Leading Bi-Cultural Lives | Asian American Poll

LEADING BI-CULTURAL LIVES
(Updated Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:24:40 PM to reflect the 100 most recent valid responses.)

Is it possible to embrace both American and Asian cultures and find social acceptance with both Americanized and non-Americanized groups of friends?
Yes | 77%
No | 23%

Which of the following factors is most important in facilitating a successful bi-cultural life?
Familitarity with both cultures | 32%
Family upbringing | 28%
Fluency in both languages | 16%
Security in one's identity | 24%

Which of the following factors most discourages bi-cultural lives for U.S.-raised Asian Americans?
Inability to speak Asian languages | 28%
Outmarriage to non-Asians | 14%
Fear of seeming too Asian | 30%
Concern for kids' image with peers | 28%

Which segment of the Asian American population currently has the greatest positive impact on American society?
American-Born | 56%
Foreign-born, American-educated | 44%

This poll is closed to new input.
Comments posted during the past year remain available for browsing.

CONTACT US | ADVERTISING INFO

© 1996-2013 Asian Media Group Inc
No part of the contents of this site may be reproduced without prior written permission.

WHAT YOU SAY

[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]

Mizan,

your statement is convincing. Of which nationality/ancestry are you?
question Thursday, December 19, 2002 at 08:43:42 (PST) [62.158.89.174]

There is no such thing as Bi-culture...

I suppose you can have roots in many cultures though.

What do you identify with? A group of people or a race and excluding yourself from the rest of humanity?

There is only one real culture that dominates the world today and everyone is clamouring to be white. Even so, there are other cultures that compete with the white...

There are three major cultures in the world:

1. European (white and its associations)

2. Arab (pan-arabism aka islam)

3. Deshi (Indian, pak, bang)

These cultures will collide and the strongest ones will survive. I predict that the deshi one will be phased out. Other cultures such as the chinese etc are in the process of being phased out...their distinct flavour is starting to be erased.

In the end it will be a battle of the Europeans and the Muslims for civilisational (cultural) dominance.
Mizan Tuesday, December 17, 2002 at 11:14:23 (PST) [213.107.224.5]

NdNgirl: hmmm perhaps you didn't notice Political Observer is white?
asian american guy Sunday, November 03, 2002 at 22:04:13 (PST)

Ok ... you have what some unfortunate Asians have. low self-esteem tied to cultural identity issues. you are cool the way you are. get it straight that you have worth as a human being first. look, we are all the human race. we are all 'cool'. don't try too hard to fit in. i have made white friends who were 'asian-washed'. they didn't resort to self-hate though and neither should you. btw are you a guy or girl?
asian american guy Sunday, November 03, 2002 at 21:58:03 (PST)

White, American
Say if you did take that blood test and found that you were part (Asian) Indian (from India) would you be happy then, because technically you just found out that you are part asian. Or is it that you want to be part EAST asian? Please specify, "asian" is a very broad term, please realize that. And to political observer,i dont understand why you were so rude to white, american...you should be happy that someone thinks so highly of your culture.
NdNgirl Tuesday, October 01, 2002 at 17:46:34 (PDT)

White American,
you wrote "Please respond"

Of course I will.

I hope you discover what you want so that you can leave everyone the hell alone. You're a sick man.

How anyone can get so screwed up as to what their ethnicity is truly boggles the mind.

What is exactly wrong with the race you are? Maybe you're nordic or french or italian. Wow, that would truly be a shame huh.

Asians are going to have a field day with you. Mark my words you will be their bitch. They'll have you buying them sodas, sandwiches and chips. Hopefully they'll take you under their wings and show you off for the clown you sound like.

Good luck you socially inept nerd.
Political Observer Thursday, August 29, 2002 at 11:44:27 (PDT)

"What defines an Asian person?"

-"Asian" is a very unclear term. You can state "you're 'Asian' and your brother would be 'European' if you travel to Asia while your brother is in Europe". In this sense it's not worth to be talked about.

Genetically, for the case that you have one "Asian" chromosome and 45 "European" chromosomes... it doesn't make any sense to call you "Asian" just therefor.

See, Asia is very big. So it is really hard to say what is "Asian" or un-"Asian". What do you want to become exactly, Chinese, Indian, Arab...?
rare stuff Wednesday, August 28, 2002 at 15:22:25 (PDT)

White,american,
Why do you need to have Asian blood in your system to have good self esteem? There are plenty of things to be proud of re: 2000 years of Western Civilization. If you have self esteem problems, getting surgery to be Asian isn't going to help you. Why do you think Asian culture is better than Western culture?
very strange Wednesday, August 28, 2002 at 12:12:47 (PDT)

What defines an Asian person?
The heritage? Blood relation? Or is is the fascination of the Asian culture and ways?

Say i'm not Asian (which i am not).
I have always wished that I could have been born Asian. My mother has been trying to explain to me that it does not matter where i am from that decides who i will be. I do not honestly believe that. I believe that who i am born as will affect who i will become. There is always this boundary between me and Asians, I am american and they are Asian. That is it, end of story. But I am beginning to think that there is something else, maybe i am asian on my father's side of the family, but we just don't know about it yet. I asked my mom if she could have us take a blood test to see our heritage. The only problem with that is what if I am not Asian? Then i will always have a gap in my head saying you arent Asian and you are not one of the people that have had such an awesome culture and it really makes me feel left out. If I find i am Asian, the i would most likely do something to help me look asian so it would be more obvious. I have had comments on Asian looks but i do not see it. I would feel so good about myself and it would most likely raise my self esteem and such. But as i look back... what if i am not Asian?

Please respond
White, american
goldenbuddha1@juno.com Tuesday, August 27, 2002 at 19:32:29 (PDT)

"Buryats are classical Mongols in almost every sense of the word",

but for how long?

The successfully bicultural life of Buryats and Russians together in Buryatia bases on the values of the common people.

Read www.trimondi.de articles about the potential influence of intolerant Lamaism in Central Asia (including Buryatia) endangering the original culture of the Buryats. (The Trimondis have an English version on their site, too.)
rare stuff Tuesday, August 27, 2002 at 15:47:54 (PDT)

Do a search on Lake Baikal, which is the world's largest freshwater lake. Its surrounding are inhabited by the Buryats of the Buryat Republic, an atonomous region of the former USSR. the Buryats are classical Mongols in almost every sense of the word, except that their language and culture are quickly dying out due to economic pressures and Russification. they are a facinating study.
Am interested in Siberia Saturday, August 24, 2002 at 03:18:45 (PDT)

MLK,

the Siberian model of bi-cultural life:

as far as I know Siberian culture is the only Asian culture having mixed with white culture (as far as you consider Russians as white), except the Asian American culture. Because the Russians have been our neighbours over there for centuries the the climate, the more you get eastwards, is not that much anti-Asian. There are some autonomous republics, like Buryatia and Yakutia or Tuva where Asians are less under pressure because there's naturally less racism, more has to do with mere survival.

(As for the different Siberian natives take a look at my post a comment in the "comparing nationalities" forum on August 19).

Indeed, in Siberia it's like that Russians practice certain Asian rituals and the more white-washed Asians practice Russian rituals. I am interested in Siberian cultures to gradually nullify my own white-washing process.

English is not my mother-tongue, but I can speak/write it better than any Asian language. Not because it's so easy, rather because there was no possibility to learn an Asian language.
rare stuff Monday, August 19, 2002 at 01:30:15 (PDT)

NEWEST COMMENTS | EARLIER COMMENTS