Leading Bi-Cultural Lives | Asian American Poll

LEADING BI-CULTURAL LIVES
(Updated Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:24:34 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%

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WHAT YOU SAY

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I think you don't stand any chance of a positive outcome if you are being a fake, in essence lying and deceiving the person you are speaking to. You also play them for dumb, which will insult them when they find out. It may not be " funny" to them to be deceived. Unless they are 12 - it may be funny to those 12 and under. Remember that when you lie, you lose the other person's trust.
Poo Tuesday, April 23, 2002 at 07:20:55 (PDT)

Heya AC,

"Yeaa.., u know what bothers me da most' in New Yawk City? Hearin..those Chinese guys speakin Guido or worse, dressin like them".

Hot Dog in a NYC accent is Haht Dawg.

I have a Chinese friend who grew up in Brooklyn in an pre-dominantly NYC "Italian neighborhood", and he learned to speak with a heavy NYC accent. He dresses in gold earrings, chains and bracelets..and another thing, he works in a construction company along with Italians, Jews, and Blacks who also speak and dress like him. To come to think of it, Guido is really a New York thing and not necessarily an Italian thing.

He also mixes his Guido accent with Jewish/Yiddish words..I heard him one time call this girl a "Yenta" or someone a "Schmuck".

Asians who speak with the "Italian-Guido" accent, or who curses with Yiddish slangs or words just mind boggles the Asians in other parts of the US, who usually speak with more etiquette and proper english.

One more thing, there also some NYC Asians out there who frequently dine on hot dogs, knishes, pretzels and other things from the vendors, and pizza. These Asians are also a special breed as well.

This shows you how NYC and its people can be so unique and isolated from the rest of the country.

NYC Asians can be very unique Monday, April 22, 2002 at 17:34:17 (PDT)

Poo & ?,

I don't know what is root of the hatred for learning an accent.

I learn USA accented english, to acclimate to this country.

And when I went back to asia, I had to re-learn my Chinese accent so that I wouldn't be considered a foreigner in my birthplace.

There a concept called "pacing" or "mirroring" (it goes by other terms). It is basically flattering someone by mimicking them in behavoir, ideas, speech patterns. People in sales and jobs that require persuasion are trained in this concept early on.

So not saying you have to learn any particular accent. But it is probably to your advantage to speak in a similar pattern as those around you.

Unless your advertisy to accents is based on the hick term "gettin' above your raisin'." Too which I reply "I don't like fruits in my cereal."
AC Dropout Monday, April 22, 2002 at 13:23:47 (PDT)

Hank & MLK,

It is the term y'all y'all and all y'all, I have the most contention with. It is like the word "reiterate." You can use the word iterate. A repetiton in meaning.

I always thought So-cal was the south. Just because of the migration pattern of the people in So-cal. That mixie-dixie line goes across the entire continent in my opinion.

I just joke with my friends once that you could tell how far south one was by the number of y'all a person used at one time. If you people using the term "all y'all y'all," you know you should have your passports handy.
AC Dropout Monday, April 22, 2002 at 12:45:32 (PDT)

MLK, if you followed your own advice of "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all", I don't think you would ever talk.
? Monday, April 22, 2002 at 12:06:05 (PDT)

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