ASIAN AND WESTERN VALUES

Myth: Asians are very serious people.

Reality: Actually, Asians are a people who enjoy festivities and like to celebrate special occasions.

Myth: Asians are a very small people.

Reality: In fact, most Asians are fractionally shorter that Western people but there is a clear division between the people of southern Asia and the taller northern peoples.

Myth: Asians are not technologically advanced and tend to live below the national poverty line, with the exception of Japan.

Reality: A vast number of Asian countries are quite technologically advanced, and few nations suffer from a critically visible economy, largely due to international trade.

Check out "Beyond the Myth of Asian Values" by Akio Kawato (1995). It is an interesting series of articles written by a Japanese diplomat posted to the United States. He deals with issues concerning the history of Western economic expansion, and the influx of Western Culture in to Asia.