Francesca Carasi-Schwartz loved the summer blockbuster Crazy Rich Asians so much that she watched it three times. The experiences of protagonist Rachel Chu resonated with her, said the University of Vermont sophomore. Raised in the United States, Chu is about to travel with her boyfriend to visit his family in Singapore when her Chinese immigrant mother warns her about the East-West culture clash. "Your face is Chinese, but your mind and behavior and way of speech isn't Chinese," said Carasi-Schwartz, paraphrasing a line from the movie. "I can just relate to that on so many levels." The disconnect that some first-generation Asian Americans experience between the cultures of their immigrant parents and their own place in mainstream Western society has been well documented. But Carasi-Schwartz said her experience has been "even more extreme." Unlike the fictional Chu, she wasn't raised in a Chinese household. Adopted as an infant from China, Carasi-Schwartz grew up in an Italian American household in a diverse community in Montclair, N.J. She has a sister who's three years younger and was also adopted from China. "For me, growing up in a white family is all I've known," Carasi-Schwartz said. "My experience with my Asian identity is a lot different from other people's." Growing up, she had little interest in learning about Chinese culture. But when her family moved to Brattleboro, Carasi-Schwartz decided to take Mandarin classes at her high school. Her teacher's infectious enthusiasm instilled in her a love for Chinese culture, she said. Now a biology and Chinese major, Carasi-Schwartz is a member of the Asian Student Union at UVM. But the issues that club members discuss don't always reflect her experiences as a transracial adoptee. For instance, while some of her peers grew up with "tiger moms," she had an Italian "tiger dad.""The Asian adoptee perspective is usually different from the Asian American perspective on a lot of things," she said. The Interracial Adoptee Group at UVM is where she's been able to share her experiences growing up in a transracial adoptive family, said Carasi-Schwartz. "It has been nice," she said of the monthly gatherings. "You never want to feel alone." Founded in 2015 by Nishani Kessler and David Waller, the Interracial Adoptee Group is for UVM students who have a different ethnic or racial identity from their adoptive family. While the group was once open to UVM faculty, staff and community…
Francesca Carasi-Schwartz loved the summer blockbuster Crazy Rich Asians so much that she watched it three times. The experiences of protagonist Rachel Chu resonated with her, said the University of Vermont sophomore. Raised in the United States, Chu is about to travel with her boyfriend to visit his family in Singapore when her Chinese immigrant mother warns her about the East-West culture clash. "Your face is Chinese, but your mind and behavior and way of speech isn't Chinese," said Carasi-Schwartz, paraphrasing a line from the movie. "I can just relate to that on so many levels." The disconnect that some first-generation Asian Americans experience between the cultures of their immigrant parents and their own place in mainstream Western society has been well documented. But Carasi-Schwartz said her experience has been "even more extreme." Unlike the fictional Chu, she wasn't raised in a Chinese household. Adopted as an infant from China, Carasi-Schwartz grew up in an Italian American household in a diverse community in Montclair, N.J. She has a sister who's three years younger and was also adopted from China. "For me, growing up in a white family is all I've known," Carasi-Schwartz said. "My experience with my Asian identity is a lot different from other people's." Growing up, she had little interest in learning about Chinese culture. But when her family moved to Brattleboro, Carasi-Schwartz decided to take Mandarin classes at her high school. Her teacher's infectious enthusiasm instilled in her a love for Chinese culture, she said. Now a biology and Chinese major, Carasi-Schwartz is a member of the Asian Student Union at UVM. But the issues that club members discuss don't always reflect her experiences as a transracial adoptee. For instance, while some of her peers grew up with "tiger moms," she had an Italian "tiger dad.""The Asian adoptee perspective is usually different from the Asian American perspective on a lot of things," she said. The Interracial Adoptee Group at UVM is where she's been able to share her experiences growing up in a transracial adoptive family, said Carasi-Schwartz. "It has been nice," she said of the monthly gatherings. "You never want to feel alone." Founded in 2015 by Nishani Kessler and David Waller, the Interracial Adoptee Group is for UVM students who have a different ethnic or racial identity from their adoptive family. While the group was once open to UVM faculty, staff and community…