Family & Culture

Oldest of three.

At home in Weston he helps his younger sister, Alice, and brother, Aaron, and he translates for his Chinese grandparents.

Aiden with his sister Alice and brother Aaron outside a shop covered in pink flowers
Aiden with his sister Alice and brother Aaron outside a shop covered in pink flowers

At home

Helping at home.

Aiden leaning over to point at a math problem on a laptop as his younger brother Aaron works through it

Alice and Aaron

Math and soccer

He helps his younger sister and brother with math, and practices soccer with them.

Aiden showing his sister Alice how to hold the viola and bow, with sheet music on a stand

This year

Passing on the viola

Alice started viola this fall, the instrument Aiden played at Field School, and he has been helping her learn it. He fixed her bow grip and told her not to worry about a chin rest, because he played without one.

Aiden on the couch at home with his grandmother, translating a printed document for her

Grandparents

Translating

His Chinese grandparents speak limited English. Aiden helps them with banking, grocery shopping, ordering food and everyday life here.

Why he does it

“When I help my brother and sister, it makes all of us better.”

Aiden, on helping at home

He says it helps him too: working out how to explain something, or show it, teaches him more about math, soccer, or Chinese. The family speaks English and Mandarin at home, and Aiden has studied Chinese outside school since kindergarten.

With family

Wherever they go, they go together.

Family comes first for Aiden, at the dinner table, on a glacier or exploring a new city with his parents, Alice and Aaron.

A big family dinner at Lake Taihu, China
A big family dinner at Lake Taihu, China
With his great-grandmother in Wuxi, China
With his great-grandmother in Wuxi, China
A glacier hike with the family in Iceland
A glacier hike with the family in Iceland
Pena Palace, Portugal, with family
Pena Palace, Portugal, with family
On the Columbia Icefield Skywalk in Canada
On the Columbia Icefield Skywalk in Canada
At Torre dos Clerigos, Porto, Portugal
At Torre dos Clerigos, Porto, Portugal

Seeing the world

Learning other cultures in person.

Aiden has visited his mother’s hometown of Wuxi, China, regularly since he was born, and it remains a big part of his culture and who he is. The family visits China every year, from Wuxi to Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou and Hong Kong. Beyond China, Aiden has traveled to Japan, Singapore, the Maldives, Mexico, Canada, England, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Iceland, Greece, the Bahamas and Jamaica.

“Experiencing other people’s cultures in person and how friendly they are really inspired me to want to share more of my culture here.”

Aiden, on what travel has meant to him

Four generations in Wuxi, China, his mother’s hometown: Aiden with his sister Alice, his brother Aaron, his mom Rose, his grandmother and his great-grandmother
Four generations in Wuxi, China, his mother’s hometown: Aiden with his sister Alice, his brother Aaron, his mom Rose, his grandmother and his great-grandmother
Great Wall of China
Great Wall of China
In traditional Chinese dress
In traditional Chinese dress
The British Museum, London
The British Museum, London
In front of Halsanefshellir Cave, Iceland
In front of Halsanefshellir Cave, Iceland
Porto, Portugal
Porto, Portugal
Lake Louise, Canada
Lake Louise, Canada
Columbia Icefield, Canada
Columbia Icefield, Canada
Singapore
Singapore
At Moraine Lake, Banff, Canada
At Moraine Lake, Banff, Canada
Aiden cooking paella in Spain

Spain

Learning a culture through its food.

In Spain, Aiden took his turn at the stove, cooking paella in a pan nearly as wide as he is tall. For Aiden, trying a place’s food is one of the best ways to understand it.

Next: his community, on stage and behind the scenes.

Community

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