Unit4TextUSsandChineseEversinceRichardNixonfirstvisitedChinain1972,everysuccessiveUShasvisitedChina.Learningtousechopstickshasbeenanimportantlessonforallofthem,becauseitisnotonlyapartoftheChineseculture,butalsoapoliticalart,a“smalltrick”toshowoffandwinthehost’spleasure.NixonhadsettheexampletoAmericanstopayattentiontotheartofusingchopstickswhichwasalsoaconversationtopicatthestatebanquetduringhisvisit.This,justliketheshotsofNixondowningMaotai,wasevisedthroughouttheworld.Fromthenon,allAmericansvisitingChinahavetriedtheirbesttoshowofftheirskillinusingchopsticks.Atthe1972banquet, ZhouEnlainoticedthewayNixonusedthechopsticksandpraisedhimandMrs.Nixonfortheirfirst-classskill.Mrs.Nixonimmediayseizeduponthetopicwithgreatdelightandevenletoutthe“secret”thattheyhadbeenpracticingusingchopsticksintheWhiteHousefortheirvisittoChina.ForhalfayeartheNixonshadbeenusingchopsticksinsteadofknivesandforksfortheirmeals.Insignificantasthetechniqueofusingchopsticksmayappear,ittakesmuchtimeandhardworkforawesternertomasteritifhedoesn’twanttomakemistakes.Nixonhadtakenthematterveryseriously.HehadinquiredfromtheofPakistanaboutwhatkindofchopstickswereusedatthestatebanquetsinBeijingandhowmanycoursesthereusuallywere,andthenhestartedseriouslytopracticewithsimilarchopsticks.ThetwocountrieshadnotestablisheddiplomaticrelationswhenNixonfirstvisitedChina,sohisvisitwasnotanofficialstatevisit,butneverthelesshewascarefulwitheverysingleminordetail.LaterUSsvisitingChinafollowedhisexampleandpaidspecialattentiontominordetails.MainSince1972,usingchopstickshasbeenanimportanttechniqueforallAmerican beforetheyvisitChina.TheythinkthatusingchopsticksisnotapartoftheChinese butakindofart.Byshowingofftheofusingchopsticksatthestate ,theycanwinthepleasureandhelptoimprove betweenthetwocountries.whytheywouldliketopayspecial towhatmayseemtobeadetailsuchasthewayofeating.AnswerthefollowingquestionsaccordingtotheCanyounameatleastthreethingsincommonforallAmericanssinceThey Theycould Theyall whenvisitingHowdidtheNixonsfeelwhen ZhouEnlaipraisedtheirfirst-classskillsinusingchopsticks? Whatwasthe BeforetheyvisitedChina, WhatwasNixon’sattitudetowardthematterofusing WhatkindofchopsticksdidNixonpracticewithintheWhiteTheones DiscoverYourHistoryandBuildGeorgeBornintheUnitedStates,I,withblackhairandyellowskin,amanAmerican.Yes,IamaUScitizen.Yes,IgotoanAmericanhighschool.YetIdiscoveredearlyinmychildhoodthatIwasveryItwasn’tuntilonedayintheearlyyearsofprimaryschoolmatInoticeddifference.SomekidsinmyclassaskedmeiflcouldreadorspeakChinese.Itseemedstrangetomethattheywouldbeinterestedinthisaspectofmylife.Ianswered“yes”andexpectedthemtosaynothingelseaboutit.Tomysurprise,theywerekeentohearmesaysomethinginChinese.WhenIdidsotheysaid,“Wow,that’scool!”IhadalwaysthoughtofitasjustastrangelanguagethatcamefromChina.Onthebusridehome,Ithoughtaboutwhathadhappenedthatday.Forthefirsttime,Ifeltdifferentfromtheotherkidsonthebus.WhenIgothome,IwentintothebathroomtowashmyhandsasIusuallydid.Ilookedatmyselfinthemirror--thesamefacewastherefromthatmorning,butitdidn’tseemthesametome.ForfirsttimeIrecognizedquitesimply,thatIdidn’tlookthesameastheothersinmyclass.Myeyeswerethinner,myhairwasstraightandpureblackmyskinwasabitmoreyellow,andawholedifferentculturewasbehindthesephysicalcharateristics.ThatdayIdiscoveredapartofmylifethatwasverydifferent–incultureandtradition–fromtheoneIwasliving.Yes,IamanAmerican.Andyes,IamChinese.AndIamalsoaChinese-Americanwhohasdiscoveredhisidentity.Eachoneofuscomesfromadifferentplace,andeachisuniqueandspecial.Wemustallrememberourroots.Butwemustalsocontinuetoexplore,realizingthateveryoneisdifferent,withourownbeliefs,opinions,traditionsandlifestyles.AwarenessofthesedifferentculturesshouldleadtorespectforoneTeenagerssuchasmehavemovedwiththeirparentsfromtheirhomesinpursuitofthe“Americandream”.Sowecanactasbridgescrossinghugeoceanstojoinseparatecultures.MainIamaChinese-American.However,IneverthoughtIwasdifferent peoplearoundme Ienteredprimaryschool.Later,Irealizedthatthelaynotonly myeyes,hairandskin,butalsoinculture .Ifeltthattherewasabigchangeinme Idiscoveredmyreal .NowIunderstandthat weareallfromdifferentplaces,wemus