Asian-American Culture Analysis

Many debate over the whether structure or agency has a larger part in shaping human behavior. Structure is the repeating patterned features of society which affect the choices and opportunities available for a person. On the other hand, agency is the limit of how people act alone and make their own unrestrained choices in life. In the debate of structure vs. agency, whether a person acts independently or in a conduct dictated by social structure is discussed. Throughout my aunt, Margaret Gee’s, childhood as a Vietnamese-American immigrant, she had to deal with the patriarchal ideals that are commonly found in Asian family structures. For southeast refugee families, upon relocation, they had to face changes in their traditional gender roles.

She would often have arguments with her parents because they reflected the traditional ways of living while she saw another way of life, the American culture. In Vietnam, parents played an active part in making decisions. Because interracial marriages were not taboo in America, some Asian-Americans viewed this as a family failure and an end to the lineage. About “(74%) of Asian-American adults were born abroad; of these, about half say they speak English very well and half say they don’t.” (“Rise of Asian Americans”) Being foreign born, my aunt struggled to live in America due to the difficulty of learning English as a second language which caused her to struggle in school. Since she was a minority she faced racism and prejudice, such as being told to “go back where I came from.” She was also discriminated against due to her sex and faced verbal abuse during her time in America. Despite her family’s traditional values, Margaret pursued a college degree even though she faced the backlash from her parents who believed that women did not need an education. This is not necessarily uncommon as “more than six-in-ten (61%) adults ages 25 to 64 who have come from Asia in recent years have at least a bachelor’s

Confucius taught that responsibility moves from father to son, older brother to younger brother, and husband to wife. In Margaret’s family, women were expected to be passive and care for the good health and fortune of the family. Her mother formed a close bond with all the children, favoring her oldest son, John, above her husband. When they immigrated to the US, they faced changes in gender relations at the time of relocation. Margaret’s dad lost his established role who resolved bad situations, adjudicated disagreements and made important decisions when the family became powerless without fluency in English and comprehension of Western culture. Tasks in the family were divided along gender lines. Margaret’s father would work outside the home and would act as the head of the family. He would be in charge of money and supporting the family. Meanwhile, her mother was in charge of household chores. This dominance that males possess is common among Asian families. Men will even reply to questions for their wives. However, when the Vietnam War occurred, there was less gender inequality since women accepted more responsibility when the men in the households were not present at home. This trend carried on with migration to the US. A lot of the jobs available in the US were of inferior status and were suitable for the expectations of refugee women, but not of refugee men. Refugee men