The Great Wall: Navigating Relationships as the Daughter of Strict Conservative Chinese Parents.

Imagine a modern-day Romeo and Juliet, except they're either Chinese or Filipino with parents getting in between them not because of a grudge, but because of long-standing cultural traditions and an immense desire to protect their bloodline.

One of the hardest things we can ever go through is not having someone that we want (See my article on villainized friendzoners to see the other side of the spectrum). Whether it's because they didn't like us back, it wasn't a compatible match, or because the parents came in between the two of you, either way, there's no other feeling around that tightens the chest as if it's the end of the world.

For those fortunate enough to not know the word 'Great Wall' in the context of relationships, allow me to explain. This goes to the daughters and sons of strict, traditional, and conservative Chinese families (usually living in the Philippines) who just cannot stand by having their child run off with a Filipino. And before you can say anything along the lines of racism, the Great Wall reasons for each family usually differ, and not all Chinese families have the Great Wall either. More common Great Wall reasons known to the current generation usually fall along the lines of having culture clashes that would (as my parents say) eventually lead to inter-family feuds, not wanting to (weirdly) 'tarnish' the bloodline, or in my case, due to (I guess, understandably) personal trauma with past experiences.

Rene Magritte's The Lovers (1928) is an impactful portrayal of love that transcends across time, where passion and isolation could be blurred in reality | Rene Magritte, 1928 / DACS London

Rene Magritte's The Lovers (1928) is an impactful portrayal of love that transcends across time, where passion and isolation could be blurred in reality | Rene Magritte, 1928 / DACS London

The Great Wall phenomenon usually entails that Chinese children have to end up with or marry a fellow Chinese, and if you can't already tell - that's pretty hard seeing that we live in the Philippines (I know the Chinese population in the country is more than abundant now, but we still aren't in China, so you get my point). Sometimes, the Great Wall even extends to friendships where Chinese parents prefer their children to have a majority of Chinese friends, having a little more than a smidge of distaste for those who aren't.

Now don't get me wrong, this isn't some hate message to Chinese (or my) parents or just to air out dirty laundry. This is...