Asian Life in Los Angeles | Asian American Poll

ASIAN LIFE IN LOS ANGELES
(Updated Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:13:27 PM to reflect the 100 most recent valid responses.)

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WHAT YOU SAY

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how typical of a japanese person to invade chinese territory only to attempt to assert japanese superiority.

you're eventually going to have to leave the san gabriel valley, just like your ancestors eventually had to leave nanking.

hello =) Thursday, July 11, 2002 at 11:58:23 (PDT)

F*** L.A.,

Do what I do.

Respond with an overemphasis on their accent.

For Chinese/Taiwanese/Vietnamese, say "Oui-lang-fong-si-kwan, Oh la OHH LAAAH! The last 2 words stressed in a uplifting and excited manner.

The phrase means absolutely nothing, but they get the message immediately. It will be a cold day in hell when they make that assumption again.

This is preferable than having a American born person feeling forced to leave a part of America because the FOBs are taking over.
Kanaka sansei Monday, July 08, 2002 at 18:26:47 (PDT)

f l.a.:

ever heard of torrance? plenty of japanese fobs there.
penelope Monday, July 08, 2002 at 18:05:18 (PDT)

If you're a Japanese American or just plain Japanese, and you want to feel out of place, then move to L.A.

Being a Japanese American in this CHINATOWN (San Gabriel Valley), I am a GOD DAMN minority. It's full of fobs. I can't stand it anymore and am getting out of here! When people start communicating to me in Chinese, Vietnamese, Taiwanese, it gets pretty annoying especially when everyone just assumes you're one of those 3 ethnicities! For f***'s sake, haven't they heard of a f***ing Japanese?! Of course not, there are hardly any of them here! Later fobs, I'm leaving!
F*** L.A. Saturday, July 06, 2002 at 03:27:11 (PDT)

Glendora is a great city. Just 10 minutes from Pasadena on the 210! Excellent high achieving schools, and a friendly, family oriented atmosphere. By far a great choice for new families.
min Friday, July 05, 2002 at 17:52:15 (PDT)

LAs still by far the best place for asians
Alen Thursday, June 20, 2002 at 15:30:24 (PDT)

Glendora is the greatest. Excellent Schools, Safe & clean neighborhoods, Beautiful & affordable housing, and an overall great place to raise a family. Just north of Walnut & just take the to the 210 to & from Pasadena. check it out
Glendora Rules Saturday, June 08, 2002 at 11:28:50 (PDT)

penelope,

Thanks. It sounds basically the same as it is here in Los Angeles. Only that the associations here are accepting more and more new members from other parts of the Chinese diaspora (mainly Vietnam and mainland China). The elder (mostly Toisan) leaders of these family associations are grudgingly accepting these new members, as the younger descendants of those elders have no more interest in continuing these functions.

Anyways, if we all had the same surname, then theoretically, we all came from the same ultimate ancestor, right? An ethnic Chinese from Vietnam or a Chinese from Harbin can join our association as long as they share the same surname.
Wong Family Association Friday, May 31, 2002 at 23:57:44 (PDT)

wong family association:

i actually just attend the annual dinners. my grandparents and great-grandparents are actually the ones who first joined and therefore are/were more involved.

my grandfather told me that those associations were created in san francisco b/c the first Chinese immigrants weren't able to afford burial plots. so to help one another out, these associations were formed to pool money to buy plots for burial plots for another when the time came.

kinda nice how the chinese immigrants stuck together at the time.

anyhow...now our assocation basically is a place for the older generation to socialize. but there is a scholarship that they give out every year--which almost always goes to the child of one of the Board members...
penelope Thursday, May 30, 2002 at 21:25:08 (PDT)

Penelope,

What exactly do you do in those family associations? Weekly meetings or what?

I am a civil engineer and never have the time or opportunity to attend one of these functions.

Is it just like going to church and hanging around a bunch of Chinese people and eating good food?

Wong Family Association Wednesday, May 29, 2002 at 23:34:45 (PDT)

i'm chinese and am in a family association.

anyhow, there are more of us in l.a.

penelope Tuesday, May 28, 2002 at 21:54:54 (PDT)

Any of you know anything of Chinese surname associations?

I just went to a family gathering, and this one old and slim elderly uncle in his suit was going on and on in his Toisan speech about why we the younger ones would not attend or join the membership (ours is the Wong Family Association)?

I went over and asked some of the distant cousins what he was saying? He sounded like he was using foul language. Or, was he drunk? Then, he started telling us in his broken English.

He said that the Vietnamese-Chinese were taking over the family name associations and taking advantage of the huge benefits and monetary awards they had to offer. He went on and on about how the Vietnamese (most are ethnic Chinese from IndoChina) are taking over the Chinatown.

But, we told this elderly uncle that we no longer got the time nor attachment to these types of functions. In fact, we even hardly visit the Chinatown.

We live on the west side, and the furthest east we've been to is the Chinatown (occasionally).

How is life in the San Gabriel Valley? Do the various Chinese there have such functions too?

Wong Family Association Monday, May 27, 2002 at 20:58:54 (PDT)

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