Might be a bit controversial.

As a non-Western (ie not Asian-American or equivalent) Asian person, I kind of find it a bit weird that AAs talk of Asia as their homeland, especially when they hardly speak the language/ spend the time there. Wonder if there’s any parallel to how the real Africans feel about fetishisation of Africa by African-Americans, or how Italians would laugh at Americans who brag about their “Italian Mama” who maybe had a grandad from Naples.

AAs, what makes you Asians?

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Because our parents do a lot to preserve culture inside the home. People on the outside, whether it’s they’re from America or my homeland, literally think I’m a white washed Asian who doesn’t know anything. But people in my household know that I was raised with an Asian culture.

I always joke about how I feel like I’ve had 2 childhoods— one American and one Asian. And I loved both of them.

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I was born in Asia but raised in America. My upbringing deeply ingrained in both cultures.

I think your question around proving “authenticity” is the same as when people ask “No, but where are you really FROM?”

Asian Americans are tired of having to prove their Americanness and now apparently also their Asianness 🙄 Just let us be our wonderful multicultural selves in peace.

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What makes me Asian? Probably the same thing that makes you Asian? Heritage, customs, values, language, family that still lives in Korea, etc 🤷‍♀️

So I was born and raised in America. But what's funny is, I've have Korean (straight from Korea) friends tell me that my parents raised me "more properly", because my parents' Korean values are kind of frozen from the 1970s, when they immigrated. Anyways, I'm glad I have this rich cultural background to draw from.

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I’m Chinese-American. Born in China, raised in the US. I grew up with Chinese values and language and culture at home, and American culture/language at school. My family visits China every other year because the rest of my family is still there. That’s why I consider both countries very integral to my identity.

I have been at events where I’ve spoken to Chinese people (grew up in China, came to US for college/grad school), who have told me “you’re not Chinese, you’re just half.” I have also had Americans say “you’re not American, you’re Chinese.” (I grew up in a town where I was one of 3 minorities in my grade). I’m getting very tired of proving my connection to both US and China.

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Oh wow, I've never seen anyone on FB from WashU or even STL, you're in my neck of the woods!

I've had the same experience as M&C2, growing up in the US (st louis - as Suburban White as you could get at that time). My high school didn't have too many Asians, and they were split up into two groups. The ones that grew up here like I did, tended to be really good at school (or forced to be) and assimilated with other smart kids, often white. The FOB ones tended to stick together. My friends were mainly white so for the most part, I identified more with them and had common interests.

It wasn't until after college that I started having more interest in the Chinese culture and learning more about it. Now to my white friends, I'm super Chinese, and to my Chinese friends that moved here as adults or college students, I'm pretty American (I use this word even though America consists of many cultures, to say that they think my perspectives and outlooks match someone who grew up in America).

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We should never forget where we come from. Never forget your roots.

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I think it stems from the feeling of not belonging anywhere—we’re not Asian enough for you or our families in Asia and we’re perpetual foreigners out in the west, so we try to find some a sense of belonging in the culture our parents taught us. That said, I personally don’t really think of China as my homeland, as a 2nd gen kid with immigrant parents, but it’d be unreasonable for me not to feel some connection to it when my Chinese heritage is what makes Chinese holidays more important to me than American ones, dictates what I grew up eating and find comforting, shapes the values I live my life by, etc.

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Sheesh what gatekeeping. Our parents are still connected to the home country and taught us those traditions. Also the fact of the matter is, if you have an Asian face people will associate you as Asian, not American

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I will say that Asian Americans are starting to form a more collective Pan Asian culture, that I think the future generations will identify more with

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OP it is important for people who are “different” (looks, name, religion etc.) find a homeland they can identify with even if they haven’t lived there. I was born and raised in Asia, and am now an AA. I used to be judgmental like you and questioned why someone of Asian decent didn’t claim heritage to Asia or did claim it, as in my past lens I didn’t think of them qualified to have had the experiences. Fast forward many years and I now believe that it is better to embrace those who do seek a connection or sense of origin in Asia, for we as humans always need and seek a sense of identity. Life is hard as it is in America, and who are we to deny someone their sense of identity. Interestingly my friends back in Asia now consider me too American and we joke around about whether I even qualify as a “true” Asian (replace with any country / region / city name). I am who I am and no one can or will ever deny me my heritage. Let’s learn to embrace rather than reject people, as end of the day we are all seeking acceptance in America and/or in our countries of origin.

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So many on this board seem adamant in telling me how I'm supposed to be as an Asian American and the right/wrong way to have a relationship with my culture, heritage and motherland.

There's no one right or wrong way to be Asian American. Walk your own path. Walk the path of others. Do whatever you like. This is my relationship, not yours.

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OP poking the hornet's nest with this one. You're hitting a particularly sore spot for some Asian Americans, especially the woke ones.

FWIW I was born in Asia but am a naturalized citizen now and consider myself an American! No hyphens needed!

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Questions like this are lose-lose for Asian Americans. I agree with you that naturalized citizens are simply Americans, but if you say this to Asians they'll take it very negatively: "Are you ashamed of your culture / roots? Why can't you admit that you're Asian? Are you trying to be white? Were you bullied as a child?" etc.

On the other hand, if you say you're Asian: "You're so Americanized, you only look Asian, you are a banana / coconut / not real Asian. You can't even speak the language. Have you ever been to the country and how many times? How can you call yourself an Asian when you don't do X?"

I spent a while trying to craft a response that didn't offend anybody but eventually gave up lol. I think people just enjoy making fun of Americans at this point.

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When I was little my dad always said: “no matter where you go, what you do, who you become, you will always be Chinese to yourself and everyone else looking at you.” That one stuck with me

likehelpful

Asian Americans can still claim Asian as their homeland especially first and second generation AA who are no longer tied to the continent but are still practicing/celebrating cultural and traditional customs and heritage.
Just because we were raised in a western country doesn’t mean we automatically abandon our roots.

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I’m an ABC. Old enough where my parents were born in China but raised in Taiwan. Realistically at this point they have spent more time in America then Taiwan, and more time in Taiwan than they did in China. They still claim being Chinese.

My parents were too poor/too cheap for us to visit Asia when we were young and many of their siblings veered already here.

My mother always says she is from Shanghai because that is where her mother is from. She taught me that culturally, Chinese people refer to their parents home town as where they are ‘from.’

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not sure I agree with the phrasing because as others in the thread mentioned, I look chinese af so no matter how American i sound, I'll always be Asian. I embraced an Asian-American identity in elementary school when we were supposed to track our meals for 3 days and I lied because the computer had no input options for curry, bok choy, and other Malaysian food that I ate every night.

The other thing I will add is that most Asian-Americans are first or second gen in the US with parents/grandparents that value their culture (because that's what they grew up with), which is not the case with most African Americans or white people, whose families have been in the US for generations and have created their own unique blend of American x (country) identity

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To paraphrase Simone de Beauvoir, one is not born an Asian but becomes one.

I am sure some Asians would, if given the choice, want to consider themselves as only American, but they are not given that choice if you are reminded by American media and people everyday that they do not consider you one of them, because of how you look.

This is true even for Asian adoptees into white families.

Please educate yourself.

https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_59c52c92e4b08d66155041f8

likehelpfulfunny

It’s mostly the perception - there will not be black and white definition, the “real Americans” are mostly gone after 1492

likefunny

Something funny I like to do is when people ask me “where I am really from”, I say I am half Native American which is quite believable since Asians and NAs look similar and I have darker toned skin. I then proceed to ask them what part of Europe or Africa they are from the sit back and watch their brains overheat.

likefunnyuplifting

No matter what you think you are, you are Asian in the eyes of non-Asian people. It is unfortunate that the society still judge people mostly based on looks. The divisions between “Asians” “ Americans who were born in Asia” and “Asians who were born in America” is mostly internal and self made (again, most non-Asian people are not aware of the differences and don’t really care)

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Weird, I’ve had people from my parents’ country tell me that I’m actually Asian and need to hurry up and come back from America. Never had someone from over there tell me I didn’t belong, unlike the US where I’m questioned about being American even though I was born here.

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It's not what makes me asian, but it's about how I identify myself, and who I am, regardless of what others think. I was born in China, moved to the US when I was 3, and naturalized in my teens. I consider myself Chinese American and to me, that's all that matters, despite how some would say I'm "white-washed" or "too asian."

It is weird to me when I catch myself in the middle ground of thinking "wow american culture ___" or "wow chinese people ___," but that is, to me, my lifelong experience of straddling the cultures, perspectives and internalized mentalities of mid-west, mostly white America (where I grew up) and Chinese family/cultural values.

Ngl, the wording of your question "what makes you asians" is a bit off putting, but I personally am fine with it. I figure you don't mean it in a combative way. What makes me Chinese is my heritage and my birthplace if you want to get technical lol. But more importantly it is my identity that I embrace for myself.

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I'm American, born and raised. Never been to dad's home country; would be nice to visit but outside of knowing and celebrating my cultural roots and being proud of them, it's not like I consider it the "homeland".

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America is the homeland period especially if you are born here. As a young immigrant, I enjoy visiting but even I don't consider Asia my homeland anymore due to the cultural divergence since I left, I am forever stuck in 90s China lol since my slang and pop culture is no longer up to date. It is hard to find a connection to people who are culturally homogeneous but I always look at people with a level of openness rather than contempt. 1) don't be irritated when people ask you 'racist' questions, see where they are coming from. I'm pretty sure Americans get asked tons of 'racist' questions in Asia too. 2) stand up for yourself and your identity, if people are intentionally putting you down you can also put them down too using their identity. I always joke on feminazis but I'm by no means a men's rights activist. 3) just because someone else doesn't get it doesn't mean they mean harm. Identity is very subjective and fickle anyways. I didn't identify as American until college years and study abroad is what changed my perspective!

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