Qs for Q
November 30, 2007
Qs for Q
Dear Q,
I have all these questions about life, love, work, family — but every time I read advice columns, it is from a white person’s point of view, which just doesn’t help me at all. Sometimes, I can’t just talk to my parents about things because of the language barrier. Sometimes, I just can’t be assertive with my boss because I was raised to respect my elders. Sometimes, I find myself falling into the passive Asian woman stereotype, and I don’t know how to stop that. And I want to be an artist, not a software engineer, but don’t know how to tell my parents.
There are fine cultural nuances that some advice columnists simply don’t know or appreciate. Who can I turn to for help with life’s many problems?
Signed,
One Advice Column Does Not Fit All
You’re right — it’s time for our own advice columnist. This week we are proud to debut a new weekly advice column, AskQ. We know what it’s like to look at other advice columns and think, that’s fine for some, but that will never work for me. We hope AskQ will provide help, with a touch of sass and a dollop of humor, with life’s quandaries from an Asian American perspective.
Who exactly is the old sage behind those wise (and sometimes wisecracking) words? Q is a 40-minus-something, happily partnered urban male who was born in Vietnam, grew up in the southern United States and has lived in thriving Asian American centers, as well as desperate, isolated neighborhoods throughout the world. And he has seen more than a few of life’s dramas play out.
Q’s mantra: talk never killed anyone. “The answer is always in front of you, but our egos and fear of confronting another person — especially when the relationship might be a little imbalanced or complicated by history — distort our sense of judgment. I’m hoping the column will help readers look at things objectively.”
We also hope that you will turn to Q with any and all questions. While he might not have all the answers, we hope that he’s more helpful than your nosy auntie.
Send your questions to AskQ@asianweek.com or go to asianweek.com to submit a question.
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