Are you Asian American?

In light of Al's recent blog entry, I've compiled a list of some typical characteristics of Asians, particularly those who live in America. This is actually partially based on a forward that went around many years ago. It was written from the perspective of the 1 to 1.5 generation. However, I deleted quite a few of the entries (especially those pertaining to unclean foods) and added my own. Can you tell which ones I wrote? (Clue: I wrote ten of them...)

50 Ways to Know if You Are Asian-American

1. You were/are a good student with a very high GPA
2. You majored in something practical like engineering, medicine, or business
3. You have more than one college degree, especially more than one Masters
4. If you play a musical instrument, it must be piano
5. If you play a second musical instrument, it must be violin
6. You have a vinyl tablecloth on your kitchen table
7. Your stove is covered with aluminum foil
8. Your kitchen has a sticky film of grease over it
9. You beat eggs with chopsticks
10. You always leave outdoor shoes at the door
11. You have a large supply of plastic slippers at the front and back doors
12. Your backyard is an orchard/garden consisting of one variety of each tree and various Asian herbs (also maybe a rooster).
13. You use the dishwasher as a dish rack
14. You hang-dry your clothes either on a wooden rack or a clothesline
15. You keep a Thermos of hot water available at all times
16. You boil your drinking water or have a special water filter attached to the faucet
17. You eat all meals in the kitchen to keep your dining room clean
18. You don't use measuring cups when preparing foods
19. You save grocery bags and use them to hold garbage
20. You have a rice cooker
21. You're a wok user
22. You wash rice 2-3 times before cooking it
23. You make sounds when you have a bowl of soup
24. You don't dry-clean clothes, even if they need to be dry-cleaned
25. You iron your own shirts
26. You always cook yourself, even if you hate it
27. You use credit cards, and pay monthly bills in full
28. You keep most of your money in a savings account
29. You buy Christmas cards after Christmas, when they are 50% off
30. When you handwash dishes, you only use cold water
31. You hate to waste food
    a) Even if you're totally full, if someone says they're going to throw away the leftovers on the table, you'll finish them
    b) You have Tupperware in your fridge with three bites of rice or one leftover chicken wing
32. You don't own any real Tupperware--only a cupboard full of used but carefully rinsed margarine tubs, takeout containers, and jam jars
33. You also use the jam jars as drinking glasses
34. When toilet paper is on sale, you buy 100 rolls and store them
35. You have a collection of miniature shampoo/conditioner bottles and little soap bars that you take every time you stay in a hotel
36. The condiments in your fridge are either Price Club sized or come in plastic packets, which you "save" every time you get take out or go to McDonald's.
37. You write your name on everything especially food containers, so people know that it's "yours."
38. You carry a stash of your own food whenever you travel (travel means any car ride longer than 15 min)
39. Your dad thinks he can fix everything himself
40. Your house/apartment is always cold in winter, and hot in summer
41. Your furniture doesn't match
42. Your mom drives her Mercedes to Price Club, or Shoppers Food Warehouse regardless how far it is, even if Safeway is next door.
43. You always look phone numbers up in the phone book, since calling Directory Assistance costs 50¢
44. You think ONLY Japanese can make good CARS!
45. You use a colored face cloth every morning
46. You starve yourself before going to all-you-can-eat places
47. You call everyone older than you "Uncle" or "Auntie" even if they are not related to you
48. You know the "new year" doesn't really start on Jan 1
49. You use the calendars that you got for free at the local Asian market or Chinatown
50. You fight over who pays the dinner bill

Isn't it interesting that Asians can share so many of the same characteristics? Even amongst the various Asian-American groups, there is an amazing amount of overlap. (For instance, we're all extremely thrifty, emphasize education, and hate losing "face.") Yet we are all very different as well, especially those of us who are torn between an Asian heritage and an American society. However, it is my personal observation that, despite the fact that culture plays such a large part of who we are, the culture of heaven can transcend all human social constructs and traditions. So whether you're Asian or non-Asian, Jew or Greek, etc:

[P]ut on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. Col. 3:10-11

So what do you think? Is the list accurate? Any others that should be added? Let me know your thoughts, Asian or not!

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