Stay True: A Memoir

Chapter 3 focuses on Hua’s freshmen year at Berkeley and his friendship with Ken. Hua adapted quickly to college life, familiarizing himself with the dorms’ nicknames, exploring campus eateries, and straying off campus in search of the best burritos. Unlike other freshmen, however, Hua did not enjoy attending frat parties on Greek row, instead cultivating a “straight edge” identity predicated on rejecting drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes. Hua sought out other misfits who shared his interest in alternative music, books, films, and zines. He found just the opposite in Ken. Handsome, confident, popular, and content, Ken’s family had been in the US for generations, which, Hua believed, spared him the difficulties associated with being the child of recent immigrants. Hua and Ken initially connected over thrift shopping, but their friendship blossoms over time. Hua describes their long conversations on the dorm’s smoking balcony, the television shows they watched, the restaurants they frequented, their favorite study spots at the library, and their serious discussions about their futures. Ken asked Hua probing questions about his identity, notably, why he “insist[ed] on being so weird” (51) and why he felt compelled to choose “the most unusual item on the menu” (51).