Experiences, events, and all different types of interactions can change and mold us into our current state of being. In “After Cowboy Chicken Came to Town” written by Ha Jin, there is a clear and evident example of how one’s life is altered after a specific occurence. Through the eyes of the narrator, he documents his experiences while working at the Cowboy Chicken restaurant, the new American cuisine spot in the area. As an employee, he is very observant in the way the restaurant acts, and how it is about the “American Way” of doing business along with the idea that the customer is always right. We quickly learn that the owner, Mr. Shapiro, does not really have much of a Chinese background and pretty much needs a translator. The manager, Peter, is really where we see a big China to America alteration and is where I spent a lot of time dissecting.
Peter is the manager of the store and is the true “go-to-person” when working because Mr. Shapiro typically just stays in the back reading the newspaper and drinking his coffee. The narrator actually gives some praise for Peter and his work ethic, but it is when he briefly talks about his past that really caught my eye. The narrator explains how he “had known Peter since middle school, when his name was Peihai” (Jin 187). Peihai had traveled to America to study at the University of Iowa and ultimately came back to China as Peter. His name greatly changed and is seemingly more of an American name then it is a Chinese name, like Peihai, all because of his time in Iowa. This got me thinking about how this event, in some way, can resonate with all of us. We all have experienced something similar, either a sole event or a trip that we have been on, and when we returned home, we were different in some way. We have all changed our way of living and are still adjusting ourselves for the betterment of our lives and those around us. The “Peihai to Peter” story is something that we can all keep in mind going forward and is just a great metaphor and representation of everyone in some way shape or form.