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3 Differences Between Family Values in Eastern and Western Cultures
Family is a complex thing. Our concept of family is shaped by many factors such as our cultural background, personalities and experiences. In particular, family values tend to be very different in Eastern and Western cultures. Having my family and close friends across Asia and Australia, diverse dynamics are enriching yet also chaotic in my…
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Ways I Disappoint My Asian Parents Again and Again
When you come from an Asian family, there are usually strict cultural norms to live up to. On the occasions you don’t, chances are you probably disappoint your Asian parents. Different Asian parents, and parents in general, have different expectations of their children. But the benchmark tends to be high in Asian households. Growing up…
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Your Dreams Vs. Unsupportive Asian Parents: Finding Your Way
We all have passions and dreams, which our parents might not always agree with. In a stereotypical Asian family, artistic and creative dreams tend to be frowned upon, and we might have second thoughts about chasing them. Writing is something I love. Seven year old me rushed home after school and wrote fictional adventure stories…
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Why Having An Ethnic Name Is Annoying But Something To Be Proud Of
There are times when we find certain names harder to pronounce than others. Maybe ethnic names, cultural names or names with more than a few syllables. Names we have never heard of that make us stop and wonder if we’ll ever get the pronunciation down pat. I was born Mabel Kwong in Australia to Chinese-Malaysian…
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Why Asians Are Smart At School. Or Not So Smart
There’s the stereotype that Asians are smart at school, always doing very well and coming in top of the class. There’s the stereotype that Asians get straight A’s on their exams and are academically gifted. I was one of these Asian kids, someone who always did well in school. It’s no secret school is competitive…
Mabel Kwong 