Chinese values, beliefs, and traditions have been slowly disregarded by many of the descendants of Chinese immigrants. In the book, The Joy Luck Club, written by Amy Tan, this is portrayed in mother-daughter relationships. Lindo Jong tries to teach Waverly, her daughter, about all the Chinese values, beliefs, and traditions. Waverly is affected greatly by her mother's Chinese culture and finally, at the end of the book, finally realizes what it means to be Chinese. Once she realizes what it means to be Chinese, she is able to find her own self-identity.Lindo Jong tries to teach Waverly about many values, beliefs and traditions of the Chinese culture. In the first story, "The Red Candle," Lindo first explains to Waverly the old Chinese tradition of the husband being chosen for the child when they were very young, "...the village matchmaker came to my family when I was just two years old" (43). Even Lindo does not believe in this anymore but it is still important for Waverly to understand how her ancestors lived. Lindo isn't trying to get Waverly to believe in this custom but she is trying to get Waverly to understand what she went through and how it affected her life. This helps Waverly understand why Lindo acts the way she acts and does the things she does. Lindo also tries to teach Waverly that Chinese people only buy 24 karat gold; it has to be pure inside and out, "To Chinese people, fourteen carats isn't real gold. Feel my bracelets. They must be twenty-four carats, pure inside and out" (42). This shows Waverly how Chinese value pure items such as the 24 karat gold. Waverly doesn't understand this at first; she doesn't understand why it would matter. Later she finds out that it's not only the gold that the purity refers too, the Chinese want everything to pure, inside and out; this includes your personal self.Lindo's Chinese culture greatly affects Waverly and her decisions. Lindo's Chinese culture teaches Waverly to listen to her to mother and that you should never mess with a Chinese mother "Well, I don't know if it's explicitly stated in the law, but you can't ever tell a Chinese mother to shut up. You could be charged as an accessory to your own murder" (191). Lindo's Chinese culture also teaches Waverly not to beg to for items "'Bite back your tongue,' scolded my mother when I cried loudly...'Wise guy, he not go against wind" (89). These leads into her mother teaching her the art of invisible strength, "In Chinese we say, Come from the South, blow with wind--poom!--North will follow. Strongest wind cannot be seen" (89). This art of invisible strength greatly improves Waverly's chess playing ability and later helps in the relationship between her and her mother. Seeing her mothers culture also makes Waverly want to stay away from it. Waverly sees how stubborn her mother can be and how vague her responses can be and she doesn't want to become like that, "'It's uncanny how much you two look alike!' I smile...But my daughter's eyes and her...
