How Asian Are You? Do You Have The Aura?
By Sunfire • May 9, 2008 3
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So I was talking with my sister a while ago and she brought up something I found quite amusing. Apparently she said something along the lines of her not being Asian enough, and she doesn’t have the “aura”…On the other hand, apparently she said I do, lol. Weird thing is though, I hardly know any Chinese…while she’s nearly fluent!
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It’s not like she hangs out strictly with non-Asians either. In fact, she has a lot of Asian friends…maybe even more than me! I had to take a step back as I began to ponder about all this. I’ve been thinking, is it our subtle differences in lifestyles which gives me a lead in our so called “Asian-ness”? Here are some brief examples:
-Music: Both my sister and I listen to English music, however I also listen to Asian music, albeit a small amount.
-Food: I’d prefer eating a bowl of pho than a bowl of spaghetti. Although we both like Asian food, I have more of a tendency to eat it I guess?
-Entertainment: This is also similar to music. We are both into Western movies/tv shows/ etc., but I also have an taste for the Asian arts as well, particular anime and manga. 
-Events: My sister would be more interested in going to a Chris Brown concert, and I would be more interested in checking out the Cherry Blossom Festival.
-Appearance: I’ve been told by my sister that I just look more “Asian”. It’s weird, I mean I don’t try to wear Asian clothes, in fact I’m usually wearing some American Eagle stuff, lol! I guess it might be due my hairstyle or just physical features?
In conclusion, I’m still lost as to what makes me more “Asian” than my sister, because even with all things considered…does it actually make me more “Asian”, or just more aware of Asian culture? I guess being more “into” the culture is essentially part of the equation…but how does this all fit into the “aura”? Or maybe this “aura” is some convoluted theory or idea thought up by my sister…which it probably is.
So how Asian are YOU?
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I think the “aura” has to do with how you present yourself: having an interest in speaking an Asian language, frequenting Asian restaurants, wearing Asian-style clothing, hanging out with Asians, and talking about Asian things–sort of identifying with Asians and thinking of yourself as Asian. Some people do this more than others. I’m more Asian than my sister, too, although she speaks Taiwanese much, much better than I do.
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May 19th, 2008 at 11:13 amAhh so it can be more to do than just speaking the language…and more of the lifestyle. Thanks for the comment Asianmommy. Definitely cleared things up for me more on what this “aura” is.
May 19th, 2008 at 5:44 pm