participants were the historical context of their arrival in the U.S. and the cultural values that they brought with them.
These two issues are heavily intertwined, and distinguishing between them may be mostly a matter of focus.
own family, rather than outward towards the community. This may be a factor in their perception that Chinese culture
does not provide a foundation for outward focused philanthropy. However, this was offered as an explanation as to
why others might not give. For the participants, the effect of their Chinese heritage was to encourage them to want
to help and support members of their own community. And, as noted by a number of participants, there is not a
tradition of public giving, so the giving that is practiced may be largely unseen and unknown.
It may have taken some time for them to become sufficiently established to feel comfortable with giving away money
outside the family.
Some of them were discriminated against. Whatever resources they accumulated would stay
with the family to make sure that the next generations were taken care of and educated.
Chances are they didn't have extra resources to give back to the community.
is the first priority. Wealth is to be passed on to one's children and grandchildren rather than being given away.
The impact of this cultural imperative on the various immigrant generations varies considerably depending on
the time and circumstances of an individual's or family's arrival and experience in the U.S.
philanthropic tradition. In some of their families, money is not an acceptable topic of conversation, and displaying
signs of wealth, including by giving it away publicly, was considered inappropriate. Participants noted that this
tradition makes it difficult to accurately characterize the community's philanthropic engagement.
whether I should be giving money to certain charities. My mother, coming from a very poor
family, would always say, "Why are you giving that money to other people? You should keep
it for yourself, you should keep it for your family." She was never in a place where she could
think about having extra money to give to others. So I think that, I'm just guessing, but I'm
thinking that that still runs fairly strongly within Chinese American and maybe even Asian
American cultures, that real strong view of `family first.'
improve the world is not unique to any one cultural or ethnic group. Some participants spoke of the importance
of supporting those with whom they share an ethnic heritage, particularly as a minority group in the U.S. with a
history of stigma, discrimination, and oppression.
cultural aspect that makes people give or not give. We want the same things for our children
and our communities. You want a chance to have a good education, earn a good living, to be
left alone to do what you want. We all have different circumstances. But I don't think that our
dreams and desires are so different from what you might call mainstream America.
but the larger Asian American community. While the immigration history and experience of the different Asian
American groups varied widely, they are still seen as connected by similar experiences.