Asian-American Culture - Research Paper Example

Running head: Asian American Culture Asian American Culture (school) Asian American Culture Introduction The Anglo-American culture is perhaps one of the most diverse cultures in the world. From the early influences of the Native American peoples to the European influx into the “New World,” the cultural contributions to the Anglo-American traditions are still manifest through the Asian and Pacific influence. The cultural exchange between the Asians and Americans has been considered by some people as a blending of two distinct and opposing cultures. Identifying the distinctly Asian and distinctly American cultures is possible through closer scrutiny and analysis of the current Asian-American culture. In the current age of globalization, Asian traditionalists complain that the essence and their distinctly Asian culture have been Americanized and not given as much importance by the younger generations of Asian-Americans. Those who favor the current trends in the globalization of culture declare that the current trends in cultural exchange are inevitable. Based on these premises, this paper shall now seek to analyze the different aspects of one or more cultures of sub-cultures outside the Anglo-American traditions of American society. It shall describe the Asian and the American culture, compare them, and articulate the influence of the former on the latter. Discussion One of the distinctly Asian cultural qualities is their strong sense of family and family relations. Asians consider the family to be the center of their lives and the foundation of their communities (Chan, 2007). They believe that by living in harmony with their family, they can experience a full existence; and achieving a successful academic performance is the greatest joy they can bestow on their parents (Chan, 2007). The Asian has a strong bond with his family and his family also gives him the opportunities for growth which he can later use when he reaches adulthood. An Asian’s strong family values and bonds can often be seen in the business world where family run businesses are often seen in Asian communities (Asian American Influence, 2008). We see these Asian families working together in restaurants and other businesses; and with each member playing a role and contributing to the profitability of their business. Asian families also expect their children to do well in school and would do everything in their capacity to ensure that their children get the best education (Asian American Culture, 2008). They carry these expectations beyond the borders of their native country as migrants to the United States or to other Western nations. Asian families also have a deep sense of respect for the older generations in their community. “The result is a well-rounded child with a strong identity and bright future. The Asian culture associations are varied and continue to encourage adults and children alike” (Asian American Culture, 2008). These Asian families also tend to preserve their culture even as they are in a new environment. They seek to maintain a stable and nurturing place to call their home (Asian American Culture, 2008). This distinctly Asian value in the American context is maintained for the most part. Most Asians view themselves in the context of their family and as extensions of their family (Sandhu, 1999). For example, the Korean culture emphasizes the nuclear family, education and hard work and even as the current batch of immigrant Koreans are changing their view towards the conjugal family, the basic qualities of the traditional Korean family is still maintained (Sandhu, 1999). Indo-Chinese also emphasize the values of family solidarity and caring for each other – even beyond their family – to the point of sacrificing their own comforts or preferences for others (Sandhu, 1999). For the migrant Indo-Chinese, they find the demands of immigration particularly stressful because the American community (from the school to their locality) is vastly different from theirs and other Americans do not make adjustments to accommodate the peculiarities of their Asian culture. As a result, the Asian culture sometimes experiences functional breakdowns, parent-child role reversal, cross-cultural conflicts, mistrust of American culture and social services, and inability to communicate with other Americans (Sandhu, 1999). When this breakdown is allowed to persist, Asians often lose a sense of their cultural identity. Financial difficulties often prompt women to leave their homes and seek employment – a practice which is very much in contrast to the traditional family values and roles (Sandhu, 1999). Children and adolescents who are exposed at a very early age to American culture adjust faster and better than their parents; unfortunately this causes a loss of respect between children and parents and consequently a denigration of the traditional parent-child roles (Sandhu, 1999). There is a familial hierarchy which permeates the Asian family culture. It transcends from the older male generation to the younger female generation (Sandhu, 1999) Men are expected to support and govern the family, and the women are expected to perform the household chores and to play passive roles within the family (Sandhu, 1999). “Filial piety is regarded as a fundamental virtue and has been a cardinal cultural norm which regulates the relationship between parents and children throughout their lives and in other relations” (Sandhu, 1999, p. 25). The dilemma often arises with the Asian American child wanting to gain personal freedom in his choices and being limited by his family’s cultural expectations. Cultural conflicts can be seen between the Asian and the American culture in the form of parental expectations and teachings. Asian parents teach their children to respect their culture and to be quiet, obedient and to be deferential to their parents (Uba, 1994). However, when these children attend American schools which promote the complete antithesis of their Asian values, they face feelings of conflict and ambivalence. Their teachers may also force or pressure them to adapt the more assertive and independent values of the Americans – values which are in complete contrast to what their parents have instilled upon them (Uba, 1994). American culture emphasizes on open and straightforward communication; but Asian values focus on indirect and oblique styles of communication (Uba, 1994). American culture encourages truthfulness and frankness; whereas Asians are taught to not tell the truth in order not to cause hurt or embarrassment on themselves and on others (Uba, 1994). American ‘openness’ is also encouraged even if it tends to disrupt the harmony of the family; but the Asian culture is protective of the family and discourages the members to openly challenge other family members (Uba, 1994). Americans value pragmatism and going direct to the point in a conversation. Americans “eschew long greeting and leave-taking rituals preferring to exchange only minimal pleasantries before stating, “The reason I wanted to talk to you is”…” (Stewart & Bennett, 1991, p. 156). They tend to get impatient with indirect talk and sometimes resort to cutting off a person’s long-windedness in order to redirect the speaker towards the bottom line. This culture of directness comes in direct contrast to the Asian way of speaking. Consequently, this often creates a culture shock among Asians who are exposed to this directness. For the American visiting an Asian country, it can also create an awkward adjustment period. The Japanese culture can be considered one of the prime examples of this Asian – American cultural contrast. The Japanese culture emphasizes that politeness is equal to indirectness (Yokoda, 2000). Being direct is considered impolite to the Japanese. Among the Japanese, it is impolite to say, “I want to go to the bathroom.” Instead, one should say, “I want to go powder my nose” or “I want to go wash my hands” (Yokoda, 2000). Where Americans tend to express their thoughts directly, the Japanese and other Asians consider it impolite to directly refer to a place or an action which may create undesirable mental images. Even expressing one’s hunger is not considered polite within the Asian circles. Among Asians, (especially the Japanese), it is not considered polite to express one’s extreme hunger. “Instead, even if we are starving, we will say, “Uh…, yes a little” (Yokoda, 2000). The Japanese are very much shocked with the Americans’ directness and honesty. When the Japanese resort to their indirect way of expressing themselves, Americans tend to believe them. By saying “yes, I’m a little bit hungry”, the American might postpone the meal for later. The Japanese might not understand why the American is delaying the meal; and the American might not understand why the Japanese did not directly express that he is starving and not just “a little bit hungry” in the first place (Yokoda, 2000). Taken in other situations, a Japanese student with a roommate may be extremely bothered by his American roommate’s noisy habits. However, in the true Japanese indirectness tradition, he may not admit that he is annoyed or bothered by his roommate’s habits – even when he is asked directly about it (Yokoda, 2000). Later, he may instead express to his neighbors that he is indeed bothered by his roommate’s habits. When this news gets back to his roommate, the latter would likely get mad about the incident. This is a major cause of confusion for the Japanese and the American especially when they communicate or relate with each other. What the Japanese is expressing as his truth – although not directly – is understood in such context by the American. This confuses the Japanese who expects to be understood beyond his verbal expression; and this confuses the American who understands the Japanese expression as it is spoken without having to interpret beyond its obvious context. Between parents and children, the acquisition of American values can be a source of conflict. The children easily acquire American values and behavior in an attempt to be accepted among their American peers (Uba, 1994). These conflicts endanger the basic family traditions upon which Asian culture is grounded on. “Thus, there are sometimes intergenerational conflicts that reflect cultural conflicts: Typically the children prefer a more American way of behaving, and the parents a more Asian way of behaving” (Uba, 1994, p. 125). American-born Asians are in the middle of this conflict because they are torn between wanting to please their parents and wanting to fit in with the bigger society they are living in. In relation to the strong family values of the Asians, they are also known for their conservative values and conservative ideas about sexual intercourse. Although the Asians’ culture about sexual intercourse is open, expressing it outside the bounds of marriage is considered inappropriate (Okazaki, 2002). The culture of Asians is mostly patriarchal and collectivistic and expressing sexuality openly is considered a threat to the integrity of the family (Okazaki, 2002). “Many Asian cultural traditions place emphasis on propriety and the observance of strict moral and social conduct, thus modesty and restrained sexuality are valued” (Abraham, 1999, as cited by Okazaki, 2002). A study of Asian Canadians and non-Asian Canadians in relation to their sexual knowledge, attitudes and norms revealed that Asian Canadians had more conservative sexual values and they had lesser sexual knowledge as compared to their non-Asian Canadian counterparts (Okazaki, 2002). In a study covering 574 6th to 8th grade public school girls in Southern California, the Southeast Asian American girls registered with the oldest preference for initial sexual intercourse and first birth; they also expressed the least desire to have children, the least likelihood of having children outside marriage, and the lowest intention of having children in the future (Okazaki, 2002). In surveying unmarried young adults attending college, Asian Americans registered a later age for initiating sexual contact at 15.1 years and older ages (14) for the start of sex education (Okazaki, 2002). This conservative attitude however has shown a marked deterioration with exposure to American culture. A study by Abramson and Imai-Marquez (1982, as cited by Okazaki, 2002) sought to evaluate feelings of sexual guilt among three different generations of Japanese American men and women and matched groups of White Americans in the Los Angeles area. The researchers were able to establish that the younger generations of Japanese Americans and White Americans reported less guilty feelings with regard to sex and sexual intercourse (Okazaki, 2002). The Japanese Americans however still expressed guilt feelings about sex throughout the three generations, only that such feelings showed a marked decrease with each progressing generation. The above analysis indicates that as the younger generations of Asian Americans were exposed to the American culture, they were also losing their conservative attitude towards sex. They were less prone to guilt feelings about engaging in sexual activities with their partners and were more open to discussing sex in class and as an educational tool. The conservative culture in relation to sex and sexuality mostly revolves around the open discussion of sex. The Asian culture frowns upon the open discussion about sex. Even as their art, movies, sculpture, and books discuss and portray sex, discussing sex openly is unacceptable (Carroll, 2007). Asian parents consider it inappropriate to discuss sex and they teach their children these same values. As a result, their Asian American children as compared to American children are more conservative; engage in sexual intercourse much later in life; believe that sexual intercourse should be carried out within the bounds of marriage; perceive sexual intercourse primarily as a means of procreation; and are less likely to gain sexual or reproductive medical care or attention (Carroll, 2007). In the American environment, these children struggle to fit in and struggle to justify their beliefs. Some of them, in the end, discard their traditional values in favor of the more Americanized culture. For this reason alone, a disintegration of the Asian culture is unavoidable. This conservative culture and attitude among the Asians also affects the dating and socialization process for many Asian Americans. For example, Chinese migrants to the United States were likely to have had pre-arranged marriages and have not had any experiences in dating (Uba, 1994). These migrants naturally do not understand nor do they favor the desire of the children to enter the dating scene. They see dating as a waste of time and effort and therefore are likely to restrict their children’s dating (Uba, 1994). For the Asian-American who wants to fit in with his friends and to experience dating, he is now conflicted on what to do. More often than not, this is once again a source of tension among families. The young Asian Americans are likely to insist on dating, and their parents are likely to object to their children’s dating activities (Uba, 1994). The American culture also capitalizes on independence. This is in stark contrast to the Asian culture which emphasizes on the collective family unit. Authors Samovar, Porter, and McDaniel (2007) emphasize that this American culture is rooted in the history of the United States. From the time the first colonial migrants came to the Americas, the emphasis of their life have been on seeking their independence. The nuclear family culture has been emphasized by the first families in the United States (Samovar, Porter, McDaniel, 2007). This trend has been followed for the last 250 years. This practice has been adapted to this very day when “after attaining a certain age, children even work hard to establish identities distinct from those of their parents” (Wood, as cited by Samovar, Porter, & McDaniel, 2007, p. 68). This is a trend or pattern of behavior which also capitalizes on individualism and on one’s self-actualization. In this case, a mother is a separate and distinct identity from her child, and vice versa. Applied in the practical context, the American child is encouraged to decide for himself, to do what he wants, and to solve his own problems (Samovar, Porter, & McDaniel, 2007). The goal of parents is to raise a child who can take care of himself and after high school can leave the house and live his own life. The difference between the independent American and the Asian culture is already very much apparent based on the above discussion. The Asian culture emphasizes the family collective and interdependence. An Asian child is reared to be dependent on his family – to define his life and his goals based on what is best for his family. In return, his problems and his issues are shared with his family. At its best, the Asian culture brings an emotional security, a sense of belongingness, loyalty, and cooperation within the family (Samovar, Porter, & Samovar, 2007). At its worse, it brings forth confusion and tension within the family circle when an Asian child is exposed to the independent American culture and he seeks to adapt the Americanized way of life. Conclusion The Asian and American culture is vastly different from each other. In a way, just as we are oceans apart in the geographical context, we are also oceans apart in culture. First of all, the Asian culture is very much centered on the family and on the collective family unit. This is very much different from the American culture of independence. These two cultural practices come into direct contrast with an Asian American child who is expected to follow his family’s teachings and preferences while being pressured by the American society to be more independent of his family. Another difference between these two cultures is that Asians tend to be more indirect in their expressions; whereas, Americans tend to be pragmatic and direct. This difference in expression can be confusing for both Asians and Americans because what the Asian is indirectly expressing is interpreted as it is. But, what the Asian is actually expressing is something more beyond those obvious words. Asian Americans exposed to the American culture are often confused and pressured on both sides of the cultural continuum. On one hand, they are pressured by their parents to conform to their Asian culture and to not be too ‘Americanized’; on the other hand, they want to fit in with their peers and are also pressured to not be too ‘Asian.’ The balance between these two cultures can be achieved in some ways; and for the prudent and self-aware Asian American, it is possible to reach such balance without compromising the best of his Asian and American identity. Works Cited Asian American Alliance (2008) Family and the Asian Culture. Asian American Alliance. Retrieved 04 August 2010 from http://www.asianamericanalliance.com/Culture.html Carroll, J. (2007) Sexuality Now: Embracing Diversity. California: Cengage Learning Chan, S. (2007) Understanding Cultural Diversity: Asian American Family Roots. Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics Online. Retrieved 04 August 2010 from http://www.dbpeds.org/articles/detail.cfm?TextID=%20397 Okazaki, S. (2002) Influences of culture on Asian Americans sexuality - Statistical Data Included. Journal of Sex Research. Retrieved 04 August 2010 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2372/is_1_39/ai_87080438/ Samovar, L., Porter, R., & McDaniel, E. (2007) Communication Between Cultures. California: Cengage Learning Sandhu, D. (1999) Asian and Pacific Islander Americans: issues and concerns for counseling and psychotherapy. New York: Nova Science Publishers Stewart, E. & Bennett, M. (1991) American cultural patterns: a cross-cultural perspective. Maine: Intercultural Press Uba, L. (1994) Asian Americans: Personality Patterns, Identity, and Mental Health. New York: Guilford Press Yokota, K. (2000) American Directness and the Japanese. St. Cloud State University. Retrieved 04 August 2010 from http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/kaleidoscope/volume3/direct.html Read More