Eurasian Cultural Identity

[jewbird]

I read somewhere (I forget where but it's apparently a theory in academia) that hybrid cultural identity is not a function of our respective parents' races/cultures but of what people project onto us.

Is this true? If not true, is it relevant? If so, what are the implications?

I think it creates the onus on us to brand ourselves before other people have a chance to. This means, for example, paying attention to style and grooming. It may explain a few things as concerns stereotypes.

What do you think?

[jefe]

Our respective parents (and our respective parents' families and friends) are people who project onto us.

I think that your family and parents may have branded yourself before you even had a chance to exert your own will in the matter.

Western born Asians often become extremely westernized and may identify with western, even "white" culture. Are you saying that it is simply because they have adopted a style and grooming that reflects that culture? If they decide to adopt a different style and grooming, you think that that can really change their cultural identity?

[jericho]

That varies from person to person, our experiences in society is what shapes us culturally, we may start out embracing one cultural identity early on in our lives but may go in a radically different way in our later years. Appearance can influence others' perceptions of people and that can influence who we choose to associate with, aspire to be like and even who we partner up with later on.
Whilst we have a certain degree of control over what our cultural identity is, it is the perceptions of others and our experiences that shape our cultural identity ultimately.

[maow]

I would concur with Jericho. If I look back to how I was brought up and how I percieved myself then to where I am now, alot of which has been "shaped" by personal experiences. It also depends upon how much importance you place this in your life or rather how much it means to you to have a cultural identity. For me personally, having an identity meant alot to me. A sense of belonging could be one way of putting it. Whilst growing up in HK, there were many times where I felt I was "betraying" one aspect of my heritiage, whether that be something like not speaking better Cantonese (or English for that matter!) or knowing enough about the social aspects of either culture.

[jefe]

So are you saying we cannot control our cultural identity?

For example, even the decision what language to speak will have a huge influence on how we are perceived. Our behavior will influence how people treat us and what cultural identity they project on us.

[Altan]

I think stereotypes are perceptions groups have of other groups. Legitimate and illegitimate. Strength, morality, weaknesses, abilities, perceptions and many other factors come into play with cultural idenities. For instance breeds of dogs or cats each have been bread over centuries for certain desireable traits by people. Whether it is energy level, toughness, blue eyes, soft fur...whatever.

[jefe]

avsar said:

have been bread over centuries for certain desireable traits by people. Whether it is energy level, toughness, blue eyes, soft fur...whatever.

I definitely don't like people with hard fur.

[Lorien]

Jumping in here... do you think that we can ask this question now because there are now so many of 'us'? As the years pass, I see more and more kids that are obviously mixed, whereas, when I was growing up, it was a much rarer thing.

The only thing I think society is pressuring us to do is to choose one culture over the other. If we were to regard Society as an entity, then I'd say that it can't understand how one individual can claim TWO (or more) cultures. (If you're not with us, you're against us, right?) To Society, it's a multiple choice question, not a short answer or essay. A) Your father's culture. B) Your mother's culture. There's no "C" option here.

I had a boyfriend who didn't agree with my supporting both Australia (of which I am a citizen) and the USA (where I spent most of my growing-up years) during the Olympics. It's easy to be a patriot when you only have one culture to be loyal to.

So where does that leave us? Can East meet West in a new culture that we define? Is it even possible to define a culture that potentially embraces the entire world? Or do we bow to Society and choose one culture and discard any knowledge of the other?

I'd say that in most cases, people go with the culture they are raised in. It's only in forums like this that we are developing an identity as a group. In my experience, that is. I haven't met many Eurasians in my life, so the idea of having a group of Eurasian friends is like... what I imagine living in Hawai'i would be like.

[jericho]

I believe also that there is no singular Eurasian cultural identity as we each come from different backgrounds, countries and experiences, even though we share similar appearances some have stronger ties to their asian side (be it through their looks, experiences or upbringing) whilst others would lean towards their white side.

Jefe, we do have some control to a certain extent over our own cultural identity, but we are also defined by society and where they choose to place us through social perceptions. I will use an Asian who speaks English extremely well as an example, whilst they may be indistinguishable on the telephone, once they are seen in the flesh already people start to make changes to their perceptions, you can try to speak another language and say that changes your culutral identity, and to an extent that is correct, however it is not always enough to stop others from making snap judgements from what they see. There are two things that make up who we are, how we want to be and prefer to be percieved and how we are actually percieved by others. That is a factor that is beyond our control, so back to my main point, we can try to change our cultural identity, however we are not the only ones in control of that perception.

[داود]

lorien said:

The only thing I think society is pressuring us to do is to choose one culture over the other. If we were to regard Society as an entity, then I'd say that it can't understand how one individual can claim TWO (or more) cultures. (If you're not with us, you're against us, right?) To Society, it's a multiple choice question, not a short answer or essay. A) Your father's culture. B) Your mother's culture. There's no "C" option here.

I often hear people blabbering about how Mexicans should adapt to American culture. There are so many subcultures in every society. A news anchor says that first of all she is American. Not somebody's mother or somebody's daughter, not a wife or a woman, not a freaking unique person. Culture isn't static; it is constantly evolving. Cultural identity is dynamic too. Collectivistic notion of identity has to do with opposing one's culture to the cultures of other nations. It is funny how certain people can identify themselves only by opposing themselves to so-called FOBs.

[Lorien]

I agree that culture is a fluid thing, always changing, adapting, protecting. It's interesting how culture can suddenly become when a person is confronted with a change to what *they* believe is "how it's always been."

There's no denying that life probably would be 'easier' if everyone blended in, but it would also be pretty boring. Where would America be without pizza? Kidding.

This news anchor's comment is interesting. She must appear to be something other than white, yeah?

I remember studying a poem in English that was about this african american who did everything he could to be white, distanced himself from all the culture his mother came from, etc. He worked hard and did amazing things, all with the aim to blend in with the white society. When he dies, he is remembered, not just for his contribution to his society, but ironically as a great example of an african american.

We, as humans, place a very high value on what we see. Appearance is critical and divisive. How many people on this forum did everything they could to blend in with the other kids in school, but just couldn't because there's not a lot you can do to hide the olive skin, the asian-esque features? I did. I now wish I didn't. I feel like I killed off a lot of individuality, lost of lot of self-esteem in that quest.

So, us eurasians as a group share an appearance, but do we share a culture? Not really. But we do share similar experiences of growing up with two cultures, trying to fit in with varying degrees of success, fielding those awkward questions (where are you from?), etc. So maybe that's a starting point.

[cheeseprata]

There is definately a Eurasian community from within SEA from which aspects of a Eurasian culture have risen. From dialects to food and living arrangements.

This of course is only native to the Eurasian community from that area. I recently went back to Malaysia for a funeral and got to see a side of Eurasian tradition and politics all rolled into a couple of days.

Eurasian being a term that encompasses quite a variety of people, makes it difficult to say if there is a distinct cultural identity.

However, communities of any trait living together raised in a manner different from the country are residing, are going to have different cultural practises from the majority.

[Lorien]

cheeseprata said:

There is definately a Eurasian community from within SEA from which aspects of a Eurasian culture have risen. From dialects to food and living arrangements.

There is? Or do you primarily mean in Indonesia, Philipines, Malaysia and Singapore? What about in China, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea? EAs living in these countries, can you confirm or deny a community of Eurasians in these countries?

[cheeseprata]

lorien said:

cheeseprata said:

There is definately a Eurasian community from within SEA from which aspects of a Eurasian culture have risen. From dialects to food and living arrangements.

There is? Or do you primarily mean in Indonesia, Philipines, Malaysia and Singapore? What about in China, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea? EAs living in these countries, can you confirm or deny a community of Eurasians in these countries?

Yes, there has been a community for many years! By mentioning Eurasians in SEA I do mean the Straits area of course. Sorry, I thought this community was well known, and a given.

I don't mean China, Taiwan, Japan as they would not be classified as South East Asia.

Eurasians have been a distinct community for hundreds of years until today. By this, I mean a collective acknowledgement by Eurasians themselves and the ethnic majority of a community within the population proper.

I'm not sure if there are other distinct communities in other countries that are so well acknowledged by the major population but if there are...well the more the merrier.

Here's a link with parts of what I was reffering to:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_%28mixed_ancestry%29

Hey you're not in Sydney are you? I think it's about time us Sydney people got together again.

[Lorien]

Um, yeah. Oops. I always get that phrase mixed up to mean all of Asia. Can I blame the American school system for that?

Unfortunately, I'm in Melbourne, not Sydney. It would be heaps of fun to meet some people from this forum!