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Of the Chinese people I know who think about immigrating to the West, I'd say that probably about a third consider the US, a quarter consider Australia, and the remaining portions are split with the UK and Canada taking up bigger chunks and Western Europe taking the rest. When I've talked to them about "why," the US seems to take the lead because of their perceptions of economic prosperity in the US, even in the current economic situation, due in part to the fact that the Chinese-American community tends to be fairly affluent and well-educated. The assumption is that once in the US, it's really easy to start your own business and turn over a profit; other than doctors, engineers, educators, or scientists, it seems as though starting a business is a greater goal than working for a company.
Australia is thought of in a similar vein, with the added bonus of social protections that the US lacks, but a common opinion is that Australia is "expensive" while the US is "cheap." The cost of cars, houses, designer goods, etc in the US is indeed quite low, and people pay attention to this without realizing that US salaries have been laying flat for decades, so they're still unattainable for many.
Canada is perceived as being much like the US, just safer, and with better public education. I meet more parents and families who are interested in Canada than young single folks, because they view it as a safer and more stable bet as a place to raise a family, which honestly is probably true considering how unstable the US' political situation is at the moment and how much that effects its economy.
With these countries, there seems to be less of a concern for the cultures themselves: people are aware that there are Chinese communities in these countries, and that more or less placates them. They may be fine with Western food, local music and TV, the possibility of dating or marrying a local - these things are certainly still a big draw for many. But, many of them are also drawn to the presence of their own culture and if they're single, the prospect of meeting and marrying someone who is also from China. They can more or less move there and live life how they feel they should without feeling as though they need to assimilate.
The UK is generally desired as a destination for its culture, as opposed to economic reasons - you meet a good number of young, educated Chinese people, women especially, who find the culture charming and have dreams of moving to London, indulging in the nightlife, riding a bicycle to coffee shops and dating foppish and dashing locals. It's a similar situation with the rest of the EU: if you meet someone who wants to move to Spain, Italy, Germany, etc, it's usually more because of an affinity for the culture than because they think that they'll be able to move there, open a business, become prosperous, and cash in. They want to drink high tea, eat French pastries, drink German beer, and dine on Italian seafood, rather than be able to get the same noodles they eat at home. They would rather assimilate than "stay Chinese" while there.
Interesting article, but I'd wager to say that Middle Easterners are probably bigger victims of the whole "perpetual foreigner" thing than Asians are; the caveat to that being that South Asians from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, etc are probably bigger victims of that mentality than South, East, or Southeast Asians are. There have been enough generations of Asians going back in the US for a very long time that I think most Americans assume that most Asians they meet in the US are, in fact, Americans, provided they don't have an accent, especially on the coasts and in major metros.
As far as the "where are you from/where are you really from?" question goes, I've explained this to nonwhite friends before: we ask each other the same question, because the average white American is a mix of multiple different European ancestries... it's just sort of general, idle chit-chat. Look at how many Americans trumpet their Irish heritage, or say that they're German-American, etc, despite the fact that their family emigrated 100+ years ago and they've never been back since. If a white person asks an Asian person what their heritage is, it's generally not done in a diminishing fashion, nor is it a ditzy moron who doesn't think that it's possible for a person with Asian features to be born in the US, it's just simple curiosity.
I've had people ask, "where are you from?" "Boston." "No, like, where are you really from? Like, your family?" many times, by white, black, Asian, latino, and Native folks, and I'm a 6'2 white dude. For better or worse, the rising culture of social awareness in the US has taught people to be on the lookout for "microaggressions" and whatnot, and to assume that if a person of another race or ethnicity asks you a question about your race or ethnicity, it's being done out of ignorance at best, and maliciousness at worst.
As far as the OP goes, I think that a big part of it is branding. The US is a culture that is comprised of immigrants and their children, and this was part of the US' international image long before the "ugh, Americans " image overtook it. People who are looking to immigrate to other parts of the world, absent of family or a population of immigrants from their own culture, will likely consider the US even if they decide that it's not feasible, in the same way that most cell phone shoppers will first consider an iPhone, even if turns out that they don't get one: every knows what an iPhone is.
When I told people I'm from China, they often asked which part of China. However they don't really know much about China and only heard of Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai, so I wonder what they really tried to get.
Nowadays my English is fluent enough and sometimes people will assume I was born in the US, at least in the early phase of a conversation. They do not seem to ask where I am from as much as I used to experience.
When I told people I'm from China, they often asked which part of China. However they don't really know much about China and only heard of Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai, so I wonder what they really tried to get.
Yeah, it's just curiosity and politeness... intra-US migration is quite common, so one American asking another where they're from is a common question, and people usually do it as a conversation starter.
"Where are you from?"
"I'm from LA."
"Oh, cool! I have cousins there! I've been there a few times and ate at Pink's! How about the Lakers this year?" etc.
If you said Shanghai or HK or Beijing, they'd probably say something similar: "Wow, Shanghai, I had a friend who went there and they said that it's crazy how rich people are there!" or "I've always wanted to go to Hong Kong and eat some noodles!" No matter what you say, it's just trying to make conversation.
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Nowadays my English is fluent enough and sometimes people will assume I was born in the US, at least in the early phase of a conversation. They do not seem to ask where I am from as much as I used to experience.
That's how it was for most of my Asian-American friends, at least in urban and suburban areas; once in a blue moon someone will assume they were foreign born, but 99% of people assume that they're Americans, because they don't have any reason to assume they're not, and if they ask where they're from, they're probably expecting to hear an American city.
According to Gallup more people want to immigrate to the US, right now, than the next four countries combined. The next most popular countries were the UK, Canada, and France.
150 million - USA
45 million - UK 42 million - Canada
32 million - France
The US is about 9 - 10x Canada's population size yet only has 4x as much potential immigrants. So the real question is: Why do so many people want to move to Canada relative to population size compared to the US? My guess would be: better and more accessible(cheaper) education and health-care, less (violent) crime, less urban decay, more serious political system, better job opportunities, less poverty etc.
Yeah, it's just curiosity and politeness... intra-US migration is quite common, so one American asking another where they're from is a common question, and people usually do it as a conversation starter.
"Where are you from?"
"I'm from LA."
"Oh, cool! I have cousins there! I've been there a few times and ate at Pink's! How about the Lakers this year?" etc.
If you said Shanghai or HK or Beijing, they'd probably say something similar: "Wow, Shanghai, I had a friend who went there and they said that it's crazy how rich people are there!" or "I've always wanted to go to Hong Kong and eat some noodles!" No matter what you say, it's just trying to make conversation.
That's how it was for most of my Asian-American friends, at least in urban and suburban areas; once in a blue moon someone will assume they were foreign born, but 99% of people assume that they're Americans, because they don't have any reason to assume they're not, and if they ask where they're from, they're probably expecting to hear an American city.
yeah it's interesting that I have started to ask Americans where they are from. I can detect Boston accent (if they really carry that), but most educated people have a neutral accent when they talk to me.
Often times I also ask whether they are Irish or Italian, unless they are very blond and so on, and over 80% of the time they are one of those.
The US is about 9 - 10x Canada's population size yet only has 4x as much potential immigrants. So the real question is: Why do so many people want to move to Canada relative to population size compared to the US? My guess would be: better and more accessible(cheaper) education and health-care, less (violent) crime, less urban decay, more serious political system, better job opportunities, less poverty etc.
For Chinese citizens, it is pretty hard to migrate to the US, but moving to Canada is relatively easy (just relatively).
yeah it's interesting that I have started to ask Americans where they are from. I can detect Boston accent (if they really carry that), but most educated people have a neutral accent when they talk to me.
Often times I also ask whether they are Irish or Italian, unless they are very blond and so on, and over 80% of the time they are one of those.
Yup, I'm a Bostonian and asking if someone is Irish, Italian, English, etc is about as normal as asking where you went to school or whether you live in Somerville or Cambridge. Everyone always assumed I was Irish, but I'm mostly Swedish...
By far the most popular countries people would want to emigrate to (amongst the people I know) are New Zealand and Australia, there also seems to be a lot of British people that dream of living in the Med somewhere, if I had to move somewhere else it would be New Zealand for me.
By far the most popular countries people would want to emigrate to (amongst the people I know) are New Zealand and Australia, there also seems to be a lot of British people that dream of living in the Med somewhere, if I had to move somewhere else it would be New Zealand for me.
If New Zealand was just located 6000-10.000 km to the Northwest
(West of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal or
Southeast of Vietnam in the South China Sea or
East of Taiwan and the Philippines in the Pacific Ocean) i would consider to live there.
I think the perfect location would be South of the island of Shikoku and the Kii Peninsula in Japan.
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" image overtook it. People who are looking to immigrate to other parts of the world, absent of family or a population of immigrants from their own culture, will likely consider the US even if they decide that it's not feasible, in the same way that most cell phone shoppers will first consider an iPhone, even if turns out that they don't get one: every knows what an iPhone is.
