So the Chinese are the most materialist culture....

[TecHNooB]

Now is the best time for asian men to reverse-gold dig

 

[OVerLoRDI]

I'm not sure of the exact wording they used in the survey, but I think part of it is a case of lost in translation.

The commonly used word in Chinese for "owning" something is not necessarily tied to materialistic possessions. For example, it is common to refer to "owning" a family, or love.

This

Chinese culture and language is incredibly hard to navigation and effectively communicate in. I married into a Chinese family and my god..

Most of the family is relatively poor, my wife's parents being the poorest. Being the poorest in the family is hugely embarrassing to them. They couldnt host their daughters tea ceremony because where they live is a tiny 2 bedroom apartment in a nasty part of town. But they always try and pay for meals and spoil their nieces and nephews as much as possible.

There is one hot shot. Owns an accounting firm and is loaded. He is always offering people expensive booze, buying new cars, drinking with his buddies at expensive nightclubs. The rest of the family thinks he is showing off too much, but no one complains when he rents a huge house for everyone to party at over the holidays.

It is a culture where you can't win. No matter what you do, you are shamed no matter what you do. On top of that direct communication is nonexistent. You have a problem with someone? Gossip about it.

Additionally, when you get down into the language itself there are some really strange limitations as far as expressing tense or what "could have been". These things seem pretty suddle, but it can effect how you view and think about the world.

Also, we typically think of Chinese as Mandarin with simplified Chinese characters. That is NOT the norm. My wife speaks Cantonese and writes Traditional Chinese. Her parents can speak Cantonese, but can't write. They can also speak about 3 other Chinese dialects, but not Mandarin. There is enough overlap though in most dialects that you can get the jist of what is being communicated.

So combine all these things. Then ask yourself, if I walk up to a Chinese person and ask them a question about their perception of the world and society in a dialect you think they speak? Yeah your results are fucked.

 

[rh71]

Not surprising to me. I have always thought Hong Kong was extremely materialistic and I have personal experience from family to back it up. Using possessions to show wealth is a pasttime, for them. As long as it's an Apple this... or a Mercedes that... doesn't matter what model. But what's the big deal unless they're killing themself to do it?

 

[dighn]

it's an extension of the "face" culture - placing extreme importance on how others perceive your worthiness. it's all about face for the chinese.

 

[rsutoratosu]

Over the last fifteen years, many in China have become super wealthy due to entrance into the WTO. Those Chinese are starting to invest money right back into America, especially real estate in larger metropolises.

For instance here in NYC, Chinese-Americans are buying up properties and demolishing them to rebuild mansion-styled homes. A Chinese developer recently was describing to me how his clients all want that stately 'wow' factor. Some of the brickwork being done by Chinese/Indian/Mexican immigrants (both illegal and legal) is actually pretty impressive.

LOT OF FVING chinese people do that, they put up those ugly stainless steel fence, etc.. ill take a pic.. they like to show off what they got..

I raise a Scottish flag on my property

My moms friend likes to "show off" with her fancy rings and stuff.. well anyway she got mugged in brooklyn and was forced to give up her jewelry. Luckily for her, she wears cubic, she doesn't own the real thing.. so who's laughing now

 

[rsutoratosu]

it's an extension of the "face" culture - placing extreme importance on how others perceive your worthiness. it's all about face for the chinese.

totally, my worthless brother in laws had to get 2 job and take out 2 mortgage to buy a house near me.

They often brag about their wolf range and how awesome their house is which needs new roof its rotting and collapsing

I'm good with my ge range with 1 broken burner from the original owner. I dont need to work 2 jobs and take out 2 mortgages

 

[bradley]

Some say impressive. Others say gaudy.

I find some of the architecture appropriate at the very least. And these houses go up fast. They are modern with an Asian twist, two such examples of nicer ones....

 

[raildogg]

Yup, thousands of years of history and culture all thrown out because they want to be Western. Just a bunch of imitation.

Same goes for India and the rest of the world. Shameful.

 

[Imp]

Also, we typically think of Chinese as Mandarin with simplified Chinese characters. That is NOT the norm. My wife speaks Cantonese and writes Traditional Chinese. Her parents can speak Cantonese, but can't write. They can also speak about 3 other Chinese dialects, but not Mandarin. There is enough overlap though in most dialects that you can get the jist of what is being communicated.

There's your problem... I don't really know many Mainlanders, but I know tons of Hong Kong/ Guan Dong/ Canton people. I've always had the idea that Hong Kong people are way more materialistic than Mainlanders... but the Mainland is probably a lot closer to Hong Kong now due to the increase in overall wealth.

 

[Leyawiin]

Whereas Social Security and Medicare are government programs whose main purpose is to make sure the US doesn't look like a third world country to outside observers.

That was the last thing on anyone's mind when they were set up.