Statistics say that Asians are most likely to own their own businesses in a foreign country. These include Japanese, Koreans, Chinese, and the like; owning various restaurants, produce markets, toy stores, clothing, companies, etc. In the US, this is shown in different major cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, or New York where every state has its little Korea, little China, and little Japan. You may have also noticed other Asian countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, or Philippines. Why their own business? Is it because there is a higher opportunity or is it because minority groups cannot advance in the opportunity as professionals in the business world?
During the 70’s when Korean citizens were working with a minimum salary was not enough to bring food in the table, many people moved out of the country to others such as the US. My case, it wasn’t United States, but in the developing Latin American country in Central America called Guatemala. Yes, labor is cheap, but the country is developing rapidly. I will add that in my point of view, Koreans are the largest population living in Guatemala as the Asian minority group. You see them everywhere, everyone knows everyone, and privacy is not a word used most often. Not only is Guatemala a small city, well, not small, but there are a few places where people usually go. This includes Koreans or Guatemalans alike. For example, two major upscale shopping malls, various mid-scale shopping malls, a territory to party much like a downtown on a Friday night, and even restaurants.
My parents moved to Guatemala for an opportunity of owning their own business. It was hard, the first seven years we lived in poverty and hardship. But as time went by networking and meeting new friends and business partners, the investment made by my father who graduated engineer and now is solely a businessman, paid in the long run. The poverty my family lived during the first couple of years has actually made the person who I am today and what I may speak. I attended Spanish-speaking schools; therefore, my second language is Spanish, which I am very proud of. Humbleness has conquered in my family, such as not being spoiled and working hard to get something I wanted.
These world citizens, who migrated to an unknown territory, landed with their own traditions and holidays, what happened with their children if any? Did their culture clash together and make a new “type” of Asian? I have certainly have had clashes between three very different cultures: Korean, Guatemalan, and American. The culture, the language, the food, the traditions, the religion, etc these are all parts of what makes a culture. I have changed from Buddhism to Christian and to Catholic, I have gone from Korean, Spanish, to English or even from conservative to liberal. These new generations of Asian-Latinos, Asian Americans, or even Asians started from business entrepreneurs, moving to foreign nations, opening up with other cultures, learning new languages, learning new customs and traditions, and some stay within their culture, some switch, and some get a mix of both. What about you?
