Why Western Culture Confuses Asians

I speak my English better than I do my Chinese. But I will never be an Englishman for a thousanderations. What a bar. Let's talk about it. First speak the English language better than I speak my Chinese language. But I'll never be an Englishman in a thousand generations and I have not got the western value system inside. Is an oriental eastern value system. But I use western concepts, western words because I understand it. But I also have a different system in my mind. But I say a person who gets deculturalized and I nearly was I know this danger. He loses his self-confidence. >> All right. Those words were said by Lee Kwanu, the great statesman, a father of Singapore. And I'm not going to lie, I'm a pretty big fan of him in the sense that I think that the ideas that he had and the philosophies that he had and his reads on culture were so good. If you guys want to watch more, definitely click that link down below. But I'm going to be showing some clips from Lee Kuanu because really he talked about being an Asian in the West decades ago. And he like basically predicted the Asian-American identity crisis or I guess Asians in the West identity crisis. And he was pretty on point about it. And you know, it's something that we talk about quite a bit on this channel, but uh yeah. No, I I I've been a fan of Lee Kuanu for many years. Many years now. Trust me, I just haven't really talked about him on the channel. We're going to go through some clips. Let's talk about it. >> I may speak the English language better than I speak my Chinese language. But I'll never be an Englishman in a thousand generations. >> All right, man. He said a thousand generations. I don't know about a thousand generations, but I understand what he means that as long as you are phenotypically or genetically Asian, you're going to be seen as Asian. And this is what something a lot of people don't realize because I think people have so many different life experiences. Sometimes if they're grow up in a neighborhood, um they really honestly don't feel like they're Asian, that they're different from other people. Then there's people who have felt like they were ridiculed and teased and discriminated against for being Asian their entire life. And I think those are still all valid. What I will say is that in America, I feel like the idea of being an American is a lot more fluid of an image than being British. I think it's changing now in Britain. It's changing everywhere in the world. But because America's values are based on immigration and therefore I think it's easier to see a a non Anglo white person as American also because there's black Americans and they they have been part of the American identity for for a very very long time. And Lee Kuan, you made sure to talk about knowing one's culture and how that gives you a lot of confidence. And you'll see that he really focuses on confidence in a lot of his speeches because I think that's what happened to him. And I think knowing your culture, your culture being that probably immediately the easiest way to identify what culture you come from is probably where your parents come from. So it could be mixed or maybe your parents are both from the same village in Asia. You know what I mean? But that is probably your starting culture and then the rest is kind of your choice and who you identify with over your times. I think just knowing your culture, which also comes in how you're perceived. Your culture is not only uh dictated by other people, but I do think how you're perceived in your context that you live in does matter a little bit. You should also understand that you think that knowing your culture has helped you gain confidence. Um is it fun? Has it made your life fun? I don't know. But it probably brings you confidence and peace to some extent. Anyways, let me know what you think in the comments down below. Let's run the next clip. memoirs, he recounts how his time in England as a minority transformed him into a born again Chinese, revealing that others perceived him not as uniquely Singaporean or Malaysian, but instead simply categorizing him as Chinese. Yo, I wish they had the clip of Lee Kuanu actually saying that, but born again Chinese, that's actually a pretty that's a pretty good title. I actually really like that. I think it can apply to any Asian. You could be born again, sorry, Korean. You could be born again Vietnamese. You could be a born again Filipino. can go for any ethnicity, too. It just refers to somebody who probably started off distant or possibly rejecting their own culture and then becoming proud about it. And proud, when I say pride about your culture, what I'm referring to is like you seeing the beauty, the power, and the purpose. I think you have to see all those things to truly appreciate your culture. It doesn't have to be 10 out of 10 on all those. You don't have to think, oh, your culture that you come from or your parents' culture is the greatest ever, bar none. But I think you have to see some value and purpose in it. And the purpose will drive the incentive on why you want to be more into it. The power in it is just I think the power what it what it gives you, the confidence that it gives you. And then the beauty of it is just like you just got to find it fun and beautiful and and there's some even aesthetic or linguistic uh appeal to it. You know what I mean? It's fun. It's possibly they're robust languages. I'm not just referring to Chinese, but you know, Cantonese is considered even a a more robust dialect than Mandarin, you know what I mean? Uh, so I think just acknowledging those things and appreciating it. I guess appreciating is the overarching word. I guess that's the easiest way to put it is appreciate it. Entering the Trader Joe's and Target. Let's run the next clip. >> Identities. He felt he was neither Chinese enough to fully connect with his Chinese classmates nor English enough to fit in with the British. Upon returning to Singapore, he also noticed a stark contrast between the English educated and Chinese educated populations, noting that the Chinese speakers had less identity issues and exhibited greater self-confidence. >> To keep our sense of identity, sense of our place in the world, the second language is very important. Otherwise, you lose your confidence. >> No photography or sound recording. Let's see how this goes. Go against the rules cuz everybody at Trader Joe's is so nice. So tempted to get these jalapeno and cheese one tons. Is that more Asian or western? Oh my goodness. I thought these said China dragons. All right, guys. I just got back from Trader Joe's. I didn't want to buy too much cuz I knew I'd have to carry it while I filmed the rest of this video, but I actually just remembered I have a physical therapy appointment soon. So, I got run of that. Let's play the last clip from Lee Kuanu. >> Most concerningly, Lee was worried about the impact of Western media and influence on young Singaporeans who frequently consume content in English. He warned that those who become indoctrinated by the values of a different culture risk become culturally lost. >> Unless you are careful in bringing up your young so that you don't lose your own bearings, your sense of place in this world, who you are, what you are, genuity with what you represent, your your culture, your family, your values. If you watch Murphy Brown or I don't know what's the latest on American sitcom and you believe you're part of that culture when in fact you are not uh you'll become ruthless. >> All right so as you can see LKY the man he focuses a lot on being ruthless and why does he always because the reason that Singapore is what it is is because people kept their roots to an extent. Now actually Lie Kuwan Yu himself would later regret a little bit of the bilingual policies that he would enact like that were super strict. He wishes it was more flexible but ultimately he was happy with how it turned out. I think when it comes to being in the west and having Western culture as you operate in the west it makes sense. I think it does make sense to adopt some American culture when you get to America. But if you're in Asia like a Singapore you don't have to consume as much American culture. But that's usually just because it's the most popular culture and people want to attach themselves to what is most cool and most popular at the time. Obviously, what I'm saying is that I think you can survive in America not being a very American, but to thrive, I do think you have to embody some American values, but then again, you don't have to act American in order to contribute a lot to America. And I think that's what a lot of more of the super right-wing side they get wrong cuz they're like, "Oh, America was better when everybody just acted American and all the immigrants wanted to be American. That's when America was at its best." But I'm like, that's just the timing of it because at any point in time, there was always immigrants who came here that became Americanized and then there was always a portion of those immigrants who didn't and then they would always just more be within their own bubble. And I think that what a lot of people do not realize is that happened as long as immigrants have been here. It just at a time it just felt like all the immigrants bought in. But there was never actually a time when 100% of the immigrants bought in. So you can Hi. >> What's up? >> Intro. I like your videos. >> Oh, thank you. No, I appreciate it so much. >> Photo with you. >> Yeah, definitely. All right. Nice to meet you. Basically what I'm saying is that you have to see America as like a culture buffet and you have to see the west growing up in the west as like your opportunity to pick and choose what you want and make different combinations. Yes, you probably start with your parents' culture and then the culture that is immediately around you. But from then you can kind of make a conscious effort and even pick stuff up a little bit later in life if you want. I know plenty of people in New York City who are like Asian. They prefer Asian food, but they have a mixed group of friends and they like Latin dance the most, but they'll listen to rap the most of their music. So, it's like it's just a mix of cultures, too. So, you just really have to pick and choose. But at the end of the day, I think Lie Kuan Yu is right in that you have to have your roots somewhere. You have to be rooted in something. Some people it's more religion, some people it's their race, it's their background, some but there's something about and maybe it's because actually it's not just America. I think even in Singapore, as unwestern as it is and as diverse as it is, they still promote having your own roots, right? They're together in that it's Singapore and everybody kind of probably should learn uh everybody tries to learn English, but like at the end of the day, they are all different but together. And I think that's the key thing here that you have to remember. So I think that um Lie Kuan Yu man he had a way with words and he ruled he had that iron in him as he would say uh to make Singapore what it was. Now at the end of the day Singapore is actually a pretty young country and in a relative sense America is also still pretty young but even Singapore is way young. They're like 55 60 years old. So uh ultimately um you know that's how that's how he saw race and culture and ethnicity. But ultimately guys, uh yeah, let me know what you think in the comments down below about the clips. I don't think that there is one right answer where you're just like, "Oh, I don't want to be Western in America." Cuz that doesn't make any sense to be honest. But it doesn't make sense that you have to whitewash yourself either or blackwash yourself or just wash yourself of your own culture because at some point you got to be rooted and anchored somewhere. And I think still for most people the easiest thing is to be anchored in their culture. And you know, Trevor Noah, the comedian, had this famous quote. I don't know if he came up with it, but he popularized it. He said, "Culture is your operating system." Culture is your operating system. Think about it. And I know I just went to Trader Joe's, which is not an Asian thing, blah blah blah. I wasn't trying to be super Asian in this video, okay? There's other videos that I'm more Asian. All right? I know that. I'm cognizant. All right, everybody. Let me know what you think in the comments down below. And until next time, I'm out. Peace. And just so you know, Lee Kuanu is one of those people that when someone asks me like, "Oh, dead or alive, who is like five people you'd want to have dinner with?" He's actually one of them. I'd pick him as one of those five