By Sarah Browning, Staff Writer
Senior Josh Hou first came to the United States from Taiwan in 2010 when he was fifteen, and his life has been one of constant transition. His mother works at Holy Light Theological Seminary in Taiwan, and that connection eventually gave him the opportunity to go to Oakdale Christian Academy in Jackson, Kentucky.
He spent four years at Oakdale. Josh said, “The first year was kind of tough. I didn’t know anybody. It was a boarding school, so I was by myself and living at school. I barely knew any English. I wanted to go back to Taiwan after the first year.”
But after thinking about it for a while, he decided he wanted to stay for the opportunities he would have here in the United States. However, making the decision did not ease the transition.
Josh is from Kaohsiung, which is one of Taiwan’s largest cities. He said, “The change was dramatic. In Taiwan, I lived in a big city, so there were many people. Tall buildings. But I came here, and it’s the country. The school was in the middle of nowhere. People think Wilmore is bad, but Oakdale was worse.”
“It took me a while to adjust; I really missed home the first three years,” he said. The loving, supportive staff at Oakdale and some new friends helped Josh to enjoy the atmosphere of his new school even though Kentucky’s open landscape was still unfamiliar to him.
He decided he wanted to stay in the United States for college, but he still travels back to his shoreside home in Kaohsiung for the summers and sometimes Christmas.
Navigating these two cultures has proven an adventure for Josh. He said, “Right now, I’m kind of used to the life here, so when I go back, it’s kind of like reverse culture shock. So, I have to get used to the way people live back home. When I’m here, I think in English and speak in English. The first couple weeks I will have to adjust and my language will have to switch back to Mandarin Chinese.”
Josh’s fluency in both English and Chinese sometimes causes the lines between these separate spaces to blur. He said, “It’s funny; sometimes when I talk to my parents or grandparents, I will speak some English unintentionally. Then when I come back here, sometimes I will speak Chinese to people. I have to think I’m not in Taiwan anymore, or I’m not in the United States anymore.”
One of the biggest differences Josh notices on a daily basis between Taiwan and the United States is how outgoing people tend to be. “The people here are so welcoming and hospitable. People just talk to strangers. If you talk to strangers in Taiwan, it’s weird.”
“I’ve been here for eight years. I’m becoming more American I think, just because I’ve been here so long. And sometimes when I go back home, I’ll still miss American food.” He values the experience he has had constantly transitioning between cultures. He said, “I have learned how to communicate and be friends with people in two different cultures.”
Photo by Julia Conley