Asian Transplants, Natives and Tourists.

There seems to be a certain arrogance, an unwritten rule between persons that have visited or live in Japan, Korea, and China, and people that haven’t been to these Asian countries. Firstly, I will say that I’m proud and supportive of any black people that choose or have chosen to go abroad and even more proud of blacks that live in foreign countries and represent our race, particularly, African Americans, as a productive, law abiding, viable people that contribute to the betterment of society. However, what I do not like is when there is an heir that is presented to the effect that anyone who hasn’t traveled abroad cannot possibly get a similar experience of Asian culture by maintaining a continuous appreciation of a particular country’s cultural differences, namely, in this case, Japan, from afar i.e. research, current events, education, interpersonal relationships, etc.

Secondly, while my knowledge of Japanese people, politics, government and culture may not be as in-depth as someone’s knowledge that has lived or is currently living in Japan, my current knowledge, appreciation, and respect of Asian culture is such that I can interact on this site and not be in the dark of the topics presented on this site.  Furthermore, due to my pedagogical background, and my experience in exposing children, particularly, inner city black youth, to the highlights of Japanese culture through art, I am in a unique position to use this site, as well as many others, as a resource on a continuous basis to increase my knowledge and provide a better exposure of Japanese culture to youth that would otherwise not know of Japan’s existence beyond an odd shape on a classroom globe or geographical map if at all.

Now, let’s get down to the business of making a distinction between Asian Americans (Asians born and raised in America), Asian tourists (Asians visiting America), and Asian transplants (Asians born and raised in their respective homelands).

From my personal experience—as an American citizen who hasn’t traveled abroad—of interacting with Asians as a peer, a friend, an authoritarian, and as a co-worker—in a professional and casual environment, below are my opinions of these people:

Asian Americans: From my experience, many of the Asian Americans I’ve encountered were largely middle to upper middle class. Many Asian parents are very meticulous about where they raise their children. They usually mimic their Caucasian counterparts, if not exceed them, in their practice of steering clear of average public schools and locate themselves in areas where their children can attend top performing public schools.

They also mimic their Caucasian counterparts in being very trendy: owning expensive homes, multiple luxury vehicles, and frequenting shopping malls, grocery stores, and churches where the Caucasian population is abundant.

Asian Tourists: These people are easy to spot because they travel in large, tightly knit packs and film nearly every step they make. They’re either dressed in professional attire or typical tourist attire and are nearly always in the mode of studying the environment around them. They usually have little or no contact with anyone other than themselves.

Asian Transplants: These people in particular are very interesting. In the transplant stage, some may travel in small packs but as they get comfortable in their new environment they have a tendency to pair off or even walk alone. Some may hold on to their Asian trends where others slowly change over to a more American style in clothing. Some transplants make a good transition into American culture and find the right style of clothing and social circles while others continue to live isolated from the general populous and make poor choices in clothing i.e. clothing that doesn’t accommodate Asiatic dimensions.

Some transplants pick up on social queues and seek out dentistry services i.e. braces, cleaning, etc. while they maintain their indigenous eating habits, whereas others may develop poor eating habits and, over time, develop dental and hygienic problems. Some come from their homelands with dental and hygienic problems and either do nothing to correct their disposition or eventually make an effort to make the necessary adjustments.

Comments

[randi/polemic]

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