When I finally decided to spend some money on some Olympic memorabilia, I realized shopping isn't that easy, especially when you're holding a blue t-shirt that says USA in one hand and a white t-shirt that says China in the other.
There are a few questions that I've had to answer many times since my arrival in Beijing. One of the most common questions is: "If the US plays China, who do you cheer for?" I usually respond with whoever is the underdog, just to simplify matters. But honestly, I've never really sat down and though about my answers. When the US men's basketball team played China, I really did cheer for China, since I knew that they were going to be blown out anyways. However, when the two women's volleyball teams played, I was cheering for China as well. I could just be trying to adapt, as most of the people I'm working with are Chinese, but it seems to me that I rarely ever cheer for the US team when they're facing a Chinese team head-on. To top it off, I seem to be rooting for China to win the medal count as well. So am I really a patriotic Chinese? I'm not sure if I have the answer to that.
I have always seen myself as an American. When I was younger, I would do everything I could to prove to others that I was "made in the USA". I even refused to learn mandarin because I thought that would tarnish my American image. Since being at these games, I've realized how lucky I actually am to have two countries to call my own. Not only do I get to cheer and root for twice the number of athletes, I feel a lot more diverse than everyone else. I can't be disappointed either way if the US and China go head to head, my favorite team is going to win either way.
I walked out of that Nike store with a white t-shirt that had CHINA inked onto the front. Sure I hold a USA passport, but does that even matter?
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