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| Mantis, wearing a Christmas sweater and Christmas tree headband. Image source. |
[content note: spoilers for Marvel's "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special"]
I got a bunch of immigrant feelings from watching "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special." It's about Mantis and Drax (2 members of the Guardians of the Galaxy) trying to put on a Christmas celebration for Peter Quill (aka Star-Lord, also one of the Guardians of the Galaxy). Peter is from Earth, and he misses Christmas. All of his friends are aliens, with no real understanding of Christmas traditions, but they want to do something to make it special for Peter, because it's important to him.
Mantis and Drax go to Earth and kidnap Kevin Bacon, and also buy/steal a ton of Christmas decorations. Peter is amazed when he sees all the Christmas decorations they've brought back to their planet. Fake snow, strings of Christmas lights everywhere, Christmas sweaters, and more. (He is horrified when he finds out they've kidnapped Kevin Bacon.)
And, I mean, wow, I'm an immigrant in China, and I know how this feels.
Christmas in China is basically just a commercialized thing, not something that actually has meaning to Chinese people. So they know what Christmas trees and Santa look like, but it doesn't go any deeper than that. There are Christmas decorations set up in all the malls right now, but that's just because the stores want to sell you stuff, not because Chinese people actually care about Christmas.
So it's hard for me, being here, and missing out on the real Christmas traditions. Because of the pandemic, the last time I was in the US with my family for Christmas was 2019.
I think it's nice, when Chinese people ask me about Christmas because they know it's important to me. At the same time, though, it's kind of hard to talk to them about it... I tell them "here's how this or that tradition works" but I can't really make them understand the feeling of being so far away from my culture and missing out on these things. How it's a part of me that is just missing, because I'm in China for Christmas.
My husband is Chinese, and it's great how he cares about what I want and what would make Christmas meaningful to me. Christmas doesn't matter to him- he says before we met, he had never gotten a Christmas gift- but he cares about me so he does Christmas stuff.
So I know how Star-Lord felt, seeing those Christmas lights, seeing his friends dressed in red and green sweaters, seeing the pile of gifts wrapped up. Having friends who don't really have any idea about your holidays, but they want to do this for you. And they get it wrong, in some ways, inevitably, but you can't get stuck on that; you should just enjoy it.
"The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" is about culture, and being an immigrant, and being so far away from your home, and being with friends who love you and are trying their best.
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Also, here's a good review from The Mary Sue: ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’ Finally Gives Mantis the Respect She Deserves
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Related:
I Didn't Know I Had a Culture Until I Lost It
On Telling My Chinese Husband What I Want For Christmas
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