Joy Ride: The Importance of Knowing Your Past

“Joy Ride” is a raunchy comedy movie about a group of Asian American girls adventures in China and Korea. The character Audrey was adopted by white parents and grew up in an all white town. She becomes the perfect kid excelling in school and work, aided and abetted by her tough, rebellious best friend and only fellow Chinese kid in town, Lola. 

They take a trip to China with Lola’s cousin Dead Eye and meet up with Audrey’s college friend who is a tv star there. The nutty adventure begins as I swear almost every Asian American actor in Hollywood plays some character along  the way. It’s pretty damn funny.

But there were some moving moments as Audrey discovers she is actually Korean, calling into question everything she thought she knew. And especially when she discovers her birth mom passed away before they were able to meet. 

It’s not a great movie but it was definitely fun. And it made me think about my own life. It’s a reminder about how grateful I should be. One of the characters asks: “If you do not know where you come from, how do you know who you are?”

How lucky am I to know what my heritage is? I’m proudly Taiwanese, Canadian and American. I know who I am. 

How lucky am I to have wonderful parents who sacrificed so much for me. I need to grow up and thank them properly. I now know how hard it is to be a good parent, how easy it is to traumatize your kid unintentionally.

How lucky am I to have such a wonderful daughter? I have to make everything right with her and repair our relationship before it’s too late. I have to be strong and patient and bear with the setbacks here.   

Yes, I had some rough spots growing up in Canada when it was mainly white at least during the 80s that is before the “Asian Invasion” came in. I never fit in despite my best efforts. But what an asset it has turned out for me. This friction turned into fuel, a bottomless well of drive. And it’s why I’m living the dreams I had growing up. 

So for me, I’m grateful for the past. It’s hard to move forward into the future if you don’t learn from the past. And especially difficult, if you don’t know where you come from.