Some of the things Asian parents tell their kids are wild.
Asian parents have a stereotype of expecting their children to be obedient, where they want their children to listen, obey, and believe everything they say -fact or fiction- and not argue and talk back.
And I know this doesn’t apply to all Asians.
It is just a stereotype.
But there is usually some truth to stereotypes, especially this one because my parents were like that.
They often told me ridiculous things so that I would behave or stop bothering them.
And a lot of the time, I believed them. I didn’t argue the lack of logic in their “facts” because I had no logic to back it up.
The things they told me were, indeed, factual.
So, here are the myths my young naive self believed but turned out to be quite silly:
- I wanted to lift weights when I was about 11 or 12 years old because of ’90s action movies, professional wrestling, and my older friends doing it. But my parents didn’t let me because they said weight training (or any physical activity that exerted too much energy or any activity that used too much leg muscle for that matter) would make me short. So, I didn’t lift weights until I was 16, which was the age that, according to them, my height wouldn’t be affected. I found out that this was false many years later and recently learned that lifting weights could potentially make you taller if you do it right.
- I have always loved the smell of coffee. Ever since I was a young pup, the aroma of coffee as it slowly drips into a mug was satisfying to me and I badly wanted to drink it. But my parents never let me because they said consuming coffee at a young age would stunt my growth (what’s up with Asians and their obsession with being tall?). So, I never drank it -in front of them- until I was an older teen. But every time I drank it as a young teen, I felt guilty because, in the back of my mind, I thought it was actually hurting the potential of my height. But who would’ve known that there is no scientific evidence that says coffee makes you short? Also, I’m taller than both of my parents, so it definitely didn’t hold my height back.
- In early spring and autumn, I often didn’t zip up my jacket because I was either not cold or didn’t want to look like a dork. And every time my parents caught me, they yelled at me for not staying warm. I would argue, “Well those kids over there aren’t even wearing a jacket.” My parents would look to where I pointed at and reply, “White people can handle the cold better than Asians.” The funny thing is that I was born and raised in Canada just like those white kids. All of us were born and forged in this cold, snowy habitat. But my parents knew all so Asians can’t handle the cold as well as White people.
- Every time I had a booboo or an ache, my parents applied the Vietnamese version of Tiger Balm (this green eucalyptus oil) to the spot as they believed it was a cure-all. Whenever I had a headache, they dabbed some on my head. Whenever I had a bruise, they rubbed some on the bruise. And when I sprained my ankle, they doused it with it before wrapping it up. To them, it was the ultimate medicine. However, I discovered many years later that it doesn’t actually cure anything. It just relieves pain. But, again, my parents are all-knowing, so that green oil is the cure for all ailments. It’s a magic potion.
Yup, those were the myths my Asian parents told me. And my naive self believed every bit of it.
