Vietnamese Family Culture

Being raised in a Vietnamese American household I was taught to value respect over everything else. This quote by Chinese philosopher Confucius helps to embody this idea, “Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts.” However, having to experience this culture of formality firsthand as a child of two refugees, I discovered that not only is this completely false but that Confucius was nothing more than an old fool. The idea that a family, or society for that matter, must be held together by strict social hierarchies maintained by polite customs and etiquette is a laughable idea if not completely harmful. In modern Western society, family is seen as the ultimate bond between people, an unbreakable connection held
I was only six at the time and had not yet learned how to properly treat and deal with adults. I was taught by Disney sitcoms and from my friends that family is the strongest bond in the world and that you should be able to show who you truly are to them. I was thereby confused because as a young child as I was always eccentric and loud and in my opinion I was just being myself which ,according to what I learned from television, is how you are supposed to be around your family . My sister, however, helped to clear that up very fast by giving me one of most life advice that has subconsciously affected me to this day. “Justin, you have to grow up. There are two sides of every person: one they show their family and one they act around their friends.” This was one of the first ways my family had truly impacted me and shaped me into the person I am today, by splitting me into two distinct people. Around my family I became an awkward, quiet kid who never spoke up and obeyed every word he was told while around my friends I was who I really am; an eccentric, fearless adventurer who is always seeking new thrills and excitements. According to my sister I could not show the true side of me to my parents because to them that is disrespectful and my parents would