Differences among Asian-American Cultures

Differences among Asian-American Cultures There are, of course, many differences between the various Asian-American cultures as well. On one level, traditions and customs, language, and dress dif- fer from group to group, while on another level, dif- ferences exist in the immigration practices and regulations of the different groups, as well as in his- torical experiences. These differences may cause Asian Americans to develop culturally in different ways. The Effect of Immigration Practices on Asian- American Children Chinese Americans are the Asian-American group that has been in America the longest. Many Chinese individuals immigrated to the United States to find jobs and fortune in the early 1800s and were welcomed at first because of the cheap labor they pro- vided. Soon sentiments turned negative, however, leading to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. This act prevented immigration from China and lead to dis- criminatory practices in the United States, including lack of access to certain legal rights and segregation. 28 ASIAN-AMERICAN CHILDRENIn addition, the prevention of immigration created a Chinese-American population comprised mostly of men, leading to lower numbers in subsequent genera- tions. This act was not repealed until 1943 and had extreme influences on both the physical and psycho- logical well being of Chinese Americans. Such prac- tices had an effect on the children of these Chinese immigrants as well, as feelings of shame and the re- sults of discrimination and poverty were passed on from previous generations. Good education is often a main focus for these families and is a key reason for their immigration to the United States. Thus, educa- tional achievement remains an immensely important goal for Chinese-American children. Korean individuals arrived in America about a century later than the Chinese and also served as la- borers. Again, attainment of better education was a major goal of these first Korean immigrants. The anti-Asian sentiments that continued to effect all Asian-American populations at this time in the Unit- ed States caused many Korean and Korean-American families to settle close to one another, forming tightly knit communities. It is important for those working with Korean-American children to respect these com- munities and to try to work within them, making at- tempts to involve parents as much as possible. Though most Korean-American parents are highly respectful of teachers and educational administrators, they may not see it as their place to enter into the edu- cational forum, deferring instead to teachers. Using material in the language of the parent is one way of ensuring more involvement. Japanese individuals first immigrated to the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s, with a desire for better education and financial opportuni- ties as the primary force behind their immigration. While welcomed at first, anti-Asian sentiments result- ed in the halting of immigration practices from 1931 to 1940. Whereas immigration was prevented quickly for the Chinese, this process took longer with the Jap- anese, allowing time for both males and females to immigrate to America. Thus, the Japanese-American population was not affected by the same setbacks suf- fered by the Chinese-American population. As a re- sult, the Japanese-American population continued to thrive with two-thirds of the Japanese population being American-born by the 1940s. The discrimina- tions directed against the Japanese-American popula- tion during World War II affected the acculturation of these citizens drastically, however, leading to less identification with America in some and highly overt identification, to the destruction of some of their own customs and practices, on the parts of others. World War II’s relative recentness means that many Japanese-American children might come from fami- lies directly affected by its events