ABSTRACT
Chinese culture, as well as Eastern thought more generally, is widely regarded to be collectivist in nature, in contrast to the individualism associated with American culture and Western thought. In this narrative inquiry, I discuss how my experiences as a US Fulbright scholar teaching courses on self-knowledge to students in China led me to question this dichotomy as an over-simplification. This experience not only shaped my understanding of my Chinese students as unique individuals with individualistic aspirations but also prompted me to see my American students at home as participants in collective identities that form the basis of their individuality.
