Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Being a Banana or an Egg

Are you a 'banana'? If you didn't know already, 'banana' is slang for an Asian born in North America. That's right, yellow on the outside, white on the inside. However, I really think that the term applies to Asians who have left their country and have pretty well adopted their new 'white' country's culture (for example, leaving Taiwan at even a young age).

Some ABC and CBCs I know have told me about their experiences in Taiwan, interacting with their relatives without the language ability or the acceptance of a lot of the customs. It's the distance they sometimes feel cultural-wise from their local counterparts. Some Taiwanese must really feel that these guys are a pale shade of what real Taiwanese are.

And another odd thing happens to me when I go back to Canada. I go see my Chinese friend who, for all extents and purposes, is less Chinese than me. Hey, I speak Mandarin; he doesn't! I eat Chinese food every day. Not him!

That's why I guess I'm kind of an 'egg'. You got it! White on the outside and yellow on the inside. Hey, I don't get offended! I'm not a total Asian convert and will probably never be but there is something to be said about returning to your native country and have a little bit of reverse culture shock.

In fact, I believe there is a kind of reversion that happens when we do return to a place that we have an affinity for. I guess for some it can really get confusing, especially when you don't know where you should really call home. Eggs of Taiwan unite!

5 comments:

MJ Klein said...

i had culture shock going back to the US. everything had to be so defined there, and i'd forgotten or never noticed in the first place. my wife made Taiwanese cucumber salad and my sister wanted to take it off the table after other dishes arrived because it was an "appetizer" not thinking that it might be a normal course. stuff that that bugged me the entire time i was in the States.

Anonymous said...

Yep. Another egg here...

We should open an Egg club.

Hugo Tsai said...

There's one thing between eggs and banana is similar to me...all taste good. Culture difference makes the world interesting, i thougt.

by the way... really great blog... really really great.

Hugo Tsai said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Alice30forever said...

I felt that an egg or banana seems to change its role from time to time, esp, when you don't know where you should call home.-- personal experience

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