute to the uniqueness of my tasks, character, and aspirations in my life.