I am a Mongolian. Mongolia is more than just a name and a symbol to me. It is the passion and feeling that really flows in my blood. However, I can't hear and write Mongolian. Mongolia is just a castle in the air to me. Although I know it is there, I can't prove it or touch it.
Before I went to college, I lived in Inner Mongolia. I went to primary schools, junior high schools and senior high schools. Most of my classmates were Han, and a few Mongolian and other ethnic minority students didn't use their own spoken and written languages. Even-as long as all the students from ethnic minority areas know-some of them just changed their nationalities to get extra points for the college entrance examination. At that time, students never considered ethnic differences before. In their hearts, everyone was just their own individual. Although sometimes some habits were different, students from other ethnic groups still knew some Mongolian habits because they lived in ethnic minority areas. The only time was in history class, when the teacher talked about the Yuan Dynasty, several Mongolian students in the class were extremely excited and serious.
Later, I left home to attend preparatory classes and go to college. Only then did I really realize the difference of my own nation. Especially in the preparatory year, new classmates and friends will always ask, what nationality are you from? At first, I will proudly answer, I am Mongolian! When I meet a classmate who is also a Mongolian, I will always be happy to say, me too! Later, slowly, there began to be differences between students. Mongolian students were divided into two different categories, one was from Mongolian schools, and the other was from Han schools. Students in Mongolian schools-or at least students who can speak Mongolian-greet each other in Mongolian when they meet, and all parties are in Mongolian. At first, I will take an active part, but later, my classmates who know me are unwilling to translate for me, so I have to stop taking part in some meaningful activities if I don't understand them. Fortunately, several students I know well have held Mongolian classes. They have classes every Saturday morning, learning languages for a week and studying history for a week. I will take an active part in it every time. Gradually, I will speak a few simple words and sentences, write my own name, and know very little Mongolian. At that time, I was always looking forward to Saturday, because I was always excited and proud to watch myself speak and write slowly.
Happy times are always short-lived, and the preparatory course is only one year. After leaving the preparatory course and entering the university, everything is back to the past, and students from ethnic minorities are rarely seen around, let alone those from the same ethnic group. When I meet students of the same nationality, I will be excited to say that I am the same at first, just like when I was in preparatory school, but later, slowly, those students who can speak Mongolian are not willing to talk to me. Maybe in their hearts, I am just like those students who changed their nationality in order to get extra points.
However, I want to tell them that I'm not. Since I was born, there is only Mongolian in the column of nationality. My grandfather and my mother are Mongolian, and my grandfather can speak Mongolian, and my grandmother can understand Mongolian, because my grandfather was hit during the Cultural Revolution, and his children-my aunt, mother and uncle-were married to Han people, and my grandfather never taught them. How I want to tell them about the Mongolian feelings flowing in my heart and the Mongolian soul flowing in my blood. I want to tell them that I really want to learn and speak Mongolian. I want to tell them how excited I am when I see Inner Mongolia Mansion on Chang 'an Avenue. When I see Mongolian, I always look for words and phrases I know. When I put on the Mongolian robe, I feel calm inside. I am proud of my soul when I tell my classmates about the history, culture and customs of our nation.
However, none of them want to listen to me, and I can only keep these things deeply in my heart, but I know that I am a descendant of Genghis Khan and I am a Mongolian.