Leading Bi-Cultural Lives | Asian American Poll

LEADING BI-CULTURAL LIVES
(Updated Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:24:36 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.]

Actually Toi San Jai,

The word "Oriental" does not mean the East. It was put by Western people to refer to the East. Oriental means exotic. It has nothing to do with the East. Easterners can do the exact same thing and call Westerners Orientals. Oriental doesn't mean anything Asian. All it means is exoticism, which the Westerners saw Asians as. However, the West is also "Oriental" to the East.
Dictionary Tuesday, March 19, 2002 at 00:26:56 (PST)

melissa slaker,

Why don't you ask the white men who have been hitting on you at bars.
You can be your own test subject.
AC Dropout Wednesday, March 13, 2002 at 12:26:34 (PST)

i'm biracial japanese-american/german female who is researching exotification of biracial asian women by white men.
melissa slaker mys209@nyu.edu Saturday, March 09, 2002 at 18:24:48 (PST)

(now-obligatory disclaimer: I am biased to view anyone who doesn't speak their ancestral language as not really being a member of that culture.)

PHD:
Not sure if I understand the concept of "low biculturalism" properly. I see lots of phenomena that might fall under this label --- for example among some 2nd or 3rd-generation ethnic Koreans in Japan - they don't care either about Japanese society or their Korean family, but just about getting ahead personally. They tend to be loners and speak only Japanese, not Korean, and don't see supporting other Korean-Japanese peers as any sort of obligation.

For that matter a lot of AAs in the US could fall under "low biculturalism" - not really functional in the Asian culture and marginalized by it due to lack of language/cultural knowledge, but not really wanting to assimilate to the mainstream culture either, so they clique together. But this would seem to be a different phenomenon than that of the above-mentioned subcategory of Koreans in Japan.

But there's enough AAs marginalized by both Asian and US culture to produce their own little subculture over in the US, which itself then goes on to start marginalizing people. Layers within layers. I'm already confused, I'll stop for now.
T.H. Lien OnceADayForFourWeeks@yahoo.com Friday, March 08, 2002 at 20:54:01 (PST)

T.H. Lien,

Good points. One correction on acculturation. Acculturation is viewed as a process where individuals can become assimilated (to dominant or majority culture), low bicultural (marginalized to both cultures), high bicultural (integrated to both cultures), or traditional (separated from dominant or majority culture). The reason you have not seen it in action is that it is subtle and longitudinal. I am currently writing a concept analysis on the subject for my theory class. So do you see Asians undergoing an acculturation process?

P.S. PHD actually stands for doctoral student, not Dr. or Ph. D yet.
:-)

PHD Wednesday, March 06, 2002 at 18:47:32 (PST)

NEWEST COMMENTS | EARLIER COMMENTS