When my wife first came to America, she looked for people who looked like her. If black people in America feel like raisins in the oatmeal, try being Southeast Asian here. After a while she got to the point of, "We wouldn't be friends in Thailand, no reason for it here just because we look the same." When we adopted our niece, she went t…
When my wife first came to America, she looked for people who looked like her. If black people in America feel like raisins in the oatmeal, try being Southeast Asian here. After a while she got to the point of, "We wouldn't be friends in Thailand, no reason for it here just because we look the same." When we adopted our niece, she went thru the same thing. Her after school study buddies were Asian.
My daughters had a different path. The half that wasn't seemed to be more important to lots of people than the half that was. Both in America and Thailand. The exception was in martial art circles. My daughter's were exceptionally talented and a big hit with Asian martial artists.
That being said, my wife has more Asian friends than non-Aaian. She still feels the being seen as a "foreigner" thing and her Asian friends are immigrants, rather than "where are you from?" Americans.
Not safe space but something akin to expats hanging together. As an expat I spent more time out of the expat community than most, but perhaps I am at times foolishly brave. I'll leave those stories untold.
When my wife first came to America, she looked for people who looked like her. If black people in America feel like raisins in the oatmeal, try being Southeast Asian here. After a while she got to the point of, "We wouldn't be friends in Thailand, no reason for it here just because we look the same." When we adopted our niece, she went thru the same thing. Her after school study buddies were Asian.
My daughters had a different path. The half that wasn't seemed to be more important to lots of people than the half that was. Both in America and Thailand. The exception was in martial art circles. My daughter's were exceptionally talented and a big hit with Asian martial artists.
That being said, my wife has more Asian friends than non-Aaian. She still feels the being seen as a "foreigner" thing and her Asian friends are immigrants, rather than "where are you from?" Americans.
Not safe space but something akin to expats hanging together. As an expat I spent more time out of the expat community than most, but perhaps I am at times foolishly brave. I'll leave those stories untold.