How do you navigate cross-cultural relationships? In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, Rochelle Lu SC ‘28 examines past relationships and asks herself whether she dates outside of her culture to hide from it.
Author: Rochelle Lu
Rooted and Restless: Remembering Taiwan one bite at a time
Although Rochelle Lu SC ’28 grew up Taiwanese on paper, she has become increasingly mystified with what that meant in practice. In her latest column, she traces how food became the most durable link to an identity she feels at times distant from. From a slice of guava on an airplane tray to the quiet comfort of Taiwanese flavors far from home, Lu reflects on how taste carries memory, grief and belonging everywhere she goes.
Rooted and Restless: What if my blind spots are bigger than I realize?
Moving to the United States for college, Rochelle Lu SC ’28 once believed she carried a “suitcase full of nuance.” In her latest column, she reflects on her political and cultural blind spots, uncovering what happens when perspective meets its limits.
Rooted and Restless: A moon for those who wander
Between mythology and migration, academia and activism, Rochelle Lu SC ’28 reflects on what it means to keep pushing — writing, feeling and existing — across languages and worlds. This Mid-Autumn Festival, she considers if traditions and purpose can survive translation with all the physical, emotional and temporal distance in mind.
Rooted and Restless: Sleepwalking through stigma
Rochelle Lu shares her experience navigating insomnia and the stigma of mental health throughout her childhood in China and now here in Claremont. Lu faced relentless challenges as she sought relief, whether it was doubting critics or inaccessible wellness resources — chasing sleep felt like a never ending nightmare. Lu emphasizes the intersectionality of her struggles as an international student, explaining how the added stress of managing familial relations abroad paired with the sudden introduction to a new culture inherently impacts one’s wellness.
Rooted and Restless: Navigating the turbulence of family ties
As I found my seat on the plane, I started my usual pre-flight ritual: googling airline safety records, memorizing brace positions and triple-checking that I knew how to inflate a life vest,” Rochelle Lu SC ’28 writes.
Home is where the accent slips: First-year international students ponder cultural shift
Cultural identity isn’t fixed—it shifts as we navigate different spaces. For Rochelle Lu SC ’28, returning home overseas meant realizing how much had quietly changed — her mother tongue slipping and familiar situations feeling awkward. Is cultural drift inevitable, and do we ever truly stay the same?