Daily advice for HK immigrants to the West:
Regarding race, one way to open your mind is to try different kinds of food. Try to eat food you’re not used to. Try out different kinds of Indian, Caribbean, African American etc. foods, and learn to cook with their sauces and methods. If you’re the reading type, study the history of their foods. For example, my experience tells me that the best sources of fried chicken come from African Americans, Indian or Caribbean cuisine. You can only try different kinds of food, if you have real friends from those groups. Go to cultural events of other races to learn. Don't go to the default “I think my people’s food is the best” mode. Keep your mind open. Get involved in school where parents from different cultures get together to support your child’s team or academic activities. Visit museums to understand the rich history of other races. Converse humbly with friends from other cultures, and let them teach you. Encourage your children to read widely beyond the canon of Western literature (Of course, the canon of Western lit is important too). When they learn a foreign language in school, don’t think in terms of usefulness but in terms of exposing them to a wider culture. Better yet, learn along with them when they do their homework. This is the only way to build your multicultural point of view.
