Brookie-iluvmat
New Member
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2004
- Messages
- 25
In Australia where diverse cultures exist, it is difficult to generalise about the issues that chinese face as they grow into adulthood.
The challenge of inter-twining both the australian culture and chinese culture is a common element in many chinese lives.
For Chinese children growing up in Australia, the dawning of racial awareness can bring about changes whether they be positive or negative. For many Chinese children, being teased over their differences can be very embarrassing. Without positive input about their culture, the child can begin to deny rather than embrace their Chinese heritage. Some Chinese Australians find it difficult to understand where people get the right to say racial slurs to them about their culture when they have been born here and are Australian.
Many young Chinese have had strong ties within their communities, grown up in a community with other Asians and have had large extended families but have never sought refuge in their communities. But as they grow older many are re-discovering their roots.
Many young chinese teenagers living in Australia face problems with the differing values between their parents and their peer groups for example, such issues as dating and respect for elders. traditional Chinese views see the parental role as one that involves the active guiding and shaping of a child. The child, on the other hand is seen as being differential and trained to be obedient to the parents wishes. If my mum tried that with me all the time i know she wouldn't exactly get very far! For some Chinese children their parents believe they always know best and the child should always follow their wishes. This can make it very difficult growing up when you are told you are independent but your parents have a very different view. For some young girls it can be very difficult on the subject of dating as their parents still keep their traditional Chinese views and these differ greatly from the Australian views on acceptable dating.
Generation gaps between the young and old in any culture are not new but for Chinese youths it can be particularly stressful. In Australia it is generally acceptable to be an individual and seek independance but because of the views of the parental role in Chinese adults it causes friction if the child wants to do something less traditional.
Schooling, education and the workplace have significant impacts on Chinese youths. Through school and with their peers, they learn and aqcuire new meanings, new vocabularies and new identities. their identities are reworked and remade because it is inevitable to live in a society that has totally different cultural practices and not be affected by them. Some Chinese embrace the two cultures by having a larger sense of community, seeing themselves as both Australian AND Chinese others retain their roots. Sometimes opening people up to the wider world makes them less accepting of their own culture and the identity they had formed from it.
Australia is a very multi-cultural nation, there are activities organised for everyone in our society to participate in so there is more cohesion but this also creates the opportunity for cross-cultural conflict.
For example Chinese people who have migrated to Australia don't say thank you or words as such as frequently as Australians do. So a lot of Chinese parents have to constantly remind their children to say 'please' and 'thank you' more often in Australian society.
You may also be surprised when walking into a Chinese home in Australia to see a sign saying "Please remove your shoes before entering this house". Like the Japanese, Chinese too practice the removing of footwear before entering someone's house. But what happens for example, when a tradesmen comes into a Chinese house where this is practiced? This can sometimes cause a cultural misunderstanding.
Also out of courtesy the Chinese usually stoop their heads down when walking between two people on conversation but the majority of Australians would never even think of doing such a thing.
Many Chinese parents have the challenge of deciding whether to bring their child up with the way they were brought up with all the traditions or bringing them up as a traditional Australian child.
Chinese children are brought up to never answer back to their elders, but to listen and follow what they said. This is difficult for a child who is growing up in a different society where it may not be desireable but it definately does happen!
Many chinese children feel as though they are trapped between two cultures that are so different and cant fit in to either because of the effect they have on each other.
Virtually every society uses gender in assigning expectations and in determining distinct roles for men and women. In most societies, women are less likely than men to hold positions of public importance, to dominate and control family resources, and to be assigned status and power as their birthright.
Confucianism a major religion in china taught that in the husband-wife relationship, the wife should love and obey the husband, who should love and guide every member in his family. Therefore, the wife became a family member beneath her husband. She was dictated to by him. She had to show her husband respect, subservience and loyalty. A respectable Chinese wife had no voice in family decisions and no right to ask for a divorce. The wife was a means of producing children. The number of baby boys she could produce proved her worth. If the wife failed in giving birth to sons, she would be regarded as a useless woman. The husband could divorce her for her failure and marry other women. A widow could not remarry.
Discrimination against women has been practiced in China since ancient times. It is only beginning to change now. Because of these views and they are only beginning to change in Chinese society, people who have migrated from China to Australia may still hold some of these views and pass their beliefs onto their children in a society where this isn’t the norm.
Being a part of two cultures is a difficult thing to try and have to deal with because of the issues that they face dealing with identity questions, differences in values and differing social practices. These issues may appear universal but they each have their own twists and have affected Chinese youths differently, just as they do any youth. But on the whole, Chinese youths have been able to cope with, manage and creatively marry the different cultural stresses successfully.
The challenge of inter-twining both the australian culture and chinese culture is a common element in many chinese lives.
For Chinese children growing up in Australia, the dawning of racial awareness can bring about changes whether they be positive or negative. For many Chinese children, being teased over their differences can be very embarrassing. Without positive input about their culture, the child can begin to deny rather than embrace their Chinese heritage. Some Chinese Australians find it difficult to understand where people get the right to say racial slurs to them about their culture when they have been born here and are Australian.
Many young Chinese have had strong ties within their communities, grown up in a community with other Asians and have had large extended families but have never sought refuge in their communities. But as they grow older many are re-discovering their roots.
Many young chinese teenagers living in Australia face problems with the differing values between their parents and their peer groups for example, such issues as dating and respect for elders. traditional Chinese views see the parental role as one that involves the active guiding and shaping of a child. The child, on the other hand is seen as being differential and trained to be obedient to the parents wishes. If my mum tried that with me all the time i know she wouldn't exactly get very far! For some Chinese children their parents believe they always know best and the child should always follow their wishes. This can make it very difficult growing up when you are told you are independent but your parents have a very different view. For some young girls it can be very difficult on the subject of dating as their parents still keep their traditional Chinese views and these differ greatly from the Australian views on acceptable dating.
Generation gaps between the young and old in any culture are not new but for Chinese youths it can be particularly stressful. In Australia it is generally acceptable to be an individual and seek independance but because of the views of the parental role in Chinese adults it causes friction if the child wants to do something less traditional.
Schooling, education and the workplace have significant impacts on Chinese youths. Through school and with their peers, they learn and aqcuire new meanings, new vocabularies and new identities. their identities are reworked and remade because it is inevitable to live in a society that has totally different cultural practices and not be affected by them. Some Chinese embrace the two cultures by having a larger sense of community, seeing themselves as both Australian AND Chinese others retain their roots. Sometimes opening people up to the wider world makes them less accepting of their own culture and the identity they had formed from it.
Australia is a very multi-cultural nation, there are activities organised for everyone in our society to participate in so there is more cohesion but this also creates the opportunity for cross-cultural conflict.
For example Chinese people who have migrated to Australia don't say thank you or words as such as frequently as Australians do. So a lot of Chinese parents have to constantly remind their children to say 'please' and 'thank you' more often in Australian society.
You may also be surprised when walking into a Chinese home in Australia to see a sign saying "Please remove your shoes before entering this house". Like the Japanese, Chinese too practice the removing of footwear before entering someone's house. But what happens for example, when a tradesmen comes into a Chinese house where this is practiced? This can sometimes cause a cultural misunderstanding.
Also out of courtesy the Chinese usually stoop their heads down when walking between two people on conversation but the majority of Australians would never even think of doing such a thing.
Many Chinese parents have the challenge of deciding whether to bring their child up with the way they were brought up with all the traditions or bringing them up as a traditional Australian child.
Chinese children are brought up to never answer back to their elders, but to listen and follow what they said. This is difficult for a child who is growing up in a different society where it may not be desireable but it definately does happen!
Many chinese children feel as though they are trapped between two cultures that are so different and cant fit in to either because of the effect they have on each other.
Virtually every society uses gender in assigning expectations and in determining distinct roles for men and women. In most societies, women are less likely than men to hold positions of public importance, to dominate and control family resources, and to be assigned status and power as their birthright.
Confucianism a major religion in china taught that in the husband-wife relationship, the wife should love and obey the husband, who should love and guide every member in his family. Therefore, the wife became a family member beneath her husband. She was dictated to by him. She had to show her husband respect, subservience and loyalty. A respectable Chinese wife had no voice in family decisions and no right to ask for a divorce. The wife was a means of producing children. The number of baby boys she could produce proved her worth. If the wife failed in giving birth to sons, she would be regarded as a useless woman. The husband could divorce her for her failure and marry other women. A widow could not remarry.
Discrimination against women has been practiced in China since ancient times. It is only beginning to change now. Because of these views and they are only beginning to change in Chinese society, people who have migrated from China to Australia may still hold some of these views and pass their beliefs onto their children in a society where this isn’t the norm.
Being a part of two cultures is a difficult thing to try and have to deal with because of the issues that they face dealing with identity questions, differences in values and differing social practices. These issues may appear universal but they each have their own twists and have affected Chinese youths differently, just as they do any youth. But on the whole, Chinese youths have been able to cope with, manage and creatively marry the different cultural stresses successfully.