Leading Bi-Cultural Lives | Asian American Poll

LEADING BI-CULTURAL LIVES
(Updated Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:24:26 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

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

MLK,

you mentioned that you're Christian influenced. How about your attitude towards baptism. Do you feel that it could be a powerful ceremony?

I was somehow protected by something heathen from my Southern Chinese relatives. So baptism could never convince me of any Christianity. Though I was forced to baptism and felt as if treated like a "bimbo" and also realized that baptism couldn't reach me and seemed to have no spiritual power.
rare stuff Thursday, August 01, 2002 at 17:43:32 (PDT)

curious girl,

"extreme respect for one's elders, extreme importance of education, rigid sex and family roles, ancestor worship"

Having lived in asian and in the USA. I can state yes there is some truth to the qualities list above. But they are relative to the USA and are not something so unique that a non Chinese person would not understand.

respect for one's elders - Even though it is common for someone to say "My parents would not want me to do that" as a common excuse to get out of peer preasure. A lot of the younger generation nod their head for their parent and do their own thing.

importance of education - that true in any society. It is only in Chinese culture where there have been standardized exams for thousands of years that education has been beaten into the culture. So there is no negative stigma of being a nerd.

rigid sex and family roles - I think this is changing a bit. I mean education can still be seperated by sex all the way to college if the parents choose. Some of the best public schools in asia are sex seperated.

ancestor worship - I think this is a misconception. Ever go visit a grave of a dead relative. You worshipping the relative. I did not think so. Although it is customary to keep a shrine for ones parents in the house. I don't believe it has any religious overtones any more so than keeping a urn over a fireplace.

I think I might have miscommunicated something, Confusianism, his basic teaching are relavent and taught like the fable of George Washington and the cherry tree in the USA. It is his most advance works that were recorded in the 4 books 5 classics that have become esoteric to the Chinese populace.

I Ching (fortune telling) and Taoism (philosophy) are about 5000 year old. Relativity (physics) is 50 years old and calculus (math) is about 200 years old. Must be quite some feat to try and compare those 4 school of thought in different fields.

But I'm sure it is quite a read and will be one of my books you will read in your search for understanding Chinese society.

You know if I wanted to bank on my asianess, what to you think of a book titled "Art of War and Dating"? ^_^
AC Dropout Thursday, August 01, 2002 at 10:45:59 (PDT)

rare stuff

Soooo you are not living here in the USA. That explains much. You are in China at this time, yes? Or possibly in Europe, correct?

You are right about the Northern/Southern divide. There is a tendency for southerners to be more relaxed, less rigid about many things. I hate icy weather (I was born in the tropics), I don't like to be feuding about anything (I'm usually a strong advocate for peace and goodwill...all that girlie stuff nobody thinks is cool), and I don't like to be alone (because I get scared of ghosts sometimes, especially after I've seen a scary movie). Soft females are an accident? Then I guess I'm an accident. I'm so soft I make a marshmallow blush.

Power and Wealth. In my mind, the two go hand in hand. You cannot be wealthy and have no access to power. Neither can you have power without access to wealth. Wealth buys power and power creates wealth. The question is, what do you want to show off? The north has money, but prefer to show off their power and strength. The south has power but prefer to show off their money. And that's why the two sides seem to be trying to attain two different things, when in reality, they are one and the same thing. Wealth=Power & Power=Wealth.

You are not Asian enough? Oh sell me something I can believe in. You are so very much Asian that I am having trouble believing you could be anything else but. A piece of paper doesn't classify you as anything that your mind will not conform to. A piece of paper classifies me as American, but although I am American by choice, I am also aware that racially, I am mostly Asian with a little bit of French thrown in for good luck.
MLK Monday, July 29, 2002 at 21:11:29 (PDT)

I agree that perception is key. Using brains is a great idea too, but how will sex appeal draw attention to the great job one is doing? It seems to me it would only be a distraction and will eventually backfire.
hmmmmm....not so sure about that Monday, July 29, 2002 at 19:43:07 (PDT)

AC Dropout,

You say that a lot of Confucianism is no longer relevant, but how much of it do you think has been woven into the fabric of Chinese society? For example, extreme respect for one's elders, extreme importance of education, rigid sex and family roles, ancestor worship? Or do you think it doesn't really play a part in the modern world?

I think you would really like the book I'm reading, "Watching the Tree" by Adeline Yen Mah. She compares ancient Chinese thought such as the I Ching and Taoism to modern Relativity Theory and calculus. :)
curious girl Monday, July 29, 2002 at 18:29:38 (PDT)

rare stuff,

I don't think our disagreement stem from North and South. They are more related to the Feng Shui of where your computer is placed in your room.

If you just move the keyboard 4 inches to the left and the monitor 3 inches back and 6 inches to the right. I'm sure we'll come to perfect agreement on all matters.
AC Dropout Monday, July 29, 2002 at 15:47:10 (PDT)

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