Asian People Are Sharing What They Love About Being Asian, And I Love To See It
In r/asianamerican, Reddit user u/chevronspade posed the question, "What do you like about being Asian/Asian culture?"
And there were so many lovely responses! Here are some of the top-voted answers:
1."Asian food is TOP TIER!"
"I like the fact that I can easily make a meal for $3–$8 that other people pay $20–$30 for."
"The way we cook vegetables and our seasoning varieties. So many Western recipes add some sort of heavy dressing/butter/cheese/oil while Asian veggie recipes are seasoning-based, with maybe a splash of soy or fish sauce. Pickled vegetables are common and can be eaten as such. Just look at the variety of vegetable banchan when it comes onto the table. Check out the spice rack. You can’t come close when it comes down to vegetable variety and spices."
2."Looking younger than everyone else my age. I hated it when I was a teenager who constantly got mistaken for an elementary school kid, but I am really appreciating it now."
3."Family ties. As toxic as some families can be, I'm passing along the good stuff to my kids, which is reverence for your elders and taking care of each other."
"Family values are really embedded from childhood. Parents will give up their lives to help their kids succeed, and the elderly are highly respected."
4."The higher carpet/floor standard from not wearing outdoor shoes in the house."
5."I think it took me a long, long time to really find beauty in my Asian features, but I think that’s what I do like most about being Asian: that my features are strong and they look like my mom’s and all the other women who came before me. They are anything but boring."
6."I’m second-generation Japanese, and I really resonate with the artistic and aesthetic sensibilities of both Japan and the diaspora. Everything from ceramics to my '70s and '80s children’s book illustrations to photography from Fruits magazine. I like how city pop was just pop music from my parents' generation but is now currently 'a thing.'"
7."My friends weep with envy over how long I can go without shaving my legs before it’s noticeable (or at least they did before I stopped shaving them a couple years ago)."
8."Asians are very respectful towards people outside of their immediate family. We call strangers, 'Auntie, Uncle, small friend, little brother, little sister,' etc. I always try to respect the elderly like my own, especially now since both my parents are gone. When I walk through Chinatown, I can’t help but feel that I should be protective of the elderly and the young as if they were my own."
"Yes, I know I had 18 gazillion aunties, uncles, cousins, sisters, and brothers growing up. Not all my blood, but all had respect for themselves and each other."
9."The Chinese writing system is really beautiful. Hangul is really creative, too — it's cool how many of the consonants resemble the shape of your mouth when you're saying them."
10."In Lao/Thai culture, the first thing we ask each other is if we have eaten today. Always warming to hear that from the older folks since the love language is food."
11."The people. I love that I have a built-in community in almost every major city in the US."
12."I like the subtle body language and unspoken expressions that cross Asian cultures. I like being able to 'talk' with other Asian people without talking. Conversely, if I have something going on and don’t want to talk about it, no one is going to pressure me to do so."
13."How it's acceptable to still live with your parents even after you turn 18."
14.And finally, "Group/community awareness. American culture is so focused on the individual and never really about the collective. In Hmong culture, we tend to move in packs, and I always remember to give back to the community. Gratitude and humility are a huge part of many Asian cultures I’ve seen."
"I’ve noticed that our group awareness mindset shines through in even the smallest gestures: being aware of where you and other people relative to you are in a physical space, accommodating others without them having to ask you, adapting to others’ way of life, and mimicking their behavior when you are a guest in their home."
"Collectivism vs. individualism. Human beings are social animals. This notion of fierce individualism, this 'me before anyone else' mindset that's seemingly becoming more commonplace in America, is contributing to its societal decay."
If you're Asian, what do you love about your culture? Share your experience in the comments below!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
