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This was a big issue growing up for me. Born in Jersey and coming to California, I spent a lot of time wavering between peer groups. One peer group was all immigrant Chinese that only spoke to each other in Chinese and read Chinese novels. The other peer group was a group of Caucasians who were so American they practically had the apple pie on the window sill. Both sides looked at me like I was a freak.
My mom is fervently Chinese and still views things with great distinction. My extended family emigrated from China to Taiwan and even though they've lived there for at least a generation, my mom said to me a while back, "You're not TAIWANESE, you're a CHINESE." She was very clear in her distinction. My only response to her was, "I'm an AMERICAN." Whether that distinction meant anything to her is another matter.
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