Chinese american dating culture

Dating in China: What’s Different?

Photo of Natalie Song and her boyfriend, Andy Huynh. Courtesy: Natalie Song. Since she was young, Natalie Song always grew up thinking that she would settle down with an Asian man. Now 21 years old, all the men she has dated have been Asian, including her current Vietnamese American boyfriend, Andy Huynh. Effects may look different across Asian ethnicities, yet certain cultural aspects lead to shared struggles. For Song, the pressure she feels to date an Asian man has both external and internal roots. Her upbringing in numerous cities around the world introduced her to populations both abundant and lacking in Asian presence. Her parents never outrightly told her that they wanted her to date an Asian man. Stemming from this concept, the emphasis that Asian American women place on gaining familial approval of their significant other is a large factor in determining their dating choices.

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When it comes to interracial dating and cultural differences in relationships, at How to Date a Foreigner we found that the most striking differences are between the US and Asia. Culture, values and even the dating culture differs too. Not being aware of these cultural differences can make your relationship frustrating and lead to potential arguments and heart breaks. Even Americans who live and date in Asia are often unaware. At the time of this writing, I live in Da Nang, Vietnam — one of my favorite places in the world. One of my ex-pat friends here is a Chinese Canadian guy raised in Canada who is dating a Vietnamese girl. We met quite early in the beginning when I started planning How to Date a Foreigner and I was super excited to hear about his experiences of dating in Asia.

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Family gatherings seem to be synonymous with opportunities for relatives to ask invasive questions. Parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents all seem to have something to say about dating and being in a relationship and getting married, and having kids, etc etc. But romantic relationships can look very different across generations. With the explosion of online and app dating in recent years, the dating scene has become almost unrecognizable. As a therapist and as someone who has tried to date in LA, here are some thoughts and considerations that have come up for me in dating as an Asian American.

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Asian vs. Western Dating Culture Differences

As you meet new people with an eye towards dating them, you may find yourself drawn to someone from a different cultural background. Suddenly, you realize the dating norms you are familiar with might not apply here. This is a common scenario in our increasingly connected world, where online dating often takes us beyond local boundaries. Dating rituals and norms in Asia and the West can be vastly different.

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