Your Culture, Positive Or Negative On Foreign Land

[SeekAndDestroy]

Not beign born in the U.S. meant I had to learn a language, customs, and culture from scratch.

From my experience beign who I am helped me see things from a different point of view, and learn and know things that others, native to this country may never understand. I believe that, if you are objective and open minded being multicultural ( if that is even a word) can be a positive experience.

This isn't a thread to compare which culture is better, or to rip on anyone's customs, language or belief (if that is your intention don't botter posting). I believe however that this is a very interesting topic, and I would like to know if anyone else has had similar experiences, or, if anyone believes that this isn't the case and sticking to your own culture alone is better (and why).

I figured that with all the different people posting here, from so many different places we can entertain ourselves with this one.

However please keep arguing to a minimun, and don't get hung up in one thing, no need to repeat one thing over and over. Again NO BAD COMMENTS about any one else, or anyone elses culture, customs or otherwise. At the first violation of this I will ask the thread closed... if you have doubts if what you're posting is offensive it probably is so don't...

Seek.

[Chichi]

This is strangely becoming something of a regularity with immigration-related topics... - But I'm glad since I can share such discussions with my own experiences.

Before moving to the far-east I had previously visited many times before due to family so as opposed to receiving a culture-shock I knew what to expect to an extent. That said, living in this country is considerably different to merely visiting as I soon grew to learn.

For almost all of my life with the exception of the past few years I lived in the city, London to be precise. As I have mentioned a few times before I'm mixed racially, half Japanese, half British. My Mother immigrated to the UK when she was only 19, and after a few years she met my Father. This was about 20 or so years ago, but the majority of my Mother's side still live in Japan, and having four sisters and two brothers, I have a fairly large family in comparison to my Dad's side, of which I have one Aunt, of whom never married.

London being cosmopolitan is different to Tokyo, but I knew this anyway... I suppose over the years, when you live in such a city, where student international rates are strong as well, it's quite the norm to know that the majority of the people on your bus were not born from London. Then again, it also ultimately depends on where you are in the city. In Tokyo however, while many move to the city from outer-suburban areas in Japan, most are first and foremost Japanese, with the occasional westerner, but the more dominant immigration derives from other neighboring countries like China or the Philippines.

When I moved to Japan, the way of life is in a word different... -But incidentally it's also fairly the same... Certain things are dramatically different... One could say that living here is like living in a different world, but the facets of human society strays across so my way of life is much the same overall.

I am treated differently, but I knew this when I visited before I moved based on the way I look... Like anywhere, I firmly believe that if you have the 'look' that the opposite gender like or aspire towards you will receive constant attention and approval. In London I received this quite a bit but much more-so over here. People don't look at me as a westerner, since I do speak fluent Japanese, and they simply assume, especially as my accent is starting to become more native-like, that I was probably born here, but one of my parent's is a westerner. On the other hand, no-one even took much notice of whether I was born here or not in the UK, they simply assumed I was unless I told them. This goes to show the difference in immigration rates from the UK to Japan, the difference is incredible, so it's not really surprising that it's more of a topic here than it is back in the UK.

Other than that, Japan revolves more around its own cliches and interests, whereas the UK tends to extract interests from other places, namely America or the far-east, particularly Japan. While Japan embraces western entertainment, it domineers in its own a lot more, whereas in London hollywood films and Japanese console computer games were commonplace, etc.

Anyway, I wrote something similar in another thread a few months back, and since this is a relatively new topic, I'll stop here... I can't think of much more to type at the moment.

[SeekAndDestroy]

That brings up a good question.... there's places here in U.S. where people expect you to a act a certain way, or react to you differently depending where you're from (people don't really know I'm not native either unless I tell them).

Whenever I tell them I'm not, they act surprised and tell me that they didn't know because I didn't do X or Y thing that they expected me to do, or start asking me if questions based on their preconceived expectations, generally this is well intentioned, but I wonder if elsewhere people tend to base themselvese so much in stereotypes, or in things they hear?.....

[DaFool]

Being a global nomad, I can safely say being multicultural is not as glorious as they all make it out to be. Its better to be familiar with the strengths of your culture so you can share them with others.

When I was younger my family lived in Austria. People mistook us for Japanese. My grandmother in particular, and being a young boy, I looked very oriental. That was probably helpful in Europe because Japan was economically powerful in the eighties, and sad to say but if they thought we were Filipino I don't think they would have accorded us any respect at all. So we had multitude of good and bad experiences, ranging from our car being vandalized to total strangers approaching us at the bus stop with "Kann ich Ihnen helfen? " I would definitely say looking Japanese at that time was crucial.

In Singapore in elementary school this lovely girl gave me a love letter, complete with the pink heart-shaped sticker. Her name was Sato Mayumi. If I had half a brain then I would have received bento boxes made with love. But alas I was too naive. This wasn't just with her, but even the native Chinese mistook us for Japanese--that generally meant polite treatment in restaurants and sometimes rude treatment on the street.

In the U.S. there were many immigrants, so basically any English-speaking non-white would be regarded the same...the good thing is that people are less prone to ask annoying questions such as "Where are you from?". The Americans expected non-native-borns to assimilate into their culture, and I think that is a good thing since there is a common standard without differentiation. Another great thing about America is its solid subculture system. At this time I also matured physically and I (both purposefully and by default) started to look like a Latino. By the time I was an adult people will literally walk up to me and start speaking in Spanish. Well my brother did study Spanish (and Chinese), while I, being less gifted linguistically, just thought screw it all and stuck with English.

Now these are just the places I've lived, studied, and worked in for many years. I've also visited places such as India, Pakistan, Indonesia for extended periods of time that got me a good feel of the places, though I won't be expert of those respective cultures. What's ironic is after years of being treated as Japanese, I have yet to visit Japan.

Now I've come to a conclusion which may not be pleasant to many. After having come in contact with different cultures, some cultures are definitely better than others. Some cultures are more intellectual, or more spiritual, or more social. That's why I don't buy into the crap that says compared to Western culture, Native cultures have less malice, are more spiritual, and more in tune with Nature. Some are, some aren't. Whether the Cherokee are more advanced than Puritans I don't know...maybe, but then what about the other tribes? On a Social Caring scale the Papua New Guineans score higher than Kapampangans (my tribe in the flatlands of Luzon.) But I think we score higher in industry and business. And don't get my father started on the Bisaya.

This is what I mean...yes, we should treat each other equally and have equal rights. Yes, each culture should be accorded respect in the international scene. But the plain truth is that some cultures are more advanced than others. Japan's culture is one example of a superior culture, and it plainly shows in the storytelling of their best anime and movies, without mentioning its industrial system. I don't think any other culture in the world is capable of sustaining two nuclear attacks and rebounding to dominate the world economically and now, culturally. Yes, Japan succeeded in the Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere. I have my Sony 5.1 to prove it.

Another of my so-called 'superior cultures' is Chinese culture. Nevermind that the Communists are evil, the fact is they took something Western, Capitalism, turned it on its head and beat the West in its own game, flooding the world and creating and destroying many markets in the process. And all the thousands of engineers studying in U.S. universities along with their Indian counterparts can count as forward investment in the future. I rarely saw a native U.S.-born in engineering institutions...not only among the students, but even among the faculty. Most of my professors were Chinese. Back in the Philippines, Chinese-Filipinos are the elite minority along with the Spanish-Filipinos. Unlike the Spanish, they didn't inherit their wealth nor stole it from the Peasants...they literally worked their a@@es off amid ridicule from the native Filipinos (who before the 1960s were the 2nd richest people in Asia after Japan) until today they own most of the assets of the country in terms of airlines, malls, construction, banking.

So what did I learn in all this? Not to take any other culture lightly lest it one day proves superior to one's own. Culture is after all the spirit of a nation, so to judge it, just look at the fruits of that nation. So yeah, superior cultures tend to be economically successful in this darwinian world.

Now on tangent, if you're immigrating, just assimilate...if you won't, your children definitely will. No use trying to stand proud when the native-born can just easily say, "If you're so proud of being ______an, why don't you just go back to ________?" Be proud there."

It's also good to be somewhat hostile to other nations, to be nationalistic. World peace can never be obtained, because humans are flawed on a fundamental level having little to do with conflicts between cultures but rather destructive behavior that is amplified when going from the individual to the collective. It just so happens that large groups of people exhibit behaviors more destructive. So, might as well enrich the homeland. Japan said F.U. to the U.S. (somewhat) and became a power. China said F.U. to Japan and has risen. Korea said F.U. to Japan and is a major player in East Asia. Having the balls to say F.U. to other countries and world organizations is best for one's country. Otherwise one will be taken advantage of by richer nations and the bodies they control such as the World Trade Organization.

[I'm Oppressed]

"I don't think any other culture in the world is capable of sustaining two nuclear attacks and rebounding to dominate the world economically and now, culturally."

Nevermind that Japan does not have the world's highest GDP...how does Japan dominate the world culturally? Maybe Eastern Asia (although you probably know more about that region of the world than I do), but a few thousand geeks watching anime doesn't constitute cultural domination in the West.

It will also be several decades before China begins to seriously attempt world economic dominance, and that's if the government manages to figure out how to deal with the hundreds of millions of farmers that are currently being left out of the economic expansion.

[N-Bomb]

Canada's culture is pretty much perfect. We're unoffensive, we help out, we're humble, what's not to like?

[I'm Oppressed]

Originally Posted by N-Bomb

Canada's culture is pretty much perfect. We're unoffensive, we help out, we're humble, what's not to like?

Really...is that so?

[PEDOS_GRANDE]

lol Canada

[PEDOS_GRANDE]

Originally Posted by I'm Oppressed

"I don't think any other culture in the world is capable of sustaining two nuclear attacks and rebounding to dominate the world economically and now, culturally."

Nevermind that Japan does not have the world's highest GDP...how does Japan dominate the world culturally? Maybe Eastern Asia (although you probably know more about that region of the world than I do), but a few thousand geeks watching anime doesn't constitute cultural domination in the West.

It will also be several decades before China begins to seriously attempt world economic dominance, and that's if the government manages to figure out how to deal with the hundreds of millions of farmers that are currently being left out of the economic expansion.

Rebounding? More like being rebuilt...............BY AMERICA.

[N-Bomb]

Originally Posted by PEDOS_GRANDE

Rebounding? More like being rebuilt...............BY AMERICA.

Yes, using the money that Perry extorted out of them originally

[kujoe]

Originally Posted by I'm Oppressed

Nevermind that Japan does not have the world's highest GDP...how does Japan dominate the world culturally? Maybe Eastern Asia (although you probably know more about that region of the world than I do), but a few thousand geeks watching anime doesn't constitute cultural domination in the West.

True. Let's forget about Japanese anime and movies for a while. Anime and movies aren't the only things Japan exports after all. (Movies? Last time I checked, with the exception of Kurosawa, Chinese movies were getting most of the attention most of the time.)

We have Japanese cars, electronics, modern art, fashion, literature, Japanese cuisine... All of these represent Japanese culture in the outside, non-Japanese world. We're actually buying more than mere products from Japan. The notion of cultural domination is nowadays inscribed in the global market. Globalization after all, is always an issue of culture.

As to how I think my culture is viewed in a foreign land? Filipinos have always been regarded as an ambivalent lot. However, most of the time (if not always) it depends whether you hail from a 1st world or 3rd world country—or whether your people have colonized or have been colonized by someone else. The present prestige of one's country and history all play a part in how certain cultures and foreigners are viewed.

[I'm Oppressed]

Originally Posted by kujoe

True. Let's forget about Japanese anime and movies for a while. Anime and movies aren't the only things Japan exports after all. (Movies? Last time I checked, with the exception of Kurosawa, Chinese movies were getting most of the attention most of the time.)

We have Japanese cars, electronics, modern art, fashion, literature, Japanese cuisine... All of these represent Japanese culture in the outside, non-Japanese world. We're actually buying more than mere products from Japan. The notion of cultural domination is nowadays inscribed in the global market. Globalization after all, is always an issue of culture.

I don't know if I would count cars and electronics as a huge cultural influence. After all, Japan's contributions in these particular industries were originally innovations of what were previously traditional American industries.

However, I do see sushi bars and Japanese steakhouses all over the place now.

Economic dominance will eventually lead to cultural dominance, but economically, Japan's dominance is still relegated to Eastern Asia, and eventually China will attempt to usurp that position.

[SeekAndDestroy]

Originally Posted by I'm Oppressed

I don't know if I would count cars and electronics as a huge cultural influence. After all, Japan's contributions in these particular industries were originally innovations of what were previously traditional American industries.

On the contrary, at the moment cars are big cultural dilema. Despite the wave of patriotism sweeping through the U.S. There is a big shift towards japanese cars. While everyone wants to buy american, and a big part of the economy depends on it; the better design, price, and fuel eficiency of japanese cars are crushing their american counterparts (even in pick-ups, previously reserved only for american companies).

[I'm Oppressed]

Originally Posted by SeekAndDestroy

On the contrary, at the moment cars are big cultural dilema. Despite the wave of patriotism sweeping through the U.S. There is a big shift towards japanese cars. While everyone wants to buy american, and a big part of the economy depends on it; the better design, price, and fuel eficiency of japanese cars are crushing their american counterparts (even in pick-ups, previously reserved only for american companies).

I live in the Northeast, and I don't know anyone who really cares about the nation of origin of the cars they buy as long as they are good. In fact, I'm rooting for Ford and GM to go down, or at least stop getting sweetheart deals from the government. If people were that patriotic, they'd buy American. Most just pay lip service as long as it doesn't inconviencence them.

[SeekAndDestroy]

I know exactly where you're coming from, I'm from CT, and I drive a foreign car. However I spent some time near Detroit, and not only there but in many other places it is a big issue. Especially since most of the manufacturing jobs in the U.S. are aotomotive related. you don't really see this dilema on the east side, since our manufacturing jobs are pretty much non-existent anymore.

[SeekAndDestroy]

However this brings another very interesting point, not being American myself I won't even think about this issue, (and like I said in CT. it doesn't really come up that much), if I see a car that I like, and is a good care i'll buy regardless of where it was made. On the other hand I do understand the other point of view, you should have pride for your products and help support your economy (that as it happens it's my economy too). That said, there is a lot of people out there with the attitude that every foreign car is a piece of sh** (I kid you not, that is direct quote from more than one person), I don't even get into an argument about it anymore because it's a pointless argument. However that reinforces my belief, it's ignorance and lack of knowledge towards foreign cultures that generally prompt responses like that.

[I'm Oppressed]

It's interesting that the same political party in the United States that claims to support no holds barred globalized capitalism also attempt to court the votes of cultural xenophobes. The Dubai ports deal shows what happens when these two constituencies come into direct conflict.

[kujoe]

Originally Posted by I'm Oppressed

I don't know if I would count cars and electronics as a huge cultural influence. After all, Japan's contributions in these particular industries were originally innovations of what were previously traditional American industries.

"Previously American, or Western" is the ironic part about it. Cars and electronics are products that are part of modern day life. Japan is offering that to you with their own products. And more importantly, their selling their name. "Japan Inc." was quite a prevalent term a long time ago. Moreover, there's something being said when people claim that Japanese products are either great or unreliable.

As for cultural dominance, Japan is actually dominating alongside the US, China and possibly India. Look elsewhere, and it's probably other countries we'll be seeing. But from where I'm standing, it's Japan, China and the US.

[Lemonhead]

I really wouldn't count a companys product as a "symbol of a contrys cultural dominance", especially in this day of mulitnational corperations. For instance a trademark American brand such as "JEEP" is owned by a german company and usally maunfactured in places like Mexico. So trying to be nationalistic about what you buy is rather pointless.

But i would say that currency would be a better "symbol of a countrys cultural dominace". Battle of the Dollar vs. Yen vs. Euro etc..

[DaFool]

Cultural influence is almost always tied with economic influence. Though it's hard to see that as an American who stays within the borders of one's country. But when one becomes an expat one will see how dynamic cultural power can be and how quickly it changes nations, not just their markets.

There are markets in remote regions that are too small or too risky for the Americans and even the Japanese. But guess what? The Chinese and even the Koreans aren't afraid to go where no other foreigner has gone before. First come the industrial contractors who build bridges and other infrastructure. Next come the car dealerships. Then the schools for Korean kids. Then the restaurants. Next thing you know the entire landscape has changed and more people are actually speaking English than the local dialect. What's funny is that in the remotest regions of the Philippines I rarely see a Ford Expedition or Mitsubishi Pajero but instead encounter Hyundai Starex's and Kia Sorento's. And then in all the eco-industrial zones you see vans labelled ' Korean Association of Northern Mindanao / Central Luzon / etc.' going about their business, and then perhaps one starts wondering if there is some sort of diaspora going on.