Fish Cheeks, By Amy Tan

Many people have had experiences with their families when they were younger that left them feeling ashamed or upset. In Amy Tan's short story "Fish Cheeks," the author describes an embarrassing moment with her family that she only came to appreciate later in life. Tan was initially uncomfortable with how her traditional family behaved in front of guests, thinking they wanted to embarrass her. However, she eventually realized that their intention was to instill pride in her culture.

Tan initially felt that her mother and the rest of her family were trying to embarrass her during dinner by serving only Chinese food and behaving in ways that Americans might consider "disrespectful" while the minister and his family were visiting. For example,