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That's how I'd want to live if I were there long term. My point is, there's no 'real' China. It's all about perspectives and layers...is there a 'real' US?

by cglee 18y ago

markessien 18y ago
Yes, there is a real U.S. There are Africans living in the U.S who have been there 10 years, eat African food, watch African movies, interact with African friends, speak bad English and have no idea what Seinfeld is. They live in a parallel world that has nothing to do with the country they are in. They would do the same everywhere they went. To me, it seems to be a waste. Why travel to a new country with a new culture, and take your old culture with you? And quite beside that, I find this attitude of the expat upper class a bit elitist, and it goes against the things I believe in. I believe that if one lives in a country, one should attempt to understand and interact with the local culture and traditions, and not create a society that totally ignores these norms.
- netcan 18y ago
  Why travel to a new country with a new culture, and take your old culture with you? Well that's unavoidable really. The question is how much you let local culture in on top of the culture you bring with you. Why they do it is probably because culture is not what brought them to The States. That is an argument I have heard made against refuge intake & discouragement of economic migration.
- cglee 18y ago
  The major difference there is that China caters to expat enclaves because they have money, just like US caters to Jewish enclaves. Yes, I agree it's elitist, but that doesn't make it any less 'real'. It's part of today's China. Your example is also a little off; immigrants band together out of necessity and survival. That's why there are Chinatowns and Indiantowns, etc. It's in their best interest. Side note: expats tend to flock to other expats due to several reasons, but one is also survival. It's much easier to find friends or business partners with other expats because there less ulterior motives. As an expat, whenever you meet a native Chinese, you're not sure they're nice because you're an expat and they need something, or what. In fact, most Chinese people are very regionalist and are not 'nice'. They're only nice because they think you have money.

That's how I'd want to live if I were there long term. My point is, there's no 'real' China. It's all about perspectives and layers...is there a 'real' US?

by cglee 18y ago

That's how I'd want to live if I were there long term. My point is, there's no 'real' China. It's all about perspectives and layers...is there a 'real' US?

markessien 18y ago

Yes, there is a real U.S. There are Africans living in the U.S who have been there 10 years, eat African food, watch African movies, interact with African friends, speak bad English and have no idea what Seinfeld is. They live in a parallel world that has nothing to do with the country they are in. They would do the same everywhere they went. To me, it seems to be a waste. Why travel to a new country with a new culture, and take your old culture with you? And quite beside that, I find this attitude of the expat upper class a bit elitist, and it goes against the things I believe in. I believe that if one lives in a country, one should attempt to understand and interact with the local culture and traditions, and not create a society that totally ignores these norms.

netcan 18y ago
Why travel to a new country with a new culture, and take your old culture with you? Well that's unavoidable really. The question is how much you let local culture in on top of the culture you bring with you. Why they do it is probably because culture is not what brought them to The States. That is an argument I have heard made against refuge intake & discouragement of economic migration.
cglee 18y ago
The major difference there is that China caters to expat enclaves because they have money, just like US caters to Jewish enclaves. Yes, I agree it's elitist, but that doesn't make it any less 'real'. It's part of today's China. Your example is also a little off; immigrants band together out of necessity and survival. That's why there are Chinatowns and Indiantowns, etc. It's in their best interest. Side note: expats tend to flock to other expats due to several reasons, but one is also survival. It's much easier to find friends or business partners with other expats because there less ulterior motives. As an expat, whenever you meet a native Chinese, you're not sure they're nice because you're an expat and they need something, or what. In fact, most Chinese people are very regionalist and are not 'nice'. They're only nice because they think you have money.