The Yin and Yang of American Culture

The Yin and Yang of American Culture A Paradox by Eun Y. Kim is a military position of the American way of lifespan by a Korean American. Kim uses the yin and yang figure to describe the positive and negatives of American finishing and how it compares to Asian culture. Kims exposure to American culture as a young child in Korea and immigrating to the unify States while in any case being raised in a Korean household where Korean tradition was upheld provides a solid basis for her analysis.I dedicate chosen five of her yang statements for discussion which I believe I rescue bonkd eing a fourth generation American just similarly witnessing the truth to these statements during my travels to Asia as well as to Portugal. One of the biggest statements for Kims yang is Dreaming the undoable. As children in America the majority of us are told to daydream big. I was told as a child that I could be anything I wanted to be whether it was an astronaut, a veterinarian, or an entrepren eur. I sire invariably dreamed of being a veterinarian, and I am slowly on the job(p) towards my dream.I submit seen friends of mine achieve their dreams such s a close up friend wanted to play football for the behavior Force academy he ideal his four socio-economic classs at the academy acting football and went on to complete ten historic period as an Air Force impinge onicer. I pack also seen the difference between the joined States and Portugal, and how we encourage dreams and support them. My husband was born in Portugal and moved to the U. S. when he was two years old. His mom and dad worked fractious to live the American dream which to them was owning your own house and providing for your family.They did not push dreams other than that virtuoso on my usband or his brother. Despite this my husband created his dream to fly planes. He cannot remember how old he was Just that he was young, but he remembers taking a summer trip to Portugal to visit his grandparents, a nd he was invited into the cockpit of the carpenters plane where he was allowed to sit in the captains seat and was given a ill-considered tutorial, but ever since than his obsession with airplanes and flying took off. His parents may not micturate told him that he could do anything he dreamed of want my parents, but the American school system did.Dreaming the Impossible also leads to Flexible Systems, Flexible Roles. I am a great example of this. I finished gamy school and automatically rolled into college but afterward a year and a half of doing the bare minimum I decided that I wasnt serious about school at the moment and instead of atrophy my clip and m unrivaledy I would take some period off to decide what was important to me. Now about ten years later(prenominal) I am in the long run back to school all-embracing time while also finishing up my contract in the Navvy. I am working full time and way out to school full time with a flexible system and a semi- lexible role in both.The American education system allows me to do this and actually encourages us to do this. When I was growing up, my best friends mother was a computer engineer and when we were in middle school she had decided it was no longer for her. She block off her Job and went back to school, and she now teaches middle school mathematics which she had endlessly wanted to but chose engineering because of the silver. A third yang I have had experience with is Openness and Friendliness. In September 2 I was able to visit Japan tor a tew days due to a deployment portThe ship I was stationed on pulled into Yokosuka Japan, and although I didnt receive much ofa culture shock there, I did when I traveled to Tokyo. My first observation of how the Japanese were not as friendly as Americans was when I rode the train. My friends and I were patiently waiting for the train doors to open to allow those pull inting off to get off first before boarding but no one else did. Everyone else was c rowding the doors and making it difficult for those acquire off to do so but no one seemed to have a problem with the so called rudeness except for us Americans.We rapidly learned if we wanted a place on the train we had to be quick and impatient. Although Japanese citizens were not as friendly and open as American citizens I did experience a very nice Japanese woman who could tell I was confused by the subway map in Tokyo. I was standing(a) in the subway trying to make bosss and tails of the map on the wall when this elderly Japanese woman started speaking English to me inquire me if I needed assistance. She explained that she had recently moved back to Tokyo after living in Minnesota for the past 40 years which quickly explained her illingness to help a complete stranger out.Although I did meet smokestack of helpful strangers in Yokosuka, which is accustomed to American visitors, she was the only smile I received while in Tokyo which wasnt from a friend. Americans love to hav e fun, and I am no exception. The phase work straining, play hard is commonly used in the United States and describes me. I work full time and go to school full time, and if I have completed all my cookery by Saturday night or budgeted my time I definitely like to go out and have fun. I also find time during the eek to do things that are not work relate or school related such as see a movie or go for a run or obtain a workout class at the gym.To me if I work hard then I deserve to spend some time getting out and doing what I want. My family is the same way as well as my in laws who live in the states. A couple times a year my husband and I will vacation with our family either going camping or going to Wildwood, NJ to spend some time at the beach and the boardwalk. If my husband and I can coordinate a weekend where we both have off we will usually head some place new to kayak or ightsee. We are forever looking for fun as well as saving our money to complete these fun tasks.Its w hat we live for even if we have to put in some overtime to achieve it. My last yang is Remaining Active throughout Life which I have yet to experience personally since I am only 31 years old but I have observed my 80 year old father in this accomplishment. I started bugging my dad around the time I graduated from luxuriously school that he should think about slowing down and self-effacing since he was 67 years old. This past May he finally took my advice and is finally retired but still ontinues to enjoy life.A few times a week he is fishing or riding his motorcycle or spending time with family he is the energizer bunny. He also looks like he Just rancid 60 and not 80, which he turned in October of this year. I believe that staying busy and having hobbies is what has allowed him to take 20 years off his life. I also like to think I have kept him young because he did have me late in life (around the age of 49), and he was always active in parenting me. He helped me with my homewor k and also helped me practice basketball and softball by participating in them with me.I am thankful that he didnt believe that as he time-honored he was unable to do things those younger than him could do. The Yin and Yang of American Culture has reinforced the wonderful things I love about the American culture but has also helped me realize that there are certain things from the East I would like to incorporate into my life. Kims insight of the light as well as the dark in the United States is something all United States citizens should take light upon of, and in my opinion may make our society better. I hold out I am going to correct some of my own vices to mother over to the yang.