I have not doubt that this is an explosive topic, especially after reading a recent essay in which such a statement is made: if you want to realize your American dream, you must be an American. In theory, that statement is absolutely correct; but in reality, it is practically impossible, at least for many who have experienced another totally different culture before coming here. For this reason, if you ask me about the superiority between Eastern and Western cultures, I will not hesitate to tell you that Eastern is far superior, despite there are many notable merits in Western culture. Similarly, if you ask an American to judge which of these is better: Western or Eastern culture, s/he will certainly tell you the winner is Western culture.
Because of our ingrained mindsets, we tend to bias against cultures that are distinct from what we have been brought up with. That is why we often hear people, having married into another culture, questioning the actions from someone who grew up in a different culture. Obviously, if you believe that after some peptalking, people will change their customs, their traditions, their cultural heritage, you are probably daydreaming. You can only solve this dilemma by putting up or shutting up, and there are no other viable alternatives.
Of course, for our next generation, or generations after, things will be different. They will be brought up in Western culture, in which they wiill develop their biased opinions. But who cares as by the time they grow up, we all will have passed the stage where we will not be able to discriminate even pain from joy. In the meanwhile, we should enjoy every minute of our life, and our happiness should not be inhibited by what others will think if we do this or that. Indeed, everyone knows life is precious.
