Summary
Asian Americans usually face challenges in maintaining and building a new cultural identity. First of all, this problem concerns second-generation immigrants, those who were already born in the US. They are more assimilated into society than their parents, and at the same time, they try to preserve the traditional ideas of their native culture. Typically, Asian families are dominated by a clear structure and hierarchy, which softens among immigrants. However, within the family, children are taught that the well-being and integrity of the family are important, and they should not dishonor their family either. The leading Asian philosophies speak of the basic principles of life, including peace, balance, and harmony. As a result, most Asians seem more non-confrontational and even passive to other cultures.
Therefore, Asians who break out of traditional values more than others are called Americans. In the example I have given, it is clear that the older generation, although it does not oppose merging into a new culture, is still more burdensome to observe traditions. At the same time, their children, who are already considered the ‘more American’ generation because they were born and raised in America, are assimilated more than their relatives. I showed the example of Rongyan and her daughter so that people understand how the cultural identity of those who arrived in America at an already conscious age, and those who were born and raised in the USA, is built.
I have read an article on the subject, American Asians & Asian Diversity Cultural Information, and it fully confirms and explains my example. Chinese New Year, like many other holidays, such as the Mid-Autumn Festival, which Rongyan’s daughter loves as much as Halloween. Their family celebrates Christmas, showing readers that immigrant families honor and value their traditions and the traditions of the country where they now live.
Your Name is Engraved Herein
The film I chose to showcase in my work, Your Name Engraved Herein, perfectly captures the traditionalist mood of Asian culture. I cited him as an example because I wanted readers to understand the origins of such a categorical attitude toward LGBTQ+ people. Asian society is much more conservative even today, in the digital age and widespread and rapidly spreading tolerance. Since Your Name Engraved Herein is set in the 1990s, viewers get a glimpse of how same-sex couples fought for their rights. The film implies the spread of tolerance in Asia and among Asians beyond its borders.
I mention in my work that LGBT people among Asian Americans are more commonly referred to as ‘Americans.’ I found confirmation of this when I read reviews and reviews of the film. Even now, most people who are into Asian culture call the film ‘too American’ compared to other Asian cinemas. I found it interesting, and I thought that understanding that Asian society is changing would help others better understand the topic.
Your Name Engraved Herein is a Taiwanese film that legalizes same-sex marriage starting in 2019. However, the film takes place several decades earlier, when martial law was lifted in Taiwan, as stated at the beginning of the film. It contributed to the development of freedom of speech and opinion, which largely changed society. At the time, homophobia was widespread and open members of the LGBTQ+ community were primarily discriminated against by society. The film is considered ‘American’ because it raises the topic of homophobia, although it is part of Asia’s history and cultural development.
Support for Asian LGBT People
Americans discriminate against Asians as a cultural community in general. However, the article I read to complete the challenge states that LGBTQ Asian Americans are less oppressed and considered more American in the Asian community but among Native Americans as well. In the article LGBTQ Asian Americans seen as more ‘American,’ Kim Eckart emphasizes that gay Asian Americans were perceived to be significantly more American than the average Asian American male, whose sexual orientation was not specified. That, in turn, only reinforces traditionalists’ view: Americans are more tolerant of the LGBT community, which is why gays, lesbians, and others of Asian origin are considered more American.
I cited this as an example in my paper because I wanted to show readers that cultural heritage significantly influences people’s opinions. For example, an engraving from Ancient China, which I added to my work, confirms the information that the emperors were gay. However, the change of power and its promotion of homophobia has led to ingrained discrimination. As a result, a strong family concept developed, and its associated traditions involve the responsibility and obligation to marry, have children, and inherit a family. LGBT is thus considered something out of the ordinary and wrong; therefore, it is ranked as more American.
The Asian American Movement was created to combat discrimination, which is alliances with other non-whites to resist racial oppression and discrimination from American society. The Alliance uses racial and gender struggles as a way to build an interracial and international community. I think this information is essential and necessary to understand that although American society is famous for its tolerance of LGBTQ people, it is still intolerant in many other aspects. I hope this information will help the reader understand why the response of the American community matters.
What I Learned from the Project
While doing this work, I realized that I could more effectively cultivate tolerance in society by raising and covering topics on my own, so I think this is the best way. I am tolerant of all communities and support their desire for equality, so this project allowed me to show different aspects of cultural perception and the process of change in society. Previously, I did not connect discrimination issues with language or race. After reading several articles on the topic, I realized that this is an integral part of the cultural tradition, so everything is interconnected. However, more importantly, while sexual orientation can affect a person’s perception, it still doesn’t stop discrimination in general.
Through our own experience, we form our consciousness, which will be further from our parents’ or relatives’ thinking and ideas. It helped me better understand and support a wide range of different people’s experiences. Moreover, working with those whose goal is to promote equal kindness and responsiveness to all people is inspiring. We create different connections with many other communities because we are different. It helps to address issues of justice and form a tolerant, inclusive, and equal society. I did not have any problems while working on the project because I studied the current topic. In addition, I found it interesting that the emphasis is on Asian American identity, so I was happy to prepare materials that would help other readers of the magazine understand the problem.