Category Archives: Narrative

“No Surrender”

Language: English

MAIN DESCRIPTION 1:

DM: “My dad would always say ‘no surrender’, I would always hear it growing up and no matter what it is basically, kinda just like to not give up, always push through. He said this phrase whether it was school sports, etc. He would continuously say this to me so that I wouldn’t give up on my hopes and dreams. It was almost like his mantra that he instilled in me and I’ve used it ever since.”

INFORMANT’S OPINION 1:

JL: What do you think this phrase means?

DM: “He thought that if he told me this then I would take it to heart, which is what I did. I used this phrase as motivation for whenever I faced a tough obstacle. I think it means to never give up when faced with hardship. Also, that I should never surrender or at least give it my all which I did for my academics and my athletics in my life.”

PERSONAL INTERPRETATION 1:

JL: I never really understood the meaning of “no surrender” as my parents never said it to me growing up. But I think I’ve definitely used this phrase when I faced my own challenges. It became a reminder to push through difficult moments instead of giving up. I believe I have used this phrase when I faced my own obstacles.I feel like I’ve instilled this mantra in my life as I keep going during tough times instead of quitting. I see how this way of thinking has benefited me in school sports and everyday life. It’s a simple idea that drives me to keep pushing forward and stay strong no matter what difficulties come my way.

“It’s all about parking karma.”

Language: English

MAIN DESCRIPTION:

CH: “When I was a kid I would drive around with my mom looking for a place to park. Whenever we searched for parking in busy areas she would always say “It’s all about parking karma.” She would say it with a smile and ask me to wait patiently. At first I didn’t really get what she meant but later I understood. She thought that if we stayed calm and had a positive attitude a parking spot would eventually become available for us. She used that method to maintain a positive atmosphere when the streets were crowded. I began using this habit as I got older saying “parking karma” every time I looked for a parking space. It became my method to remind myself to stay calm, positive, and hopeful no matter how annoying things got.”

INFORMANT’S OPINION:

JL: What do you think this phrase means?

CH: “Looking back, I think it really means that I should remain optimistic and be patient even when things get tough. My mom always thought that if I stayed calm and didn’t get upset, good things would come my way in the end. She thought that sharing positive energy even in little things like parking would help everything work out in the end. As time went on I realized that this saying could be used for other aspects in my life too. It could be used to face life with the same attitude. If I remain calm and keep an open mind, situations might improve even when it feels like everything is against me.”

PERSONAL INTERPRETATION:

I personally have never heard of this phrase so it is new to me in a sense. However, hearing the informant’s story presented me with this new mindset in life. Life does get pretty tough sometimes whether it’s trying to find parking in a crowded space or any other difficult scenario. It is truly important to step back, remain calm, and keep an open mind. Majority of the time, we get worked up in situations because they are stressful. It’s important to stay positive and let it run its course because in the end you will be fine. 

Lei Gong

Text:

“雷公 (Lei Gong)”

Translation:

The Thunder Father, the Thunder God

Context:

“I remember it being a more folkloreic thing. Becuase there were these gods, and it wasn’t authoritatively taught to us or anything. It’s more of like a- my parents would use it as a way for discipline thing… It’s funny because they only ever use him a lot because he’s the one that causes the thunder, and that scares children. It’s kinda a way to explain where thunder comes about. But it is the idea that if you behave badly, the thunder god will come to judge you. He punishes the morally guilty. So whenever you are misbehaving, he is gonna strike you down. It is related to thunder because you kind of caused it. And whenever it did thunder, and I didn’t do anything. My mom will reinforce that: ‘You hear the thunder? He is coming. Listen to how angry he is.’”

Analysis:

J: Turns out it is just a tactic for the parents to manipulate their children…
P: Yeah- but also,I guess the fact that it exists- in Chinese, it is a personification of the judge of guiltiness. It is really interesting that it passes down. Our parents say it.
J: Right, it is like- culturally, how our (Chinese) parents teach their children by scaring them instead of teaching them actual lesson.
P: Yeah, yeah. So I always have fascination about this. Even when I know it isn’t real now, I still have a fascination with thunder and rain. It makes you pay attention to it.

Lei Gong is not only a figure featured in Chinese legend; he is also taught to children as an invisible figure who judges them. It is interesting to see how the loud thunder in many cultures and legends always symbolizes judgment. But it is not hard to imagine having to come up with an explanation for loud bombing noise from the sky other than some omniscient beings.

La Befana

fields:
AGE:23
Date_of_performance: 13 century – present
Language: Italian + English
Nationality: Italian
Occupation: USC Masters Student
Primary Language: English, Italien
Residence: Los Angeles

Quote: ““Okay, so in Italy, we have this super cool tradition on January 6th called La Befana. Basically, she’s like Santa, but make it a broomstick-riding grandma witch. She sneaks into houses at night and leaves candy for good kids and ‘coal’ (which is usually just black sugar candy) for the naughty ones. Legend has it, she was invited by the Three Wise Men to see baby Jesus, said ‘nah, I’m good,’ and then regretted it forever—so now she flies around looking for him and dropping off presents. It’s chaotic but iconic.”

Historical context: this has been around in italy since the 13 centuary, in some tuscan villages they burn large statues of la befana; it is both a pagan and christian tradition; thus very italian folkloric. it is a custum entrenched in the national identity of italians local and abroad like my friend who grew up in the bronx in new york city. But his grandmother who immagrated to the US. Italian-American families keep La Befana alive by adapting the tradition to city life. Instead of chimneys, stockings are hung by windows or doors, and in the morning, kids find a mix of Italian treats like panettone and torrone alongside American candies. Some families tell the legend of La Befana the night before, while others celebrate with a big meal on Epiphany. Though it’s not as widely recognized as Christmas, it remains a special way for the community to stay connected to their Italian roots while blending in with New York’s diverse culture.

Tiger’s Wedding Day

AGE: 53

DATE OF PERFORMANCE: 02/19/2025

LANGUAGE: English 

NATIONALITY: American 

OCCUPATION: Attorney

PRIMARY LANGUAGE: English 

RESIDENCE: New York 

INTERVIEW SUMMARY:

When asking my mother of any proverbs she grew up on she told the story of the Tiger’s Wedding Day. Whenever it was raining on a sunny day, her mother [my grandmother] would say “it’s tiger’s wedding day,” referencing the tale. While my mother does not remember the exact story of it, this is the basic premise of how the story goes:

The Tiger, the King of the Mountain, was getting married to the Fox. During the wedding ceremony, the Cloud fell in love with the Fox, causing it to weep.

This story comes directly from the translation of sun shower from Korean to English. In Korean, the term for sun showers is yeowoo bi (여우비), which directly translates to “fox rain” in English.

PERSONAL INTERPRETATION:

I think it’s interesting how our culture can weave into parts of the proverbs and phrases we use and pass down generations. Even though my mother didn’t remember the actual story itself, she remembered the phrase that her mother would say every time there was a sun shower. Storytelling is such a deep part of Korean culture (and especially culture as a whole), so there is no surprise that it shows up in the every day phrases my family uses.