Immigrating to Asia as an Asian-American: What ABCs Actually Need to Know | Real You Mandarin Podcast EP14

Prefer audio? Listen on Spotify | Apple Podcasts

If you're American-Born Chinese (ABC) or American-Born Taiwanese (ABT), have you ever thought about what it would be like to move back to Asia? I recently made that move myself, and it's given me a completely new perspective on what my parents went through moving to the U.S. over 30 years ago.

Why This Episode Is Personal

This is a solo episode, just me, no guest. And it felt important to record because this topic is something I've been sitting with for a while. My husband and I recently moved to Japan. Not as digital nomads this time, and not on a tourist visa. We decided to 定居 / dìng jū / settle down and build a real life here. That shift from traveling through a country to actually planting roots in one has changed how I think about everything, especially what my parents experienced when they immigrated to the US.

When my parents moved to America over 30 years ago, my mom probably didn't speak any English at all. My dad's wasn't great either. And yet they figured it out. They built a life, raised a family, and navigated a completely unfamiliar system in a language they could barely communicate in. Now that I'm doing something similar, learning Japanese while trying to set up a life in a new country, I have so much newfound 敬意 / jìng yì / respect for the courage it took for them to do what they did.

The Biggest Differences Are Language and Culture

Of course there are practical differences when you move to a new country: visas, bureaucracy, logistics, etc. Japan is infamous for its 繁文縟節 / 繁文缛节 / fán wén rù jié / red tape. There are rules and regulations for everything, and you're expected to follow all of them. But the biggest differences, the ones that actually affect your daily life and emotional wellbeing, come down to language and culture.

As ABCs and ABTs, we have a unique version of this experience. We look like we belong in Asia, but the second we open our mouths, everyone knows we didn't grow up there. That gap between how people see us and who we actually are is something I've explored for years on my previous podcast, But Where Are You Really From?, and it's a feeling that follows us wherever we go in Asia.

What's different this time compared to when I was a digital nomad is the permanence. When you're traveling, you can ignore the hard stuff. When you're settling down, you have to face it. You have to learn how the systems work. You have to build relationships. You have to be able to communicate your needs, and that's where limited language ability becomes more than an inconvenience. It becomes isolating.

Even Dog Life Is Different

One thing that surprised me was how different it is to have a dog in Japan versus the US. We brought our dog with us, and while Japan is an incredible place to live, it's not as dog-friendly as California in a lot of ways. The spaces are smaller, many parks don't allow dogs on the grass, and you're expected to go over-the-top to clean up after yourselves, including pouring water over where your dog pees. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that when restaurants in Japan do welcome dogs, they go all out. Our dog was allowed to sit in a chair at the table with us like a baby and enjoy her own menu. So it's a tradeoff compared to the U.S., since fewer places allow dogs in general, but the ones that do are way more accommodating.

Key Vocab From This Episode

定居 | dìng jū (to settle down / to establish permanent residence)

敬意 | jìng yì (respect / admiration)

適應 / 适应 | shì yìng (to adapt / to adjust)

繁文縟節 / 繁文缛节 | fán wén rù jié (red tape / bureaucracy)

近況更新 / 近况更新 | jìn kuàng gēng xīn (life update)

生活品質 / 生活品质 | shēng huó pǐn zhí (quality of life)

沮喪 / 沮丧 | jǔ sàng (frustrated / discouraged)

寵物包 / 宠物包 | chǒng wù bāo (pet carrier)

These are all words from the actual episode, not textbook vocabulary, but the kind of words that come up when you're talking about real life in Mandarin.

Ready to Go Deeper?

If this episode resonated with you and you want to go deeper, this is exactly the kind of content we cover in our course Real You Mandarin: Self-Expression. It's 5 modules, 43 video lessons, and 1300+ flashcards covering everything from expressing your emotions and navigating interpersonal relationships to parenting, aging parents, and self-growth. Basically, all the conversations that actually matter in your life.

Not sure if it's for you yet? Try a free lesson first. No commitment, just a taste of what learning Mandarin can feel like when the content is actually relevant to your life.

Get the Full Transcript

Want the full transcript of this episode in Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Pinyin, and English with key vocab highlighted? Check out our Podcast Transcript Membership. Or download the free EP1 transcript to see what it's like.

----

If you liked this episode, we'd love to connect with you on Instagram and TikTok where we post clips from every episode plus other Mandarin learning content. And if you haven't already, subscribe to the podcast on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts so you don't miss the next one.