FREE ESSAY ON ASIAN FAMILIES

ASIAN FAMILIES

Being the biggest continent in the world, Asia contains about 60% of the world's
population and growing each year. Though China, and India are two of the most populated
countries in the world, having about 30% of the world's population, there are about
two-fifths of the countries that have less than five million habitants. Though forty-two
different countries make up this great continent, much of the similarities are family
values. Customs and traditions might be different, however, western ideas and influences
have wiped out many of those customs and created new ones in most of the countries in
Asia. Even in comparison from country to country, the new ways and ideas are similar.
The basic Asian family would be the same as in any family in comparison to the rest of
the world. Patriarchy families are more popular amongst many Asian families. It is
believed that the man is in charge of the house in most if not all the countries in Asia.
However, there is some form of equality between men and women in Asia. Some countries
have more equal rights than others. Some countries such as the Middle East countries give
very minimal rights to women. Even a great country like the United States doesn't have
full equality between men and women.
Because of urbanization, western ideas and influences are reaching the average Asians.
Asians are moving into cities with phenomenal speed. In an article by Michael Sivy of
Time International Magazine, Malaysia's Finance Minister Anwar Ibrahim states, "Today,
half of all Malaysians live in cities." Sivy adds, "the result is an irreversible change
in the family structure that has prevailed in Asia for thousands of years." The
urbanization of these families helped to promote further growth in all aspects. It has
"converted the extended family into a nuclear one," says Richard Robison, director of the
Asia Research Center at Murdoch University in Perth, Australia. Because of this new
change, "people are relying less on the family, which in turn is creating new
relationships between old and young and women and men." The change has promoted a lot of
social change and economic change in many of these countries, such as Malaysia. 
By urbanization, many of these people are being influenced by the modernization and
western technological advancements. These influences include democracy, education,
communication, economical developments, medical advancements, employment, and
individualism. Though individualism is present, family values are treasured. Unity is
preserved and family name is heavily cherished. "Asians strongly believe that problems
must be kept within the family," and that "problems are a blemish upon the family name"
as quoted by Lien Roberts, a Vietnamese mother.
Immigration is also very popular amongst Asians. Many immigrate to democratic places such
as the United States, Great Britain, and Canada. Many believe before they emigrate, that
their new land will be much better than the one they currently occupy. Just in the
Greater Toronto Area, there are about 380,000 Chinese-Canadians as reported by Tony Wong
from The Toronto Star. As reported by Mr. Wong, "China is the major source of immigration
to Canada." However, China isn't the only place where immigration comes from. Place such
as Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, and even India, Mauritius, and Jamaica also has emigrants
to Canada. 
Three point four percent of the entire population of the United States is Asian and each
year, that number is getting greater and greater. Because the United States gives them a
better opportunity for growth, much if the Asia's immigration goes here. After battling
racism for about a century, the Asian population in the United States is the fastest
growing ethnic group in the country. "Today, Asian Americans are the fastest-growing U.S.
minority, increasing at fifteen times the rate of non-Hispanic whites, and doubling in
just the past ten years." The growth is phenomenal. Sociologist James M. Henslin states
that most of the population is concentrated in major cities such as, Los Angeles, San
Francisco, and New York City. 
However, even though they are in a distant land, they often preserve their customs and
traditions while also taking on things from the American Culture. In an article written
by Julie Zhou, a Chinese immigrant who is currently a student explains that she is
"determined for [herself] that [she] would fit into American society while still
displaying the positive influences of [her] culture." Things such as clothes, music and
shopping didn't interest her as she explains in this article. Most importantly, she
values the understanding of her parents that told her it was okay to be like that.
"Chinese culture recognizes that personal achievements outside the classroom is pursuits
such as academic activities and community service lead to a well-balanced life. Qualities
such as honesty and good judgment contribute to a peaceful life. Important aspects such
as social involvement and willingness to make sacrifices contribute greatly to success.
Balance, peace and success are the very foundation stones on which we lay our culture,"
is what Miss Zhou believes in. Many Chinese people if not all, also believe in this
philosophy.
The opportunity that lies in the United States is so much greater than that of countries
such as China. With Communism in China and a recession in Japan, immigration one way
Asians can escape and come to a place such as the United States to expand. In an article
written by Karen Ma in Time International Magazine, she tells a story of an immigrant of
Hong Kong named Eric Tsang that came to the United States seven years ago, with nothing
but $3,000 in his savings account and a sister here that gave him a place to live. He
worked as a "busboy in a New York City Chinatown restaurant...eleven hours [a] day, six
days a week, and clear[ed] plates, emptying the garbage and scrubbing toilets." However,
today, he "not only owns part pf that restaurant, but is planning a second. He and his
wife...own their home and are already preparing their two young children...for college."
By working hard and saving, Eric became very successful. The American dream became
reality for this immigrant. Most immigrants from Asia tend to show similar
characteristics as Eric. They all work hard, and conserve their money, hoping one day to
own a house and run a business, giving them extra money to send their children to college
and helping them live an easier life than themselves.
In an interview with my father Kwok Kwong Lee, he explains the similarities between him
and Eric. He first talks about his childhood in China. He didn't have much food to eat,
and never had a full meal when he was a kid. In order to have a better life, him and
several of his friends got together and decided to smuggle into Hong Kong, then a British
Colony. They practiced everyday for months. The swim he tells me was "7 hours long." "It
was really tiring after 6th hour, but we saw how close we were and was determined to get
to land," he explains. After a year in Hong Kong, he immigrated to the United States in
1973. His aunt and uncle lived here, so he lived with them. He worked in his uncle's
restaurant until the restaurant closed down. He made $600 a month, but since he didn't
really have any expenses, he just saved it up. He went back to Hong Kong to marry my
mother and filed an application for her immigration to the United States. He had a
partnership in a restaurant for several years before selling his share of the company.
After that, he worked at the Silver Palace restaurant in Chinatown for a couple of years.
My father bought the house we're living in now in 1987, but decided to rent it out to
have it bring in more money. This was a 3-family house in Sheepshead Bay, so the price
was high. However, this was a great neighborhood and my parents didn't want my sister and
I to grow up in Chinatown, so he bought it for $325,000. About 8 years ago, my father
opened up a fish market in Chinatown. He works from 4 A.M. to 7 P.M., 6 days a week.
However, he doesn't complain at all. Two years ago, he bought a brand new Nissan Maxima.
My father worked very hard through all these years in the United States, but he never
complained. He wanted to make sure that his family didn't have to suffer what he suffered
when he was in China. He made sure we had a place to live in, clothes to wear, and food
to eat. This is the same in all Chinese families. Most immigrants suffered too much in
their own countries, not only China. No matter how hard they work here, it is still
easier than working in their own country.
Asians own many stores and delis today. Many Koreans own grocery stores and delis.
Another group of Asians that own grocery stores are Arabs. Not just only grocery stores
and delis, but many newsstands as well. Chinese people also own many grocery stores, and
many take out restaurants. In any neighborhood in New York City, one will always find at
least one store owned by Asians.
"Asian Americans, the fastest-growing ethnic group in the U.S., are an industrious,
highly educated and successful immigrant community. Their members become brilliant
engineers, capable physicians, and instinctive entrepreneurs. Moreover, they rarely
depend on public welfare because of the strength of their Confucian ethic" 
is stereotype that is accepted widely. However, in a report made by the Asian American
Studies Center, part of the University of California, Los Angeles, shows a "startling gap
between rich and poor members of the Asian-American community." It also shows that the
Southeast Asians are at "the bottom of the economic ladder," and that "30% of all
Southeast Asian families...are on welfare - the highest rate of any ethnic group." It
clearly shows that Asian Americans are not all powerful and do experience problems as any
other group does, proving the stereotype to be false. The reports also show that:
"In 1989, nearly 15% of Southeast Asian Americans lived below the poverty line of
$12,674, a rate 1? times greater than that for whites. For every Asian household with an
annual income of $75,000, there is another with an income below $10,000." 
Even though this is the case, "Asian Americans still occupy only a tiny portion of the
welfare rolls. They make up just 2% of the 13.6 million who receive the government's Aid
to Families with Dependent Children." However, they do somewhat live up to the idea
because: 
"immigrants from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines, and South Korea - make up 11%
of all physicians and 7% of all scientists and engineers in the U.S., though they account
for less than 3% of the population. They help raise the median family income for all
Asian Americans to $35,000, the highest of any group...Today, there are 7.2 million Asian
Americans enjoying widely differing amounts of success. By the year 2020, the number will
be 20 million, and the differences and distinctions will be all the greater." 
Education and other family values are expressed and taught in many Asian cultures,
especially within the United States. As Eric is planning to send his young children to
college, many Asian parents work hard so they can send their children to college. The
result is the booming of professionals within the country from just one ethnic group.
"Finding a better life for their children is a common desire among immigrants. Only 3% of
the population will get into a university in China: a tinier fraction will be admitted to
elite universities," therefore, many immigrate to the United States to give their
children a chance to attend college studies.
Amongst other values taught at home, family unity and respect is another virtue that is
important. "Asian Americans overall have the lowest divorce rate (3%) and the lowest
teenage pregnancy (6%) of any group." They are taught to always work out their
differences for "divorce is a disgrace to the family name." My father tells me that when
he went to school in China, you needed "three elements to be considered a good student:
high grades, physically athletic, and show high respect to everyone." He continues to
explain that if a student was missing one of those qualities, then that student wasn't
considered a good student.
"Trust, love and respect for our family and our elders; integrity, honesty, and loyalty
to all; commitment to education; a belief in order and stability; a preference for
consultation rather than confrontation; ...a preference for obligation rather than
individual rights" 
are some of the things listed by Tung Chee-hwa, a chief executive in a Hong Kong
corporation as that he considers "Asian values. He then talks about what he felt were
"North American values." He described them as "freedom of expression; personal freedom;
self-reliance; individual rights; hard work; personal achievement; thinking for one's
self." 
Another thing taught at home is money and how to manage it. Dr. Chen Chin-kuai states
that: 
"Money is the third most important thing in life. The first is health and the second is
happiness. If you don't have those, what good is money?" 
which is believed to be true by many Asians. Michael Sivy then describes what is
considered a successful Asian is like of Dr. Chen's generation.
"The majority are in business or have professional jobs."
"Most own a car, a computer, a CD player and an expensive watch."
"Among the things they like to buy are fountain pens, fine leather goods and imported
beer and wine"
"More than half see movies regularly and many go to the theatre and concerts." 
However, "their top priorities are buying a comfortable home, being able to afford a
first rate education for their children and ensuring a prosperous old age." That's the
idea of most Asians today. The Chen's "expect no pensions when they retire. They figure
they will have to rely on their own savings." Their way of making money would be to work
hard, save half and put the rest in the stock market as described by Sivy.
Many Asians learn to save money very well. It is not surprising that "Asia may have the
highest savings rates in the world - upwards of 15% of household income. But young people
everywhere have to work extra hard to put aside money beyond what they need for current
living expenses." Sakchye and Kissinee Laohavirojana, both 39 of Bangkok, "met in high
school and married in 1982. But even before their wedding, they were planning. [They]
decided to save for their own house first and after that, if they had children, [they]
would set up another plan for them." 
While some Asians work hard and save half their money while investing the other half in
the stock market, others build their wealth by investing through family businesses. Many
Asians do not believe in the stock market. They would rather take a risk by investing in
their own businesses than put money into the stock markets reasoned Denis Hooi of Kuala
Lumpur, a business owner. He and his wife both have their own firms and share an office
space with a staff of three described Sivy. "They bought an office for their businesses,
which cost them about $72,000...already, the value of their new office has appreciated
about 30% to more than $92,000." 
However, some choose to invest in foreign-currency investing like Thomas Lin and wife
Carol from Hong Kong. They both struggle hard to save and plan on owning their own
business in the future. He also wants to have enough money to start his own family as
Sivy describes. "With such ambitious goals, the Lins have to try and squeeze every last
bit of return out of the money they save. But they are also cautious. Their solution: to
put money into foreign currency accounts." They felt that the "Hong Kong dollar rate was
low, so [they] though why not save in foreign currencies?" explains Thomas. 
Even though most of these values are good values taught in families, there are some that
aren't so good. Not all customs are traditions are accepted by the new generation. In an
article written by Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, she describes the tragic story of Rhena. Her
Pakistanian parents Sekina Khan and Mohammed Bashir were jailed trying to kidnap her to
Pakistan. Even though they immigrated to Great Britain, they still believed in the
traditional ways of arranged marriage. When they found out that she was not willing to go
with them, they "spiked her drink...and attempted to smuggle her away to Pakistan." Over
two hundred cases of British girls are kidnapped and taken over to India, Pakistan or
Bangladesh states Brown. They are forced to marry those they do not want to marry. Some
of these girls often protest. Some so extreme that one victim reportedly "cut her arms to
shreds in protest against a marriage in Bangladesh." Brown argues that Sekina and
Mohammed love their children. She argues that "they believed that the children would
appreciate this and not be seduced by the ways of the West and that they would all carry
on happy ever after as it they had never left that spot in the sub-continent which is
still home in their hearts." 
Some values like the one mentioned before aren't changed. It probably won't change for a
long time. Another value that doesn't change is religion. While technology and science
has greatly weakened the in-depth belief in religion, religion is still remains strong in
the basic Asian family. Even though there are only 42 countries in Asia, there are
hundreds of different kinds of religions located on this continent. However, 3 main
religions remain to be the largest in Asia: Hinduism, which is basically located in
India; Islam, which is located in the Middle East countries; Buddhism, which is located
in most of China, Japan, some of South Korea (Christianity takes up the other major
religion in South Korea), all of the Southeast countries (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and
Thailand). 
Western influences such as science, technology, and investments are some of the things
that Asians have encountered that changed their lives. Instead of being stuck on
traditional values and customs, many have taken a step forward and modernized and given
themselves and their family a chance for growth. The idea of immigrating to a better
place such as the United States and Canada has changed the world, especially Asia.
Growth, prosperity, and for the welfare of the next generation has made millions of
Asians leave their homeland to come here. 
However, not all their values are lost. Family unity, respect, honor, education, money,
and pursuit of happiness are preserved in many of the Asian families. Combined with the
western ideas and influences, Asian Americans have prospered into the fastest growing
successful ethnic group in the country. This is all thanks to those that have left their
country and sacrificed for their children. Working harder than slaves with lowest
possible wages to make sure their children won't have to go through what they have.
Bibliography
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