Emerald in the Rough
February 9th, 2025
Writer: Scott Tran
Editor: Tea Maltzman
“Cảm ơn bà nội! Cảm ơn ông nội!” (Thank you, Grandma! Thank you, Grandpa!) I say after receiving a red envelope containing lì xì (lucky money). When I was young, I always looked forward to the Lunar New Year because I loved spending time with family, eating delicious food (Grandma’s butterfly shrimp is to die for!), and receiving red envelopes. Lunar New Year brings families near and far together to appreciate their ancestors, reaffirm their heritage, and celebrate the year ahead. Marking the start of spring, it welcomes both a reach for the stars and a connection with foundational soil. As the Year of the Dragon ends and welcomes the Snake, I have come to see the celebration in a new light, encapsulated by a trinity—gratitude, respect, and honor.
Woven into family traditions, this trinity shapes how we navigate identity and belonging. The tension between honoring the past and forging one’s path is a universal struggle—one that unfolds in Crazy Rich Asians. In pursuit of love, Rachel, a Chinese-American, and Nick, a Chinese-Singaporean, grapple with their sense of self as they confront the expectations of Nick’s affluent, judgmental, and traditional family.
Rachel enters Nick’s world as independent, self-made, and grounded—just like her single mother. However, her confidence wavers when Nick’s mother says, “You will never be enough.” Staying true to herself, she is motivated to adapt and honor the traditions significant to Nick’s family despite implicit expectations.
In New York, Rachel has shown Nick another side of life: a life where he can be himself with someone who is authentic and unwaveringly believes in him. But, as he introduces her to his world, he struggles to reconcile the weight of his surname with the future he desires. Seeking harmony, he is motivated to highlight Rachel’s worth to his family and show her that his family is just like any family—diverse and beautiful.
Together, they embody the tension between duty and self-determination. Through these challenges, they teach each other how to stay grounded while embracing growth, ultimately showing that love can be strong enough to bridge even the widest divides.
Rewatching this movie with a reflective lens, I thought about my relationship with the word love. But what does love mean?
Love is the synergy of gratitude, respect, and honor—the trinity I’ve come to embrace. What’s astonishing about love is that it can transfigure or divide anything, emphasizing the word’s potency.
I love my family, and I love learning.
Like Rachel and Nick, I experience a similar dichotomy in a different setting: college. Growing up, my parents ingrained many sayings in me. The one I took most to heart is “Focus on yourself, and everything will fall into place.” Applying this saying as a college student has led me to much personal success and helped me become a man with intellect, insight, and integrity. But sometimes, I am at odds with this saying.
The saying I hold close implies patience for romantic love. While I’ve yet to experience it, I’m intrigued by the possibility of learning deeply about someone else and discovering new facets of myself. Perhaps, out of love, my parents are advocating that patience is a form of preparation—that love, like wisdom, unfolds in its own time. Similarly, maybe I want to honor my parents’ advice while respecting others’ time and energy in hopes of finding “the one.”
What if love is like skating on a frozen lake—balancing control and surrender, gliding forward into the unknown? What if love isn’t just something to wait for but something to cultivate daily—in the laughter of late-night talks, the warmth of shared meals, and the quiet presence?
If love is the synergy of gratitude, respect, and honor, then maybe it is not a singular destination but an ever-evolving presence—shaped by the people we meet and the moments we hold close. Over time, we learn to see love beyond expectations, to trust it as it unfolds, and to accept that it takes many forms. I love my reality—one shaped by family, learning, and moments of self-discovery. And for that, I am endlessly grateful.
At the movie’s end, Nick drops to a knee, opens a box, and reveals his mother’s emerald ring to Rachel—embodying a change of heart. Someday, after all the refining and reshaping, I will dazzle like a multifaceted emerald. In the meantime, I will continue loving others and myself—to the moon and back.
Photo Credits: Isabel Marengo
