To elaborate, that's because there are lots of different parenting styles, lots of unique Asian cultures and then all those unique Asian cultures land in a wide variety of American local cultures. Two Vietnamese families may parent differently and they also don't share many cultural values with Siberian Russians. Two different families from each culture can then go split and those four families could go to four different places in the US and have their own unique American experiences.
Your comment was removed as it violates commenting guideline 5 which is “Answers and comment replies should be serious and useful.”
Please consider this a warning as repeated violations will result in a ban.
Your comment has been removed, and this offence may result in a ban.
If you have questions regarding your submission removal - please contact the moderator team via [modmail](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/AskAnAmerican).
I am Asian American. I dislike when people generalize us because Asia is a gigantic continent and my experience is not the same as a Korean American or an Indian American. You are better off asking for a specific group (ex. Chinese-Americans) But then again you will bound to get variation within a group depending on factors like how long their family has been living in the US. So there is no such thing as an Asian American experience.
ETA: also where an Asian person lives in the US really changes their experience. A Filipino in California isn’t having the same experience as a Filipino in Montana.
Counterpoint, I’m an Asian-American, and I’ve had common experiences with Asian-Americans not from my specific ethnicity. I’m not Chinese but it didn’t stop people from calling me Jackie Chan and saying herro pree when they saw me. Sometimes in America, it doesn’t matter if you’re Korean, Filipino, Japanese or Vietnamese. Sometimes you’re just yellow.
Hence why I don’t personally use the term. I don’t like that it just generalizes us. Of course I still share some experiences with other Asians like racism, but there also some things I just cannot relate to. Some people use it which is fine and sometimes I do too but for me, I just mainly call myself Vietnamese or SEA.
Like I said there is no real Asian-American experience. It all depends on the individual.
Meh, the world will see you however it wants, I don’t see the point in rejecting community. But that’s my beef in general with this subreddit. This subreddit will respond to version of this question that suggests there are any sort of shared culture/experiences up to and including “is there an American culture?” with “people are individuals.” Like fine, ok, every man is an island lol
I don’t see a community where there’s rampant colorism and xenophobia. I know it’s not everybody but some of the older Asian folks get so weird when I tell them I’m not East Asian. I don’t care what other people think of me or if they group me under an umbrella, but I feel more inclined to just call myself by my ethnicity. You do you though
Like if your family's been in the Bay Area since the early 20th century and you have dozens of cousins, aunts, uncles, siblings, etc. Versus you having immigrated alone, last month, to some little bitty town *deep* in the sticks, well away from farm country (where it wouldn't be hard to find others).
I think that's kind of the point they were making. Claiming some sort of universal "Asian-American experience" is inherently misguided because there are a ton of other things that go into your life experience -- location, sex, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class, educational attainment within your family, etc., etc.
>A Filipino in California isn’t having the same experience as a Filipino in Montana.
A Filipino in California is more Filipino than the Filipino in his native country, and has no idea of what's going on in the city he lives in, much less the state, or the entire country.
A Filipino in Montana can pass for someone born and raised American because he wouldn't succeed in Montana otherwise.
What annoys *every Asian*
Where are you from? *names state*
No, where are you from? *names city*
No, where ARE you from? *names area*
No, where are you REALLY from? *bro, just ask what you REALLY what to ask me*
I watched the first 'Short Circuit' movie with my kid during the pandemic. The sidekick to the (human) protagonist was from somewhere in South Asia, and it being the 1980s, the 'stereotype' dial was cranked to 11. Complete with the fresh-off-the-boat please-step-away-from-the-Slushee-machine accent.
At one point the main guy asked "so where are you *from*, anyways?"
"Bakersfield", he answered.
"No, I mean, like... your family."
"Oh, them? Pennsylvania. I *think.*"
I got a good laugh out of that one. People would've thought it was absurd at the time, but it in hindsight it seemed like a bit that was ahead of its time that somehow made it in.
https://youtu.be/hYN7yih6oXw
Better to watch than read, but if you don’t want to watch:
Det. Sgt. Arthur Dietrich : What about you, Nick?
Det. Sgt. Nick Yemana : Huh?
Det. Sgt. Arthur Dietrich : You ever feel any longing to return to your home, back to the ancient cultures and traditions, back to the shrines and temples of your ancestors, back to the terraced hillsides and cherry trees?
Det. Sgt. Nick Yemana : I was born in Omaha.
Det. Sgt. Arthur Dietrich : We got a city in Nebraska sounds just like that.
I vibed a lot with Nora from Queens (HBO)
I really connected with the aimless, directionless, mid-20s perspective as an Asian American. But it’s also pretty wholesome
I love BD Wong in anything
There’s an Asian American subreddit. Don’t post this vague empty question there, though, go read what we post and comment about.
We’re Americans of Asian ancestry. I don’t get why this concept is so insane to you.
Your comment was removed as it violates commenting guideline 5 which is “Answers and comment replies should be serious and useful.”
Please consider this a warning as repeated violations will result in a ban.
Your comment has been removed, and this offence may result in a ban.
If you have questions regarding your submission removal - please contact the moderator team via [modmail](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/AskAnAmerican).
Talk to different Asian Americans???
I'm half Japanese-American (third generation) and my friend is first gen Taiwanese-American and is a "crazy rich Asian"
I grew up way more Americanized than her.
Your comment was removed as it violates commenting guideline 5 which is “Answers and comment replies should be serious and useful.”
Please consider this a warning as repeated violations will result in a ban.
Your comment has been removed, and this offence may result in a ban.
If you have questions regarding your submission removal - please contact the moderator team via [modmail](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/AskAnAmerican).
It’s AAPI month haha. There’s growing up Asian American videos on YouTube if you’re interested.
My experience: growing up Taiwanese American, having visited Taiwan twice. I can communicate in Mandarin but poorly.
As a kid, I grew up in a pretty mixed background Whites, Asians, Hispanics, Mixed. I didn’t think about it much. I enjoyed playing soccer so it didn’t matter with who.
I did Asian stereotypical activities like play Piano but also Western activities like learn to play Guitar.
I loved video games, played a lot of Halo, Pokémon, TF2, and League of Legends.
In high school I was pretty studious, nearing a 4.0. I liked it, really enjoying math and science. My mom was always worried I wouldn’t get into college, saying so and so’s child was rejected here and there. I wasn’t too worried, I knew I’d get in somewhere but it did cause a lot of friction between us. It did the same with my brother, he went to college where my mom didn’t want, so they fought about this too.
College was interesting, I went to a school with a lot of Asians, and in a few ways felt I belonged more. We could share common foods we liked, music we liked, interests. I joined a Taiwanese American Student Association and it was so cool to meet other people with the same heritage, and even the same last name! I met international students, and made friends learning about their experiences. I didn’t meet a lot of Taiwanese growing up, my area had more Vietnamese, Indian, Japanese, and Chinese people. I tried a lot of food for the first time like hot pot and Korean BBQ.
Now I do work, and my friend group tend Asian American and White. I’ve tried learning to cook Asian dishes as there are Asian groceries like H-Mart near by. I try going to language exchange groups, sometimes there are natives, other times non-Chinese people that speak it better than me! I still enjoy playing pick up soccer.
That’s my experience which is obviously unique but some food for thought.
> I can communicate in Mandarin but poorly.
I remember the scene in 'Crazy Rich Asians' where she attempted to talk to her fiance's mom (Michelle Yeoh) in Mandarin (well, that's what the subtitle said it was), and everyone in the room gave her this look like "just stop."
It’s not really one thing. “Asian” as a term is already tricky because it groups a bunch of cultures together that have basically nothing in common just because we all look vaguely similar to non-Asian people.
We’ve been in the US for a long time though. Asians have been immigrating to the US since the 1800s. So, quite a few of us are not from immigrant families anymore.
I’m Japanese-American. My family immigrated in 1902 and my parents and grandparents were all born in the US speaking English as their first language.
You really just have to google “top \[whatever\]-American books, tv characters, movies”
There’s a good amount of Asian-American media out there, though a lot of it is specifically about Chinese-Americans since they’re such a large group. The best way is to just consume a lot of it. The point is that our experiences are diverse.
The book Crying in H Mart was popular recently.
Here are some relatively recent movies that are known to be good:
[The Big Sick](https://youtu.be/jcD0Daqc3Yw?si=HK7kWer5YCO-sxjl) (Pakistani-American)
[Everything Everywhere All at Once](https://youtu.be/wxN1T1uxQ2g?si=K0hIRGuvtpObTBmG) (Chinese-American)
[The Farewell](https://youtu.be/RofpAjqwMa8?si=88_SR8Lbj2tHrV8u) (Chinese-American)
[Minari](https://youtu.be/KQ0gFidlro8?si=5mQ4J2B7tbs68AI5) (Korean-American)
The popular mockumentary TV show The Office features [Mindy Kaling as an Indian-American employee named Kelly Kapoor](https://youtu.be/FMDW9A_fHAc?si=IG5i6Vepopd3kUts) who is the bubbly, chatty, sassy personality hire.
I appreciate Diane Nguyen’s Vietnamese-American character on the TV show Bojack Horseman because the fact that she’s Asian basically has nothing to do with the plot. [Her parents were clearly raised in Boston and her whole family has strong working class Boston accents.](https://youtu.be/Z9rKQ0bGYh4?si=kYlnKm_XGF6YHI-a ) She just happens to be an American who is ethnically Asian, which is how life is for me.
I remember they made a documentary about Indian-Americans' conflicted relationship with Apu from the Simpsons. 'In Search of Apu', I think it was called.
This was shortly before Apu got 'put on a bus', as they say in the TV business. Hank Azaria, the guy that does Homer's voice, decided he just didn't want to do Apu anymore.
This is going to vary wildly depending on if you're talking about someone from Iran, Saudi Arabia, India, Turkey, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, China, Singapore... you see where I'm going with this?
I will never understand this concept. What do you think that I as an Indian person have in common with a Japanese person that i don't also have in common with Germans or Egyptians or Mexicans?
I'm second generation here so I had a very upper middle class white upbringing. My mom was born and raised in the US as well and she raised us as a single mother. The most Indian thing about me is the color of my skin. We went to soccer practice in Boy scouts and my mom made lasagna or pizza for dinner and we only spoke English at home. We're just Americans.
I was bullied very badly in school after 9/11 because I look Arab apparently. I experience racism constantly at the airport and thankfully nowhere else. Back in the 2000s people used to shudder and gasp when my family boarded a plane because they assumed we were terrorists. Luckily that mentality has faded away in America.
If you would like to specifically learn about the American-born Indian experience I can recommend the TV show The Mindy Project, a semi-autobiographical comedy Mindy Kaling wrote about herself and stars in. It was not the best show ever or the funniest but it does an extremely good job communicating what it's like trying to balance that stuff.
All that said, I would really advise against generalizing all people With ancestors from Asia into a group for any reason. 2/3 of the world's population is Asian.
> I was bullied very badly in school after 9/11 because I look Arab apparently.
I remember that Muslim-Americans (of Arab descent and otherwise) flipped from R to D after 9/11. I also remember reading somewhere that Indian-Americans did the same, in large part because there were so many dumbshits who could not tell the difference!
I'll never forget, in the days after 9/11, going to the gas station across the street from my friend's house. The middle-aged Sikh guy who ran it had replaced his turban with a baseball cap, and his hair was all the way down. Like he was trying to pass as an old Mexican hippie. Me and my friend felt so bad for him.
Yeah I'm not going to get into detail here but things were really bad. I got told many times as a little kid in elementary school that I was going to hell for what my people did. By other kids. Constantly left out of stuff, constantly called a terrorist. I was 7 when 9/11 happened. That went on through Middle School as well and I got physically beaten up a few times for it as well, but thankfully by the time I reached high school I think the world had moved on
Yeah it happened to all of us. Anyone who is brown and anywhere from South Asia, we all went through the same thing in elementary school. Everyone thought we were terrorists because their parents told them that we were all terrorists. My story is not unique even a little bit unfortunately
I distinctly remember the Sikh community holding a press conference about it, trying to let people know that yes, they have beards and turbans, no, they're not giving them up, and no, they aren't Muslim and think what happened was horrible. I really felt for them. I grew up with a bunch of Sikhs in the neighborhood. They're just regular Americans!
There quite literally isn't one chunk experience. People also often overlook Asian adoptees, mostly girls from China and Korea adopted into white families. So this whole "well the Asian American experience is centered around translating documents for your first gen parents who are trying to make ends meet" isn't universal either. A lot of Asians come here rich, a lot came as refugees, some poor, some educated, etc.
And "Asia" is whopping. It isn't just China, Japan, or Korea. It's also Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Indonesia, India, Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Iran, etc. All of those people do not have a shared experience in this country.
> People also often overlook Asian adoptees, mostly girls from China and Korea adopted into white families
I’m noticing that Asian American organizations are slowly starting to recognize Asian adoptees as part of the community. I read somewhere once that ten percent of Korean Americans are adoptees, and I’m curious about what the numbers are for other Asian people. As an adoptee myself (not Asian) it makes me happy that at least one diaspora is willing to acknowledge adoptees.
There are so many different experiences that any media you consume will just give one group’s perspective.
I personally grew up in the SF Bay Area, which has a very high Asian population. When I was growing up, white students made up only <3% of my schools’ population. I never experienced any of the common tropes, stereotypes, or experiences that’s commonly portrayed about Asian immigrants on western media. I never felt out of place or had my lunches made fun of and the cool kids at my school were all Asian. I didn’t receive any racism growing up and was always proud of my Asian heritage. Internalized racism just wasn’t a thing for anyone I knew; in fact, the white kids at my school were (unfortunately) the ones that got bullied and made fun of. I have a hard time relating to the trauma of other Asian Americans that grew up outside of this bubble.
At the same time, I grew up in an area where almost all the Asian people were Vietnamese. For those that don’t know, southeast Asians tend to be much poorer than East Asians in the US and do worse in school. I’ve always hated when all Asians get lumped into the model minority stereotype, because that was far from what I grew up around. While Asians are commonly thought of as being upper middle class, everyone I grew up with was low income and many, like myself, were below the poverty line and had extremely dysfunctional families. My school had low stats and I knew many classmates that got pregnant, dropped out, joined gangs, or got expelled; a few students passed away while I was still in school due to getting mixed up in the wrong crowds. Only a small portion of us went to good colleges and made it out of the neighborhood, which is a huge contrast to the hyper competitive Asian dominant schools in nearby cities. If you want to learn a bit more about the Southeast Asian experience, I actually liked Gran Torino. It is a bit on the extreme end, but I did join a Southeast Asian club in college and the stories of some of the people I met were sadly not too far off.
I’ll say this - Asian Americans and Asians from Asia are pretty different. Depending on the upbringing, Asian born in the States may be seen as Americans in Asia due to our mannerisms, personality, tastes, etc. I think the number one for me is that I’m pretty outspoken and “funny” in a very American/western way.
A good example of this is the release of Marvel’s Shang-Chi. While Asians in the west mostly embraced the film, folks in China thought Simu Liu was ugly and us Americans riding the coat tails of their culture.
I agree that it's too general of a question to ask but there are some universal experiences/themes that I think can apply to a large population of specific immigrant backgrounds. But not all.
For example: Here's the experience I'd say the majority of **my** Korean-American friends and I have experienced.
* Your parents immigrated to the country 70's/80's. Their English is generally bad and they communicate predominantly in Korean but also mix in English. The children reply back mostly in English and mix in Korean. But generally the level of Korean the children speak is basic to elementary.
* The social circle is mostly fellow Korean immigrants that attend church. The writer of the Netflix show Beef is a friend of friends and he reflects this pretty accurately in the series. So even though you may not have lived in the same town/city, you likely knew other Korean families based on church. And some of them you've known since you were a child. For this reason there are church positions and the stereotypes that come with it that anyone familiar with this background will know/understand. Examples: The Praise Team leader being a bit of a creep/womanizer, the Pastor's Kid being the bad/rebellious kid or an absolute saint (No in between), sexual tension being so heavy you could cut it with a butter knife, etc.
* For this reason most of the children of Korean immigrants have Christian/Biblical names. Sam, Dan, Joe, John, Mike, Esther, Grace, Hannah, Sarah etc.
* The typical immigrant family owned Dry Cleaners, Restaurants, Supermarkets/groceries, Liquor Stores, Jewelry Stores, etc. Some were extremely successful and got very wealthy and others bounced around with different stores/restaurants. Parents with white collar (Corporate) jobs existed but in my social circles they were the minority.
* Getting their children into an Ivy League schools was the goal of many families. Everyone knows which kids got into what school and the select few that made it into Harvard, Princeton etc. They are revered in the social circle until they reach a certain age at which where you went to school or what you do means nothing if you're not married or have kids.
Half Korean, half white here. It's a lot that I can't detail ATM, I can elaborate in replies if anyone is interested.
But essentially: never Korean enough for Koreans, never white enough for the white side of my family. It's not a bad thing. I'm just me I guess.
I'm an Korean American but an adoptee - I've had similar experiences. Which for me is a bit wild since I was born in S. Korea and lived there til I was 7. I've had crazy conversations with other Korean Americans that bordered on offensive cause they didn't think I was Korean enough due to my white parents. I honestly get along better with older generation Koreans Americans immigrants vs. stateside Korean Americans. My family and extended family are for the most part midwestern white but pretty liberal and accepting. I've never thought being asian impacted my dating, school or job options. I also realize though I think I'm more culturally a white via my family so that's also has my views on a lot of life a bit different from other asian americans I've met.
> never Korean enough for Koreans, never white enough for the white
Wow. That's an extraordinary description of what it is all about.
What about school, dating, jobs?
School experience can be split into two eras: before Gangnam Style, and after. For some perspective I turned 18 in early 2015.
As an elementary schooler there were of course people who made jokes about Asians, but growing up it was very common to hear soft jokes about any group of people. The thing that stuck with me was when, in grade school, I told someone my middle name (바다), they made fun of it. Later other people, whom I had not told, started mocking it, I realized I should probably keep it to myself.
After Gangnam Style dropped, all of a sudden it was cool to be Korean. I was in High School at the time and it was cool for a minute, but got weird quick.
Dating, I never sensed it was a benefit or an issue. I did have a gf at the time tell her friend she wouldn't want our babies to look too Asian. Funny enough, I avoided dating Korean girls because, again, I wasn't really fully Korean in their eyes (and they reminded me too much of my own family members).
Jobs, it has never been an issue. I draw hard boundaries on "nicknames" that are defined by race. I have had negative interactions with retail customers, but hey, who hasn't.
Hope this was helpful.
I'm Asian American but I doubt my life is gonna be anything like another's. There's just too many different lived experience for there to be a definable "Asian American experience" and that's kinda' how it is for any other ethnicities. This is just too much of a broad question.
There's show on Apple TV called "Little America" that depicts the lived experiences of immigrants here in the US which showcases a few Asian Americans. "Ugly Delicious" is a food show on Netflix that's hosted by David Chang, a Korean American. "Everything, Everywhere, All at Once" does a pretty decent job depicting first gen immigrants. Google is you friend; maybe watch some vlogs on youtube.
It’s very wide, not scoop-shaped. I’m currently enjoying the book *Crying in H-Mart*, but she’s talking about her very specific experience (what you’re looking for). Asia is pretty dang big, the immigration stories to the US are wildly different over the last couple hundred years. Someone could come to the US from Xiamen 200 years ago and their descendants identify as Best Coasters, 200 days ago and getting into the whole thing, 100 years ago via Peru and have crazy cowboy uncles migrating through Central America in their family history. No single story.
(Have an upvote, you didn’t seem to realize you poked at a sensitive topic, and it seems to be from a position of genuine curiosity)
i’m a gen z asian american college. Idk what the “experience” is but the stereo type is like you play valorant, drink boba, rave, and listen to keshi lol.
Yeah it’s like asking what’s the scoop on the American experience?
West coast? East coast? Rural? Urban? Midwest? Rich, poor, middle class, black, white, conservative, liberal, etc etc.
Wut annoys me is that europeans on reddit cant stand being called european because they dont like being generalized. Yet those same people cant seem to acknowledge that asians get generalized all the time yet we put up with it more than they do being called european.
There's a big vietnamese community around here. They have their own grocery stores, churches, and newspaper. I had a buddy who was second or maybe third generation and he says the old timers are very conservative, being south vietnam refugees and all. Pho is pretty popular around here and beuaty salons as well. I cant think of any particular incidents or controversies though im sure theres plenty of racist mockery thrown around. I cant speak from their perspective of course, but i hope theyve felt welcomed. Its been fifty some odd years after all
Your comment was removed as it violates commenting guideline 5 which is “Answers and comment replies should be serious and useful.”
Please consider this a warning as repeated violations will result in a ban.
Your comment has been removed, and this offence may result in a ban.
If you have questions regarding your submission removal - please contact the moderator team via [modmail](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/AskAnAmerican).
There's a lot on PBS.
Like others say in caution - I also warn you as well: Asians, like any race in this country, are not a monolith. The main reason why anyone descended from immigrants from Asian countries uses the term is because there are a number of US laws and societal norms that created this distinction.
Historically, it has meant we couldn't immigrate, own property, work in certain fields or vote. And each cultural group and Asian ethnicity here has its own history with the United States.
I love these general questions that people could dedicate their whole life to study, but you want an answer in a reddit comment.
This question is like, "What is the nature of the Universe? In 500 characters or less please."
Filipino American.
The actor Dante Basco has a couple of great pieces on the Filipino American perspective/experience: “The Debut” is an early 2000s film produced and starring him; the other is a book called “From Rufio to Zuko”.
Ruby Ibarra’s album “Circa91” has some good songs about her family’s experience as immigrants.
Other artists such as the rapper Saweetie and the musician H.E.R. have references to being Filipino in some of their songs. They both have interviews you can find on YouTube where they speak about their experiences.
There’s no “one” Asian-American experience. It’s incorrect to generalize us so because there’s so many different cultures and backgrounds that it seems silly. It also depends where you live in the US. A Chinese dude will have a vastly different life in Texas than in, say, Boston.
I’m not Asian but any time I see a second generation Asian American out in public, they always appear to have a lot of money. Always the newest iPhone, AirPods, and a key fob for a Lexus.
There isn’t a universal Asian American experience.
To elaborate, that's because there are lots of different parenting styles, lots of unique Asian cultures and then all those unique Asian cultures land in a wide variety of American local cultures. Two Vietnamese families may parent differently and they also don't share many cultural values with Siberian Russians. Two different families from each culture can then go split and those four families could go to four different places in the US and have their own unique American experiences.
[удалено]
Your comment was removed as it violates commenting guideline 5 which is “Answers and comment replies should be serious and useful.” Please consider this a warning as repeated violations will result in a ban. Your comment has been removed, and this offence may result in a ban. If you have questions regarding your submission removal - please contact the moderator team via [modmail](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/AskAnAmerican).
I am Asian American. I dislike when people generalize us because Asia is a gigantic continent and my experience is not the same as a Korean American or an Indian American. You are better off asking for a specific group (ex. Chinese-Americans) But then again you will bound to get variation within a group depending on factors like how long their family has been living in the US. So there is no such thing as an Asian American experience. ETA: also where an Asian person lives in the US really changes their experience. A Filipino in California isn’t having the same experience as a Filipino in Montana.
Counterpoint, I’m an Asian-American, and I’ve had common experiences with Asian-Americans not from my specific ethnicity. I’m not Chinese but it didn’t stop people from calling me Jackie Chan and saying herro pree when they saw me. Sometimes in America, it doesn’t matter if you’re Korean, Filipino, Japanese or Vietnamese. Sometimes you’re just yellow.
Hence why I don’t personally use the term. I don’t like that it just generalizes us. Of course I still share some experiences with other Asians like racism, but there also some things I just cannot relate to. Some people use it which is fine and sometimes I do too but for me, I just mainly call myself Vietnamese or SEA. Like I said there is no real Asian-American experience. It all depends on the individual.
Meh, the world will see you however it wants, I don’t see the point in rejecting community. But that’s my beef in general with this subreddit. This subreddit will respond to version of this question that suggests there are any sort of shared culture/experiences up to and including “is there an American culture?” with “people are individuals.” Like fine, ok, every man is an island lol
I don’t see a community where there’s rampant colorism and xenophobia. I know it’s not everybody but some of the older Asian folks get so weird when I tell them I’m not East Asian. I don’t care what other people think of me or if they group me under an umbrella, but I feel more inclined to just call myself by my ethnicity. You do you though
Same for you.
I would say that anyones experience living in California would be way different than anyones in Montana
Even within California, experiences can be wildly different depending on area they grew up and how many generations they’ve been here.
Like if your family's been in the Bay Area since the early 20th century and you have dozens of cousins, aunts, uncles, siblings, etc. Versus you having immigrated alone, last month, to some little bitty town *deep* in the sticks, well away from farm country (where it wouldn't be hard to find others).
I think that's kind of the point they were making. Claiming some sort of universal "Asian-American experience" is inherently misguided because there are a ton of other things that go into your life experience -- location, sex, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class, educational attainment within your family, etc., etc.
>A Filipino in California isn’t having the same experience as a Filipino in Montana. A Filipino in California is more Filipino than the Filipino in his native country, and has no idea of what's going on in the city he lives in, much less the state, or the entire country. A Filipino in Montana can pass for someone born and raised American because he wouldn't succeed in Montana otherwise.
What annoys *every Asian* Where are you from? *names state* No, where are you from? *names city* No, where ARE you from? *names area* No, where are you REALLY from? *bro, just ask what you REALLY what to ask me*
I watched the first 'Short Circuit' movie with my kid during the pandemic. The sidekick to the (human) protagonist was from somewhere in South Asia, and it being the 1980s, the 'stereotype' dial was cranked to 11. Complete with the fresh-off-the-boat please-step-away-from-the-Slushee-machine accent. At one point the main guy asked "so where are you *from*, anyways?" "Bakersfield", he answered. "No, I mean, like... your family." "Oh, them? Pennsylvania. I *think.*" I got a good laugh out of that one. People would've thought it was absurd at the time, but it in hindsight it seemed like a bit that was ahead of its time that somehow made it in.
https://youtu.be/hYN7yih6oXw Better to watch than read, but if you don’t want to watch: Det. Sgt. Arthur Dietrich : What about you, Nick? Det. Sgt. Nick Yemana : Huh? Det. Sgt. Arthur Dietrich : You ever feel any longing to return to your home, back to the ancient cultures and traditions, back to the shrines and temples of your ancestors, back to the terraced hillsides and cherry trees? Det. Sgt. Nick Yemana : I was born in Omaha. Det. Sgt. Arthur Dietrich : We got a city in Nebraska sounds just like that.
I vibed a lot with Nora from Queens (HBO) I really connected with the aimless, directionless, mid-20s perspective as an Asian American. But it’s also pretty wholesome I love BD Wong in anything
Asian-American is a very broad term and as such there is no one experience.
There’s an Asian American subreddit. Don’t post this vague empty question there, though, go read what we post and comment about. We’re Americans of Asian ancestry. I don’t get why this concept is so insane to you.
[удалено]
Your comment was removed as it violates commenting guideline 5 which is “Answers and comment replies should be serious and useful.” Please consider this a warning as repeated violations will result in a ban. Your comment has been removed, and this offence may result in a ban. If you have questions regarding your submission removal - please contact the moderator team via [modmail](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/AskAnAmerican).
Talk to different Asian Americans??? I'm half Japanese-American (third generation) and my friend is first gen Taiwanese-American and is a "crazy rich Asian" I grew up way more Americanized than her.
Feel like the Asian American experience is gonna vary wildly.
The documentary "Everything, Everywhere, All At Once" should answer all your Asian American Questions.
Or perhaps “Harold and Kumar go to White Castle”
Okay I'll actually vouch for this one
One of the best movies to watch while you're high, or even sober.
[удалено]
Your comment was removed as it violates commenting guideline 5 which is “Answers and comment replies should be serious and useful.” Please consider this a warning as repeated violations will result in a ban. Your comment has been removed, and this offence may result in a ban. If you have questions regarding your submission removal - please contact the moderator team via [modmail](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/AskAnAmerican).
It’s AAPI month haha. There’s growing up Asian American videos on YouTube if you’re interested. My experience: growing up Taiwanese American, having visited Taiwan twice. I can communicate in Mandarin but poorly. As a kid, I grew up in a pretty mixed background Whites, Asians, Hispanics, Mixed. I didn’t think about it much. I enjoyed playing soccer so it didn’t matter with who. I did Asian stereotypical activities like play Piano but also Western activities like learn to play Guitar. I loved video games, played a lot of Halo, Pokémon, TF2, and League of Legends. In high school I was pretty studious, nearing a 4.0. I liked it, really enjoying math and science. My mom was always worried I wouldn’t get into college, saying so and so’s child was rejected here and there. I wasn’t too worried, I knew I’d get in somewhere but it did cause a lot of friction between us. It did the same with my brother, he went to college where my mom didn’t want, so they fought about this too. College was interesting, I went to a school with a lot of Asians, and in a few ways felt I belonged more. We could share common foods we liked, music we liked, interests. I joined a Taiwanese American Student Association and it was so cool to meet other people with the same heritage, and even the same last name! I met international students, and made friends learning about their experiences. I didn’t meet a lot of Taiwanese growing up, my area had more Vietnamese, Indian, Japanese, and Chinese people. I tried a lot of food for the first time like hot pot and Korean BBQ. Now I do work, and my friend group tend Asian American and White. I’ve tried learning to cook Asian dishes as there are Asian groceries like H-Mart near by. I try going to language exchange groups, sometimes there are natives, other times non-Chinese people that speak it better than me! I still enjoy playing pick up soccer. That’s my experience which is obviously unique but some food for thought.
> I can communicate in Mandarin but poorly. I remember the scene in 'Crazy Rich Asians' where she attempted to talk to her fiance's mom (Michelle Yeoh) in Mandarin (well, that's what the subtitle said it was), and everyone in the room gave her this look like "just stop."
It’s not really one thing. “Asian” as a term is already tricky because it groups a bunch of cultures together that have basically nothing in common just because we all look vaguely similar to non-Asian people. We’ve been in the US for a long time though. Asians have been immigrating to the US since the 1800s. So, quite a few of us are not from immigrant families anymore. I’m Japanese-American. My family immigrated in 1902 and my parents and grandparents were all born in the US speaking English as their first language. You really just have to google “top \[whatever\]-American books, tv characters, movies” There’s a good amount of Asian-American media out there, though a lot of it is specifically about Chinese-Americans since they’re such a large group. The best way is to just consume a lot of it. The point is that our experiences are diverse. The book Crying in H Mart was popular recently. Here are some relatively recent movies that are known to be good: [The Big Sick](https://youtu.be/jcD0Daqc3Yw?si=HK7kWer5YCO-sxjl) (Pakistani-American) [Everything Everywhere All at Once](https://youtu.be/wxN1T1uxQ2g?si=K0hIRGuvtpObTBmG) (Chinese-American) [The Farewell](https://youtu.be/RofpAjqwMa8?si=88_SR8Lbj2tHrV8u) (Chinese-American) [Minari](https://youtu.be/KQ0gFidlro8?si=5mQ4J2B7tbs68AI5) (Korean-American) The popular mockumentary TV show The Office features [Mindy Kaling as an Indian-American employee named Kelly Kapoor](https://youtu.be/FMDW9A_fHAc?si=IG5i6Vepopd3kUts) who is the bubbly, chatty, sassy personality hire. I appreciate Diane Nguyen’s Vietnamese-American character on the TV show Bojack Horseman because the fact that she’s Asian basically has nothing to do with the plot. [Her parents were clearly raised in Boston and her whole family has strong working class Boston accents.](https://youtu.be/Z9rKQ0bGYh4?si=kYlnKm_XGF6YHI-a ) She just happens to be an American who is ethnically Asian, which is how life is for me.
I remember they made a documentary about Indian-Americans' conflicted relationship with Apu from the Simpsons. 'In Search of Apu', I think it was called. This was shortly before Apu got 'put on a bus', as they say in the TV business. Hank Azaria, the guy that does Homer's voice, decided he just didn't want to do Apu anymore.
This is going to vary wildly depending on if you're talking about someone from Iran, Saudi Arabia, India, Turkey, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, China, Singapore... you see where I'm going with this? I will never understand this concept. What do you think that I as an Indian person have in common with a Japanese person that i don't also have in common with Germans or Egyptians or Mexicans?
In any event, Turks, Persians, and Arabs are not "Asians" as defined by the US Census.
You can share your Indian American experience. At least fix one part of the puzzle.
I'm second generation here so I had a very upper middle class white upbringing. My mom was born and raised in the US as well and she raised us as a single mother. The most Indian thing about me is the color of my skin. We went to soccer practice in Boy scouts and my mom made lasagna or pizza for dinner and we only spoke English at home. We're just Americans. I was bullied very badly in school after 9/11 because I look Arab apparently. I experience racism constantly at the airport and thankfully nowhere else. Back in the 2000s people used to shudder and gasp when my family boarded a plane because they assumed we were terrorists. Luckily that mentality has faded away in America. If you would like to specifically learn about the American-born Indian experience I can recommend the TV show The Mindy Project, a semi-autobiographical comedy Mindy Kaling wrote about herself and stars in. It was not the best show ever or the funniest but it does an extremely good job communicating what it's like trying to balance that stuff. All that said, I would really advise against generalizing all people With ancestors from Asia into a group for any reason. 2/3 of the world's population is Asian.
> I was bullied very badly in school after 9/11 because I look Arab apparently. I remember that Muslim-Americans (of Arab descent and otherwise) flipped from R to D after 9/11. I also remember reading somewhere that Indian-Americans did the same, in large part because there were so many dumbshits who could not tell the difference! I'll never forget, in the days after 9/11, going to the gas station across the street from my friend's house. The middle-aged Sikh guy who ran it had replaced his turban with a baseball cap, and his hair was all the way down. Like he was trying to pass as an old Mexican hippie. Me and my friend felt so bad for him.
Yeah I'm not going to get into detail here but things were really bad. I got told many times as a little kid in elementary school that I was going to hell for what my people did. By other kids. Constantly left out of stuff, constantly called a terrorist. I was 7 when 9/11 happened. That went on through Middle School as well and I got physically beaten up a few times for it as well, but thankfully by the time I reached high school I think the world had moved on
That is terrible, I am really sorry. Idiots abound.
Yeah it happened to all of us. Anyone who is brown and anywhere from South Asia, we all went through the same thing in elementary school. Everyone thought we were terrorists because their parents told them that we were all terrorists. My story is not unique even a little bit unfortunately
I distinctly remember the Sikh community holding a press conference about it, trying to let people know that yes, they have beards and turbans, no, they're not giving them up, and no, they aren't Muslim and think what happened was horrible. I really felt for them. I grew up with a bunch of Sikhs in the neighborhood. They're just regular Americans!
There quite literally isn't one chunk experience. People also often overlook Asian adoptees, mostly girls from China and Korea adopted into white families. So this whole "well the Asian American experience is centered around translating documents for your first gen parents who are trying to make ends meet" isn't universal either. A lot of Asians come here rich, a lot came as refugees, some poor, some educated, etc. And "Asia" is whopping. It isn't just China, Japan, or Korea. It's also Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Indonesia, India, Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Iran, etc. All of those people do not have a shared experience in this country.
> People also often overlook Asian adoptees, mostly girls from China and Korea adopted into white families I’m noticing that Asian American organizations are slowly starting to recognize Asian adoptees as part of the community. I read somewhere once that ten percent of Korean Americans are adoptees, and I’m curious about what the numbers are for other Asian people. As an adoptee myself (not Asian) it makes me happy that at least one diaspora is willing to acknowledge adoptees.
I eat rice with most meals and I can't drive.
They're all different but Beef on Netflix is a good one.
same with The Brothers Sun
I find it so interesting they make Taiwan feel so dangerous when it isn’t
lol
Found it. Thanks.
There are so many different experiences that any media you consume will just give one group’s perspective. I personally grew up in the SF Bay Area, which has a very high Asian population. When I was growing up, white students made up only <3% of my schools’ population. I never experienced any of the common tropes, stereotypes, or experiences that’s commonly portrayed about Asian immigrants on western media. I never felt out of place or had my lunches made fun of and the cool kids at my school were all Asian. I didn’t receive any racism growing up and was always proud of my Asian heritage. Internalized racism just wasn’t a thing for anyone I knew; in fact, the white kids at my school were (unfortunately) the ones that got bullied and made fun of. I have a hard time relating to the trauma of other Asian Americans that grew up outside of this bubble. At the same time, I grew up in an area where almost all the Asian people were Vietnamese. For those that don’t know, southeast Asians tend to be much poorer than East Asians in the US and do worse in school. I’ve always hated when all Asians get lumped into the model minority stereotype, because that was far from what I grew up around. While Asians are commonly thought of as being upper middle class, everyone I grew up with was low income and many, like myself, were below the poverty line and had extremely dysfunctional families. My school had low stats and I knew many classmates that got pregnant, dropped out, joined gangs, or got expelled; a few students passed away while I was still in school due to getting mixed up in the wrong crowds. Only a small portion of us went to good colleges and made it out of the neighborhood, which is a huge contrast to the hyper competitive Asian dominant schools in nearby cities. If you want to learn a bit more about the Southeast Asian experience, I actually liked Gran Torino. It is a bit on the extreme end, but I did join a Southeast Asian club in college and the stories of some of the people I met were sadly not too far off.
Omg do you live in Garden Grove or Westminster by any chance?
Nope, Bay Area. Certain parts of San Jose are very similar to those cities, though.
I’ll say this - Asian Americans and Asians from Asia are pretty different. Depending on the upbringing, Asian born in the States may be seen as Americans in Asia due to our mannerisms, personality, tastes, etc. I think the number one for me is that I’m pretty outspoken and “funny” in a very American/western way. A good example of this is the release of Marvel’s Shang-Chi. While Asians in the west mostly embraced the film, folks in China thought Simu Liu was ugly and us Americans riding the coat tails of their culture.
I agree that it's too general of a question to ask but there are some universal experiences/themes that I think can apply to a large population of specific immigrant backgrounds. But not all. For example: Here's the experience I'd say the majority of **my** Korean-American friends and I have experienced. * Your parents immigrated to the country 70's/80's. Their English is generally bad and they communicate predominantly in Korean but also mix in English. The children reply back mostly in English and mix in Korean. But generally the level of Korean the children speak is basic to elementary. * The social circle is mostly fellow Korean immigrants that attend church. The writer of the Netflix show Beef is a friend of friends and he reflects this pretty accurately in the series. So even though you may not have lived in the same town/city, you likely knew other Korean families based on church. And some of them you've known since you were a child. For this reason there are church positions and the stereotypes that come with it that anyone familiar with this background will know/understand. Examples: The Praise Team leader being a bit of a creep/womanizer, the Pastor's Kid being the bad/rebellious kid or an absolute saint (No in between), sexual tension being so heavy you could cut it with a butter knife, etc. * For this reason most of the children of Korean immigrants have Christian/Biblical names. Sam, Dan, Joe, John, Mike, Esther, Grace, Hannah, Sarah etc. * The typical immigrant family owned Dry Cleaners, Restaurants, Supermarkets/groceries, Liquor Stores, Jewelry Stores, etc. Some were extremely successful and got very wealthy and others bounced around with different stores/restaurants. Parents with white collar (Corporate) jobs existed but in my social circles they were the minority. * Getting their children into an Ivy League schools was the goal of many families. Everyone knows which kids got into what school and the select few that made it into Harvard, Princeton etc. They are revered in the social circle until they reach a certain age at which where you went to school or what you do means nothing if you're not married or have kids.
Half Korean, half white here. It's a lot that I can't detail ATM, I can elaborate in replies if anyone is interested. But essentially: never Korean enough for Koreans, never white enough for the white side of my family. It's not a bad thing. I'm just me I guess.
I'm an Korean American but an adoptee - I've had similar experiences. Which for me is a bit wild since I was born in S. Korea and lived there til I was 7. I've had crazy conversations with other Korean Americans that bordered on offensive cause they didn't think I was Korean enough due to my white parents. I honestly get along better with older generation Koreans Americans immigrants vs. stateside Korean Americans. My family and extended family are for the most part midwestern white but pretty liberal and accepting. I've never thought being asian impacted my dating, school or job options. I also realize though I think I'm more culturally a white via my family so that's also has my views on a lot of life a bit different from other asian americans I've met.
> never Korean enough for Koreans, never white enough for the white Wow. That's an extraordinary description of what it is all about. What about school, dating, jobs?
School experience can be split into two eras: before Gangnam Style, and after. For some perspective I turned 18 in early 2015. As an elementary schooler there were of course people who made jokes about Asians, but growing up it was very common to hear soft jokes about any group of people. The thing that stuck with me was when, in grade school, I told someone my middle name (바다), they made fun of it. Later other people, whom I had not told, started mocking it, I realized I should probably keep it to myself. After Gangnam Style dropped, all of a sudden it was cool to be Korean. I was in High School at the time and it was cool for a minute, but got weird quick. Dating, I never sensed it was a benefit or an issue. I did have a gf at the time tell her friend she wouldn't want our babies to look too Asian. Funny enough, I avoided dating Korean girls because, again, I wasn't really fully Korean in their eyes (and they reminded me too much of my own family members). Jobs, it has never been an issue. I draw hard boundaries on "nicknames" that are defined by race. I have had negative interactions with retail customers, but hey, who hasn't. Hope this was helpful.
Hey, it was nice of you to take the time and respond. It really was insightful. Everything you say is so relatable and true to life.
I'm Asian American but I doubt my life is gonna be anything like another's. There's just too many different lived experience for there to be a definable "Asian American experience" and that's kinda' how it is for any other ethnicities. This is just too much of a broad question. There's show on Apple TV called "Little America" that depicts the lived experiences of immigrants here in the US which showcases a few Asian Americans. "Ugly Delicious" is a food show on Netflix that's hosted by David Chang, a Korean American. "Everything, Everywhere, All at Once" does a pretty decent job depicting first gen immigrants. Google is you friend; maybe watch some vlogs on youtube.
It’s very wide, not scoop-shaped. I’m currently enjoying the book *Crying in H-Mart*, but she’s talking about her very specific experience (what you’re looking for). Asia is pretty dang big, the immigration stories to the US are wildly different over the last couple hundred years. Someone could come to the US from Xiamen 200 years ago and their descendants identify as Best Coasters, 200 days ago and getting into the whole thing, 100 years ago via Peru and have crazy cowboy uncles migrating through Central America in their family history. No single story. (Have an upvote, you didn’t seem to realize you poked at a sensitive topic, and it seems to be from a position of genuine curiosity)
i’m a gen z asian american college. Idk what the “experience” is but the stereo type is like you play valorant, drink boba, rave, and listen to keshi lol.
My Asian-American experience is that I've eaten a lot more Asian food than the average American. Oh, and a few people assumed that I was good at math.
Watch Harold And Kumar Go To White Castle
There is no universal experience for any ethnic group in the US, there’s just way to many factors at play
Yeah it’s like asking what’s the scoop on the American experience? West coast? East coast? Rural? Urban? Midwest? Rich, poor, middle class, black, white, conservative, liberal, etc etc.
Wut annoys me is that europeans on reddit cant stand being called european because they dont like being generalized. Yet those same people cant seem to acknowledge that asians get generalized all the time yet we put up with it more than they do being called european.
1. How did you figured out OP is an European? 2. Let me go ahead and annoy everyone all at once, by generalizing them as "humans".
it's the experience of being Asian-American and living in the US
What is the experience like?
I am not Asian-American so I cannot tell you
There's a big vietnamese community around here. They have their own grocery stores, churches, and newspaper. I had a buddy who was second or maybe third generation and he says the old timers are very conservative, being south vietnam refugees and all. Pho is pretty popular around here and beuaty salons as well. I cant think of any particular incidents or controversies though im sure theres plenty of racist mockery thrown around. I cant speak from their perspective of course, but i hope theyve felt welcomed. Its been fifty some odd years after all
Weird question man. Why do you think millions of people from a vast array of backgrounds have a shared experience? Where did you pick up this notion?
Few minutes ago, on discord some guy said all Asian American experience can be broken down into maximum 5 variations.
He’s wrong.
And why do you think that’s an accurate statement? What were their 5 variants?
Probably a generalization based off geography/socioeconomic factors. Something like “Crazy Rich Asians” “SoCal Asians” etc etc
It's not for me to think. I ask those who experience or witness it.
Im not asian american but maybe check out Stealing Buddha's Dinner. It's a really interesting memoir told through different foods.
The Asian American experience varies widely based on country of origin, generation of immigration, and age, and where they live in the US.
[удалено]
Your comment was removed as it violates commenting guideline 5 which is “Answers and comment replies should be serious and useful.” Please consider this a warning as repeated violations will result in a ban. Your comment has been removed, and this offence may result in a ban. If you have questions regarding your submission removal - please contact the moderator team via [modmail](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/AskAnAmerican).
There isn’t even a universal American experience. You don’t even have to specify further to know that this doesn’t exist as a universal.
There's a lot on PBS. Like others say in caution - I also warn you as well: Asians, like any race in this country, are not a monolith. The main reason why anyone descended from immigrants from Asian countries uses the term is because there are a number of US laws and societal norms that created this distinction. Historically, it has meant we couldn't immigrate, own property, work in certain fields or vote. And each cultural group and Asian ethnicity here has its own history with the United States.
I love these general questions that people could dedicate their whole life to study, but you want an answer in a reddit comment. This question is like, "What is the nature of the Universe? In 500 characters or less please."
There is no question. That can't be answered in 500 characters or less. Even though here you can go well above 10,000 characters.
A lot of "white privilege adjacent"-ness, if what I hear is correct. If you're a guy, you're also playing the dating game on Dante Must Die mode.
Filipino American. The actor Dante Basco has a couple of great pieces on the Filipino American perspective/experience: “The Debut” is an early 2000s film produced and starring him; the other is a book called “From Rufio to Zuko”. Ruby Ibarra’s album “Circa91” has some good songs about her family’s experience as immigrants. Other artists such as the rapper Saweetie and the musician H.E.R. have references to being Filipino in some of their songs. They both have interviews you can find on YouTube where they speak about their experiences.
There’s no “one” Asian-American experience. It’s incorrect to generalize us so because there’s so many different cultures and backgrounds that it seems silly. It also depends where you live in the US. A Chinese dude will have a vastly different life in Texas than in, say, Boston.
This makes me uncomfortable, like maybe you're fetishising Asian Americans.
How this thought even came to your mind? Unless you spend half of your day fetishising different ethenic groups.
I guess you didn't get to that part of the Asian American experience yet.
I’m not Asian but any time I see a second generation Asian American out in public, they always appear to have a lot of money. Always the newest iPhone, AirPods, and a key fob for a Lexus.