Best products from r/asianamerican

I'd like to offer an extra perspective.

When you say you're surprised that Hong Kongers are irreligious because they used to be a British colony, it makes several presumptions:

1. That Western nations in general are "religious"
   
2. Christian is a Western religion
   
   At face value, this seems true but it's only because the vast majority of perspectives we see are from the West. I'm assuming you're a fellow Asian American, so that means virtually all the history we've learned is from the perspective of Western professors or Western scholars interpreting world history.
   
   So of course, the perspective and view we have of Christianity is colored by what Christianity was like in Europe and how it spread from European missionaries. Well, what if I told you that Christianity has existed in India for over two thousand years? Christianity had reached India hundreds of years before any European nation declared it as a state religion. The Copts trace their lineage back to Mark the Evangelist, and they've also been Christians for nearly two thousand years, far longer than most European populations.
   
   We only conceive of Christianity as "Western" because that's the only kind of Christianity we see and the only kind we're exposed to. This is also due to the fact that the religion has been misappropriated as a "white man's" faith, but that's a different can of worms.
   
   Okay, so where does that leave Christianity in Korea? Well, my mom's family is Christian and my dad's is Buddhist.
   
   What you said about the rise of Christianity in Korea is not untrue but you forgot to consider that missionaries actually did a lot of great things. They offered free education, hospitals, and healthcare. Moreover, they had a great reverence for the culture, following the example of Hudson Taylor.
   
   Hudson Taylor was inspired by the example of Christ becoming human to reach humans. If you read carefully in the Bible, you notice that Jesus always speaks to his audience by becoming his audience. When he speaks to common Jews, he uses parables about grains and mustard seeds. When he speaks to priests and Pharisees, he talks about Mosaic Law and Levitical Law. When he speaks to Romans, he talks about civics and military duties.
   
   Contrary to the stereotype, many European missionaries working in these areas had a genuine conviction to help and love the people. Their agenda wasn't to push European cultural ideas onto them.
   
   I'll try to bring in my own thoughts to some of your other questions.
   
   > Perhaps both Korea and Taiwan had cultural aspects that made their immigrants more susceptible to monotheism?
   
   No, it's because of the long history of missional work in those countries. I immigrated to the United States with my parents when I was three. My grandmother refused to support us because she was adamantly against my dad's decision to leave Korea.
   
   For the first three months, we lived in a Korean church who housed and fed us free of charge. They asked for nothing in return and they didn't try to push their faith on us. My parents were never very religious and they're still nominal Christians to this day but part of the big success of Korean-American churches is because they really take care of immigrants.
   
   There's a bunch of problems with them as well of course but that's another story.
   
   > are British and Soviet influenced cultures better at resisting Christianity than Japanese and American influenced ones?
   
   Your language here is pretty offensive, as if Christianity is something that needs to be "resisted" to preserve some weird view of cultural purity.
   
   > or perhaps Christianity offered an advantage among the more social elite because it offered better funded western style schools and international opportunities?
   
   Christian schools were radical at the time because they accepted anyone regardless of social status or wealth. Elite families would send their kids in droves to these schools because they offered a Western education but these same schools also took in orphans, street kids, women, and children from poor families — all groups that would have never received an education at the time.
   
   > If so why are the Japanese themselves so irreligious?
   
   There's a great book on it written by Dr. Inazo Nitobe who was actually asked this very question by a colleague of his. It was a huge hit at the time. Teddy Roosevelt loved it and gifted a copy to each of his children.
   
   

Honestly, I think independence > travel. Tons of AA folks I know that live with their grandparents/parents in their 20s do all the whatnot sassy traveling, which is cool and all, but they never really get that "breathe of fresh air" type-of-freedom as an emerging- and young adult.

Travel is only temporary/circumstantial and does not override 'earned autonomy', particularly if you lacked a 'secure base' and was bestowed a 'disorganized attachment' with parents. I mean if such is not the case, temporarily living or prolonging your stay with parents (caregiving) isn't entirely out of the pricture - we as humans aim to seek close proximity with family and our back-then so-called 'tribes'. However, the issue stems when we don't have appropriate 'boundaries' and respective from parents/that were once our caregivers to allow us to seek our own independence.

Like, if you want us to follow filial piety and all that shit, I don't think that means instilling/indoctrinating dependence in your children, at least give us some time to be independence and hone our talents (if you even care to acknowledge) in a manner where we can contribute to society/civilization - which hopefully we'll be rewarded handsomely to wake up everyday and enjoy life, to hopefully then be emotionally and financially empowered to take care of y'alls. But obviously, I suspect as with my narrative, comes with intra- and inter-generational transmission of trauma - where healthy, positive, and uninhibited motivation, does not get procured and passed on by parents despite how well-meaning they are.

But if them folks keep nagging their children, they very might as well cause their kid to float around with guilt-striken feelings of self-worthlessness and induce potentiality of suicide - or even I suppose in Japan's social epidemic given this innovative information-era; Japanese herbivore "men". And it doesn't sound like a pretty sight for Japanese elder/retirees nowadays either with the diminishing birth and marriage rates. In such interconnected global economic uncertainty, and such saturation demolishing the systematic factory-model/corporate hierarchical thinking, is becoming ever-increasingly something of the past. And tomorrow's world that is increasingly becoming today's reality invokes us to be evermore on our self-awareness, self-understanding, and self-knowledge, to procure collective intellectual and social savvy to collaboration in unison in innovative thinking that will paradigmatically shift us to the next economic revolution - just as the industrial age had expedited mankind to exponentially higher heights.

Two examples that I'm sure others can chime in to provide a better analysis: 1) Singapore has, not a bamboo ceiling, but a creative ceiling that stifles their innovation-enpowered technology sector, for which they are earnestly trying to change - with the government leading university partnerships abroad while partitioning for whatnot innovation campaigns. 2) And with the aforementioned Japan, despite their militant-orderly-society, their superior ways of everything-excellence is coming to a crushing defeat as globalization catches up with cheaper solutions (re China/Korea/Taiwan), just as more innovative solutions supersedes their longstanding industrial superiority this century ahead.

IDK about y'all but I subscribe to taking–as many fucking–risks when you can, as you can, which is as early as you can - if not now, when? To which, I would recommend y'alls to check out Meg Jay's book, "The Defining Decade". There is no other time to fail and forge 'weak ties' and gain independence other than your early 20s; it will shape who you are come in later parts/times in your life. If you are young right now, the steppingstone is right now. However, if you want to continue the family lineage with conservative values by Asian parents, then I suppose such investigation is moot, as adhering to Confucianism pedagogical doctrines would take you astray.

My name is Byron Yee and I am (now officially) a filmmaker. I’m reaching out to the /r/AsianAmerican community for a little support. There are lots of us out there, trying to create stories with Asian American characters in substantial roles. We all know the atypical stereotypes that we see whenever an Asian face appears in most English language movies. I’ve never been one to complain too much about it as I’d rather actually do something than wait for something to happen. So I did.

I’ve been doing my own creative work for years. In the 90’s, I moved to San Francisco where I achieved a little bit of recognition as a stand-up comedian. There are still clips of me on Comedy Central out there on the interwebs. Margaret Cho and I did the same open mics and showcases and became and still remain friends. Myself, Margaret, Kevin Kataoka, and Kennedy Kabasares were the few Asian American comics working the Bay Area back then.

I did the proverbial one man show “Paper Son” about my growing up in Oklahoma, coming to the West Coast to do comedy but then discovering my father’s interrogation documents buried deep within the National Archives of the United States (Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 anyone?). I did that show for many years in the Canadian and US Fringe circuit as well as the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and small theatre extended runs in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

I ended up in Los Angeles as you have to when pursuing creative adventures in film and television. Any of the Hollywood horror stories about auditioning and roles offered are absolutely true. I’ve done a little here and a little there. Nothing memorable.

A few years ago, I was lucky enough to have saved a few bucks and I helped my friends on their projects. On one of them, we ended up at Sundance and I was Executive Producer of “Bellflower” in 2011 which went on to worldwide distribution, two Independent Spirit Award nominations as well as several “Best Films of the Year” lists.

My friends taught me that I didn’t have anymore excuses and that I should go out and make a film with whatever resources I had. And that’s what happened.

With that, I’d ask you to take a chance and watch the film. And if you connect with the story to perhaps tell someone you know that might like it. Today is the first day that it has been released into the world and if enough people respond to it then perhaps others will find it. I’ve had practically no publicity generated by the distributor so I need to do what I can to get the word out.

Happy to answer any questions. Thanks for your consideration. You can find the trailer at the various links.

Amazon Video link: https://www.amazon.com/Aliens-Byron-Yee/dp/B07CCGFTQ4/

iTunes link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/the-aliens/id1359571476

Also on Google Play, Cable VOD, etc.

Only interview I’ve done:

https://thenerdsofcolor.org/2017/05/17/interview-with-byron-yee-filmmaker-of-the-aliens/

Was your humanitarian cruise in Haiti by chance? I'm reading the book The Big Truck that went by and he talks a bit about the US 'occupation' humanitarian mission post earthquake and how soldiers where not told when they would be done with the humanitarian mission. He cites letters to families that show their doubt in the mission itself.

Good book so far. Highly recommended. I'd say getting into aid is a lot like getting into the military. You have all these idealistic thoughts about serving for a greater good... and then you realize the entire industry is totally whacked. I think it's changing though. Slowly but surely.

I understand getting special treatment. I know you can only get into the USOs in airports if you're in uniform. Those are like Delta Sky Clubs. I'm a member of the Sky Clubs and they honestly make air travel way more tolerable. You're treated like a king! Free drinks free food. Not too bad. And the way I see it, I never have to pay for a drink in an airport (granted, I paid upfront for those drinks) but I will drink wayyy more drinks than the member fee.

Plus the networking that goes on in those places is great. I'd imagine the USOs would be similar. A good place to relax sit down and meet other members of the military who may totally agree with you.

TL;DR. Read The Big Truck that went by. Uniformed military may just be like me and trying to get perks of USOs/Delta Sky Club to relax a bit.

This is going to be long and boring, but this is sort of where I dump all these thoughts, so...

Eight months ago, I asked out this girl I'm really into. She turned me down. She'd just gotten out of a 7-year relationship, and also she didn't like me that way.

Cool, whatever. We've stayed friends. I still have a crush on her, but I've been mostly focusing on myself, trying to become a better person.

I've had a rough year and I was asking her to hang out a lot. A couple months back, she noticed and wanted to reiterate that we're just friends. We talked about it and I told her I still thought she was adorable but I wasn't looking to change things.

We started talking more after that. She was seeing a guy for a little bit but she didn't like how he treated her so she broke things off.

Then last month, out of the blue, she thanks me for "not being a jerk." One of her friends had asked her out and was a huge asshole when she turned him down. We had a long talk about relationships. I told her she's incredibly sweet. She said she just wanted to find someone who would treat her right. I mentioned that I knew a guy who would, she laughed.

Then last week, she suddenly left for her hometown. Got on a plane and took off for a few days. I was worried so I asked her about it. She had a family emergency, we talked for a while about how she and her family are doing. She hasn't told anyone else, except a couple coworkers who saw her crying one day.

I know she likes farmers markets so I invited her to come out on Sunday with another friend of mine. She brought a guy... she said he was a friend. I get the feeling if they're seeing each other, it's extremely early.

My friend was a good wing-woman, she would talk with the other guy and I would get some one-on-one time with my crush. My crush told me not to mention anything about her family, because she hadn't told her friend anything.

After we parted ways, she messaged me saying "Thanks! You're the freaking best." I asked her what she was thanking me for and she said "I don't know, for being so nice and putting up with me."

Yeah, so I have no idea if I'm making any headway or if she's categorized me entirely as a friend.

I got her a Christmas present. She's a bio grad student. I got her this Erlenmeyer mug. I'm going to put it in a gift bag with some coffee and tea, for all her late-night lab work.

I'm hoping to drop it off at her lab tonight. She usually works late. I'm going to pretend I happen to be in the area and ask if I can swing by. After the holidays, and things settle down with her family stuff, I want to ask her out again.

TL;DR: Hopelessly trying to turn a "no" into a "yes." No idea what I'm doing.

Read this book.

http://www.amazon.com/Organizing-Social-Change-4th-Edition/dp/0984275215

It's pretty much a guide to accomplish that. This book is ESSENTIAL for people who want to enact change. As for media exposure?

1. Have a clear message.
   Decide what you are calling for and keep repeating it clearly and concisely. Don’t dilute strong arguments by going off on tangents or harping on trivialities. Relate your cause to everyday concerns. For example, if you’re campaigning for ethical investment, point out that it is financially viable and has a positive effect on the world. If you speak calmly and appeal to common understandings, radical ideas can appear not only sensible but even obvious.
   
   
2. Make media a priority.
   Effective campaigning means making media engagement a priority. I have often seen activists organize an event and then think about promoting it to the media. Put media at the center of your planning from the beginning.
   
   
3. Offer news.
   Something is news only if it is new. Discussions of opinions are not news—but you can make them news.
   
   
4. Watch your timing.
   If you are aiming for a weekly paper that goes to print on Tuesday afternoon, don’t hold an event on Tuesday evening. Be where journalists are, both literally and metaphorically. It’s difficult to get journalists to come to a protest outside a company’s offices, but if you demonstrate outside the company’s big annual meeting, business correspondents will already be there. Contact them in advance and there’s a good chance they’ll come over to speak with you.
   
   
5. Talk to journalists.
   It sounds obvious, but it is often overlooked. Issue a news release when you act or respond to events, but don’t rely on the release alone. Get on the phone with the journalists who have received it. Be concise and brace yourself for disappointments—most of them will not be interested. But chances are you will find someone who wants to know more eventually.
   
   
6. Build contacts.
   Go back to journalists every time you have a story, especially those who seemed interested earlier. If you’re concise and reliable, and give them good stories, they will soon be phoning you for comments. When this happens, make sure that someone is available. A good relationship with a few journalists is worth a thousand press releases.
   
   I understand that Suey not down with this. She's rather put people on blast on Twitter. Whatever, its 140 characters and offers reaction, not pro-action. Being proactive changes minds and attitudes.
   

I agree with ZOOMj. In addition, any training classes worth their salt will also include a bloc of instruction of when and where legal grounds for self-defense can be established, as well as how to contact the police and deal with them afterward. It could make the difference between coming out like Jarred Ha or ending up in prison and becoming a talking point for gun control advocates.

You may know this already, but don't bother with the 'stun guns' often seen at pawn shops and the like. Taser is an actual brand name and while models like the C2 and newer Pulse don't quite function the same as law enforcement models like the X26, I've been hit with the C2 and it pretty much laid me out like the X26.

I'd also recommend buying extra cartridges and some OC spray. If you do, then sure you buy an extra can and at the very least spray some on a cloth to rub on your face (if not having someone just flat out spray you from the safe minimum distance) because there is a great chance you will get some on you in the unlikelihood you have to use it.

https://www.amazon.com/Defense-Technologies-Stream-Solution-3-0-Ounce/dp/B001TOP524/ref=lp_8519620011_1_2?srs=8519620011&ie=UTF8&qid=1495940713&sr=8-2

This is the brand I have had previous experience with. I keep a can in my lunch bag (lol) since I'm guaranteed to be have it going back to my car after work.

0. Looks like you have been reading sites like strategypage, my advise is to stay off those websites, It's better for your health.
   
   
1. String of Pearls is made up strategy for alarmist journalist, and reason for that is simple. China does not, will not in near future has control over the either the malacca straights or Sunda straight. So any investment in military infrastructure on the other side of that straight is a waste of resources. There is reason why China is so reluctant in securing naval docking station in Africa despite sending naval patrols there for last 6 years. (it quite amazing how long at sea these ships would go without docking anywhere, life must be pretty hard for these sailor. Which is probably those fleet usually go a pleasure tour to Europe and South America afterwards.) However it does not stop the media from creating a sensation about it, and make everything bigger than it really is.
   
   
2. As you have 一带一路 initiative is an economic policy, so far it just a bunch of empty talk. The only think that could be of value in that direction is the China-Iran pipeline, and that thing goes over land.
   
   
3. You really need to read The Influence of Sea Power Upon History again, everything we discussed here is not Mahanian strategy, or even modern interpretations of it. Hell, Mahan's vision of Asian strategic outlook is as far off target as it can be.
   
   
4. The Liaoning and new possible carrier China is building (100A is just a made up name by the internet, just like Shiliang) is really the dream of 刘华清, and the original crew that has brought the Varyag was actually discipline by by the Jiang-Zhu government, though Hu-Wen government did pick it up and made it into a carrier. China will it in same way US uses it, used to threaten small countries and protect Chinese interest. (For example in both Libya and Yemen all China could do is withdraw its citizens and basically abandon its assets there. While US can use it naval assets and supports the faction allied to it. However, look at where things are going, it appears China actually managed to minimize its losses, while the US digs the hole deeper and deeper. It did create an opportunity for political attacks on Hillary Clinton though). As for DF-21D, it's untested weapon that's based on asymmetrical warfare, which essentially on the opposite side of Mahan as he valued sea control and naval presences. If anything it is actually more line with the much criticized book 超限战.
   
   
5. In terms of grand strategy, China's maritime trade to primary to the US and its Allies (North America, Europe, Australia, ASEAN). If the conflict is a third party threatening the trade, US and its Allies will jump on it way before China could do it anything. (then accuse China as being a free rider) And it the conflict with the US, that trade does not exist anyways, what's use of a navy to protects it? As far as hydrocarbons from the middle east, pipeline over land would be better option (actually pipeline to Russian would be a even better option. Hell, the best option would be exploring hydraulic fracking in China, as China has the largest reserve of Shale gas in the world). On top of that, China is moving away from hydrocarbons anyways, for both national security and environmental reason.

Caveat I've never tried the look myself so I can't guarantee this will work.


That being said, I've personally found, and read online that with asian hair, since it's so strong and straight, blow drying it is mandatory for pretty much any sort of style. Now, with respect to this hair style, it looks like you'll need the top of your hair to be at least 10 cm long. Any shorter and, with asian hair, you'll just end up with the spiky dragon ball Z look.


So for styling:

• First I would suggest starting with a heat protectant mousse, something like this apply it to damp, towel dried hair. Slick your hair back with the mousse then blow dry it in the direction you want. Blow dry until the hair no longer feels slick or wet. The mousse does two things, first it stops your hair from being damaged/dried out by the heat of the blow dryer, second it works with the heat to hold your hair in the direction that you blow dried it. You'll have to blow dry a lot to get it to go straight and back to give the slicked back look. You can try clipping or holding your hair down while it's still wet in the backwards position and then blowing it from there.
  
  
  
• Next use gatsby and slick it through your hair holding it down, straight and back. Gatsby is a japanese product designed with asian hair in mind. You can use other waxes like kevin murphy nightrider or Hanz De Fuko Claymation but I find for the hold, Gatsby is the cheapest option. It's about $10 whereas the other choices are pushing $20+. I suggest a matte wax because I personally find gels or other slick, shiny products tend to look really terrible in Asian hair. Rather than looking sleek and shiny the dark blackness of Asian hair tends to make it look greasy. That's just my opinion though. You can absolutely replace this step with a gel or other holding product that you like. The point of this step is to weigh your hair down with a product where the product also has sufficient hold to keep it in place in the direction you want.
  
  
  
• Last hairspray. This is just to lock everything in. A couple puffs of hairspray (not too much or your hair ends up with the greasy look) to lock everything in and keep it in place. This step is optional but I personally like using a bit of hairspray because I find hairspray to be more moisture resistant. If I sweat a bit I'm not immediately ruining my style, same thing if it's raining a bit. Hairspray also helps to keep any stray hairs in place if it gets windy or you're running around or something like that.
  
  
  And that's it. Like I said, I'm not sure if this will work for sure as I've never done a completely slicked back hairstyle. But overall I know for sure, with Asian hair, the key is to blow dry it. A blowdryer is your best tool, above any product, when dealing with Asian hair.

> Things like going to protests/marches - are they at all effective?

Very much so. Protests at airports all over the country have led to an emergency halt on Trump's immigration ban.

Moreover, consistent protests -- especially ones explicitly calling for inclusion unlike the Obama protests -- sends a clear message to the world. Continue to exercise your constitutional rights for as long as you are able.

> But what else can we do to influence policy that's being made on the national level?

Last year, there were studies and reports talking about how Millennials aren't interested in running for office for a bunch of reasons.

After Trump's election, it looks like things might change. Run For Something announced that they are grooming 1,200 Millennials to run for office. Even scientists are running for office because the Trump administration rejects climate change and is gutting environmentalist programs.

Check if any of these new politicians are running for office in your distrct. Rally behind public servants that run to establish a smarter, more compassionate nation. Work on their campaign trails if you can. Remember, we don't vote for the president -- we vote in the people that do.

Fight gerrymandering. FairVote is one such organization that addresses it on a national level.


> What's most effective and efficient? How can we make a difference as individuals?

Just be a good person. I hate the idea that your job and your activism is what determines your moral worth. People assume that the social worker at charity:water is a "better person" than the guy on Wall Street.

I think how you live your life is far more important than what you do with it. Whatever job you have, do it with integrity and do it well. If you're in a position of power, strive to create a compassionate environment and hire diversely. Follow through with all your promises, even small ones like hanging out with your friends. Show up early to everything early.

In short, be good at the little things, because ultimately, those are the things that matter. Marches and rallies are important but they don't convince anyone who doesn't already agree with you (the purpose of those events is to raise awareness and sustain morale) and they don't happen very often. A march only takes up a few hours of your day, half a day at most.

In contrast, building your character takes an entire lifetime. You are bombarded with opportunities to be a kinder, more dependable person everyday.

And when you're known as someone who never flakes out, who is kind to everyone, and who is always on time, the people in your life will respect you. So the next time you advocate a cause, people will listen. The next time you show up at a march, people will see.

And finally, read up on history. There is nothing new under the sun. Opportunists and bad leaders like Trump have existed all throughout history.

Read about how journalists covered the rises of Hitler and Mussolini. Read up on Berlusconi. Read up on how Golden Dawn continues to seize power in Greece. Read about how Putin went from being your run-of-the-mill pragmatic kleptocrat to an ultranationalist demagogue. Read about the journalists that covered Putin's regime.

Wisdom is learning from those who came before you. Of course, those situations are not 1:1 with ours, but they're a map and a compass. They provide some context to what we're going through so we can adapt and move forward.

Grad school wasn't something I had generally considered because I liked to learn "on the job" and did have a few roles where I was reimbursed for side classes. I didn't see the point of it for myself and the industries I was.

Then I got burnt out working, had no idea what I wanted to next, and read Don't Go Back To School which ironically, along with interviewing a bunch of alum from a specific program I had always admired convinced me to apply.

The costs are crazy even after I received some scholarships :( I'm still in it but it's taught me how to learn in a completely different way, the network is great, and at that point in my life I considered the it the best investment of time and money that I could make in myself. I should also say that I only applied to one program, it's at NYU$$$, and it's not a typical graduate program (it's very unstructured and play focused, like kindergarten for adults). Most importantly, I knew why I wanted to go and at a high level, what I wanted to get out of it.

OP, if you are looking for a really incredible book by a korean-am author, i recommend nora okja keller's fox girl. it is INCREDIBLY dark but honest and gorgeous and terrifying. i loved and hated it when i read it for an asian american lit class and to this day almost 8 years later i can't stop thinking about it. (https://amzn.com/0142001961)


esme weijun wang - border of paradise (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26196482-the-border-of-paradise)
^^CANNOT recommend this enough. it is LIFE CHANGING. haunting beautiful devastating modern gothic, mixes language and culture like nothing i've read before.

celeste ng - everything i never told you (https://amzn.com/0143127551)

annie choi - happy birthday or whatever (https://amzn.com/0061132225)

andrew x. pham - catfish and mandala (https://amzn.com/0312267177)

lisa see - snow flower and the secret fan (https://amzn.com/0812980352)

> Now that I'm on the other side as a medical student, I've seen studies that show patients prefer physicians of their own race[6] . From personal experience interacting with patients, communication is easier and a higher level of care can be provided if the provider understands the patient's culture.
>

I don't know much about the field, but from what I understand, research points out that understanding the culture is primordial for health care service delivery. it's just easier if the patients and the medical practitioner are of the same ethnic background. It also happens to Asian too, you should read this book book by Anne Fadiman, its an eye opener.

I really enjoyed Catfish and Mandala by Andrew X. Pham. Apparently the guy just went and left his job in the aerospace industry to go on a journey from Mexico all the way up the Pacific Northwest and over to Japan and Vietnam.

this book has a captivating tone but wasn't able to finish it yet

and this book provides perspective in dealing with and understanding foreign culture in a medical setting