Why Males Are The Favoured Sex In Asian Cultures

Posted on 6 June 2013 by Mabel Kwong

“Your Arts degree is useless. You studied the wrong degree, made a very wrong decision there. You finished your degree, and you still can’t find a job. Should’ve studied something like commerce or dentistry. Like your brother. Maybe he can get you a job.”

That’s what my mum says to me all the time. It’s no secret she fawns over my brother who studies something science-related, holds a respectable office job and has completed Grade 8 piano as opposed to me who, well, is a free spirit.

Males tend to be regarded as the smarter, more reliable and more dependable sex in Asian cultures. Drawing: Mabel Kwong

It’s also no secret in Asian cultures that males are regarded as the supreme sex. The so-called almighty, smart, know-it-all, responsible sex. Many Asian parents prefer having boys over girls and shower infinite adoration over their male offspring.

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The Two Types Of Success In Asian Cultures

Posted on 30 May 2013 by Mabel Kwong

How do Asians define success? What does success mean to an Asian person?

For different Asians living in different parts of the world, success crops up in various forms.

Success in general is hard to define. For some, success is coming in first in class or landing that dream job. For others, it is finishing an entire 12-inch pizza by themselves. But to put it simply, success is considered personal achievements, achievements sometimes influenced by society’s expectations .

Asians living in Asia and Asians living in Western countries usually define success differently. Drawing: Mabel Kwong

Long-held Asian beliefs and customs are at very the heart of livelihoods in many parts of Asia. The mentality of success here, also usually shared by the older Asian generation, tends to be steeped in Asian traditions.

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Digital Community Radio: Benefiting Ethnic Groups In Australia

Posted on 9 May 2013 by Mabel Kwong

Flick through community radio channels on the AM and FM dials in Australia and you will come across Chinese, Korean, Greek and Italian programs at some point.

With an increasing number of Australians coming from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, there is definitely a local audience for ethnic community radio programs. It makes sense to have more of these programs available to cater to this demographic’s listening pleasure. This is possible through community digital radio services that offer more stations, greater choices of ethnic programs.