Winston, why are you so different from other Asian Americans

[ladislav]

Just wondering what created such a romantic soul in you and why do you feel suffocated in the US. Many Asian guys feel quite content or just do not feel anything. They study math and computers, teach martial arts, work in their family's restaurants and stores and follow a very practical and predictable way of life. Most are quite successful financially and are not known for pining about lack of romance except for a few guys here and there. You do not come from a family of artists or international explorers and you did not grow up in Spain or Italy or France- countries famous for aestheticism and things like that.

What triggered such a strange rebellion in you? Most guys in the US would just bury themselves in books or businesses. You had virtually no role model to follow am I right? Instead, you became a role model for others. A role model or somewhat of a maverick, at that.

Now, how many Asian Americans explore Russian provinces alone or leave careers and safety of home for wild and corrupt foreign lands? How many of them end up in swimming pools with gorgeous babes.

While you did describe all those events that lead you to leave the USA, one thing is uncertain- where did you get the awareness to begin with? The point of reference? Where did you get those feelings and such a creative, vehement Latin/Russian soul? Please do share with all the people here.

I am sure all people here would like to know.

[Winston]

That's an interesting and deep question Ladislav. I don't really know. But I guess I could say that some people are not products of their genes or their environment, as my parents and their ancestors do not share my characteristics. Instead, who they are comes from their soul, karma, or original spiritual essence, perhaps from past lives? I know some may have a hard time believing that, but I believe that a person's personality and temperament is based on a combination environment, genes and karmic past lives, not just the first two as scientists claim.

What about you? Are you claiming that everything that you are is a product of your genes and based on events of your upbringing and environment?

[momopi]

With Asian American kids, typically there are 2 groups. The first straddles his ethnic culture with American culture, the second is assimilated and can barely use chopsticks.

To be in the first group, you need to be either 1.5 gen, having attended some schooling back home in his/her native country, before immigrating to US. Or, live in an area with weekend Chinese/Japanese/Korean language school, and attend it from primary to secondary school. Many of my local friends are 1.5-2.0 generation, and attended Chinese or Japanese language school on weekends. They have fairly high language skills (higher than me!).

To be fully in the assimilated group, the kid is usually 3rd generation (sansei) or greater. For example, children of early Japanese American immigrants. Happa children may also qualify. Not all 2.0 generation will fall under this category naturally.

For the 1.5 to 2.0 gen kids who couldn't fully assimilate or connect with their ethnic culture, some develop severe culture clash issues. They feel that they're entitled to be American, but for some reason just can't fit in. When they try to fit in their ethnic culture, they find that they don't fit in there either.

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If I were to marry and have children in the US, I'd choose to live in a city with Chinese language school where they'd learn the classics and tang poems. I'd send the kid there on weekends and take him/her on annual trips to Taiwan, plus vacations to other Asian countries. Perhaps sending them to live with extended relatives in TW for the summers. Succesfully straddling between two cultures come naturally to some, but others will need to develop it over time.

Children also learn languages much faster than adults. So you could send your kid to stay in Japan for few months and they'd probably pick up basic conversation skills. When the kid is older, encourage him/her to join study abroad / exchange student programs to other countries (Europe?). Let them see that the world is a big place and their home town is but a small dot on the map.

[ladislav]

That's an interesting and deep question Ladislav. I don't really know. But I guess I could say that some people are not products of their genes or their environment, as my parents and their ancestors do not share my characteristics. Instead, who they are comes from their soul, karma, or original spiritual essence, perhaps from past lives? I know some may have a hard time believing that, but I believe that a person's personality and temperament is based on a combination environment, genes and karmic past lives, not just the first two as scientists claim.

Yeah, I can't think of any other explanation except past lives. I remember sitting in a bar in Cebu and listening to this Spaniard's long rant about the US- he had a Latin band in Cebu and a shop that sold Spanish foods. He was dancing with cute girls all evening and then praising the Filipinos and telling me how lonely he felt in the US and how racist the people were but here he was respected and he fit in and he had laid 500+ girls already. A similar talk as you, but he was...well, a Spaniard. What else can you expect? But a Taiwanese guy having the same yearnings and feelings and awareness? Very unusual.

The stereotype would be you running a large computer company and working yourself to death, settling in the suburbs and raising a family with a girl you had met at some Chinese dating club or were introduced to by your parents. Or she had also come from Taiwan or China and she would be helping you by running a small computer store. All so happy and living the American dream.

Instead you are gallivanting around the world drowning yourself in wine women and song. The way a Spaniard would do it.

What about you? Are you claiming that everything that you are is a product of your genes and based on events of your upbringing and environment?

Strangely enough, while I am a full believer in past lives, I can trace every event in my life and every choice I had made to the upbringing. I moved to the Russian republic from Ukraine with my parents at age 4. So, I basically absorbed a lot of things there. I was used to a very romantic vehement culture of the place, the emphasis on love, to the abundance of beautiful girls everywhere. Also, when I was growing up there, the Philippines became a friendly country and Philippine movies were introduced and I was absolutely enthralled by Manila and the way of life there. Also, a cute Tartar girl fell in love with me and I missed the chance- since then I pine for Asian girls forever. Also, philology was a very popular subject of study and foreign languages were a very respected field, so I got into those. My parents grew up when Latin American music was the roar in all of USSR and they passed to me the love of all things Latin. So, I learned Spanish and I had a girlfriend from Panama later on. Things like that. They all added up later and I was striving to be in the environment that I thought would give me the ultimate fulfillment- young ladies that look like Tartars ( Thais and Filipinas), Latin music and literature, a devil may care Russian attitude that I readily absorbed.

But in your case, only a past life explanation is feasible. Nothing else.

[ladislav]

With Asian American kids, typically there are 2 groups. The first straddles his ethnic culture with American culture, the second is assimilated and can barely use chopsticks.

To be in the first group, you need to be either 1.5 gen, having attended some schooling back home in his/her native country, before immigrating to US. Or, live in an area with weekend Chinese/Japanese/Korean language school, and attend it from primary to secondary school. Many of my local friends are 1.5-2.0 generation, and attended Chinese or Japanese language school on weekends. They have fairly high language skills (higher than me!).

To be fully in the assimilated group, the kid is usually 3rd generation (sansei) or greater. For example, children of early Japanese American immigrants. Happa children may also qualify. Not all 2.0 generation will fall under this category naturally.

For the 1.5 to 2.0 gen kids who couldn't fully assimilate or connect with their ethnic culture, some develop severe culture clash issues. They feel that they're entitled to be American, but for some reason just can't fit in. When they try to fit in their ethnic culture, they find that they don't fit in there either.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If I were to marry and have children in the US, I'd choose to live in a city with Chinese language school where they'd learn the classics and tang poems. I'd send the kid there on weekends and take him/her on annual trips to Taiwan, plus vacations to other Asian countries. Perhaps sending them to live with extended relatives in TW for the summers. Succesfully straddling between two cultures come naturally to some, but others will need to develop it over time.

Children also learn languages much faster than adults. So you could send your kid to stay in Japan for few months and they'd probably pick up basic conversation skills. When the kid is older, encourage him/her to join study abroad / exchange student programs to other countries (Europe?). Let them see that the world is a big place and their home town is but a small dot on the map.

You are also living in the times when being bilingual and bi-cultural carries some benefit, The past generations did not have any benefit from being bilingual since most foreign countries in those times were poor ( except maybe the UK) or they were the enemies of the USA. Hence generation 1.5 was not a good thing to belong to. People strove to assimilate into the 1st rate US culture as soon as possible, and those who did not became a lost generation, just producers of American children. Now, being fluent in Chinese makes you a valuable employee, before, it was a source of mockery, nothing else.
Also, people could not fly back and fourth between countries as easily and once you were in the US, you were stuck by and large. Non English speaking communities were disadvantaged and shunned. Not anymore, though.

With Spanish and some other languages and cultures, things are not as rosy. Bilingual English Spanish jobs still do not bring as much benefit as knowing say Chinese or Japanese. Knowing Arabic may give you a better chance. Knowing Russian may not.

[Winston]

But in your case, only a past life explanation is feasible. Nothing else.

W: Yeah, either that, or there is some randomizer within each person that produces a random element of their personality that is separate from genetic or cultural influences. lol

BTW Ladislav, you aren't surprised are you, that a Scotsman who had been to a hundred countries that I met in Estonia that I only spent a day with, said that I was probably the most atypical Asian male he's ever met, are you? lol

[ladislav]

But in your case, only a past life explanation is feasible. Nothing else.

W: Yeah, either that, or there is some randomizer within each person that produces a random element of their personality that is separate from genetic or cultural influences. lol

Yeah, it is a mutation of sorts. Very very strange. Well, you, as many mutations have started a major evolutionary social movement. Wow!