People of Asian descent have a reputation for preserving part of their cultural heritage when they immigrate to another country. In many large cities across America, there are small communities of Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and other Asian immigrants. Many of these immigrants are bi-lingual. They learn the language of their host country and use it outside of the home but use and teach their native language in their homes as a way of preserving an important link to their past. Many Asian children go to special schools after their normal school day to practice speaking their native language.
Often, one of the first things that someone will notice when they visit an enclave such as Little Tokyo in Los Angeles is the fact that the signs on the businesses including the retail establishments are in Japanese. This might be a problem for a tourist or visitor, but it does not present problems to local residents.
The second thing one might notice is that these small communities tend to be homogeneous. In other words, there is not an ôall Asianö enclave. There are Korean, Thai, Cambodian, Japanese, Vietnamese and Chinese communities all separated from each other. These ethnic groups tend to live and shop within these communities irrespective of where they work. The ethnic groups tend not to mix with each other normally, but will do so in more structured settings such as at work or in school. This does not mean that each group is elitist. It is probably fairer to suggest that these groups simply feel more comfortable socializing with other individuals who share the same ethnic background.
One characteristic that is common among many individuals of Asian descent, irrespective of their specific ethnicity, is the importance of family and family loyalty. In many Asian cultures, respect for ones parents is something that parents teach and reinforce to children beginning at a very young age. Children of Asian descent are like...