MineMR wishes you a Happy Lunar New Year of the Rooster!
Lunar New Year is around the corner. While it is not a national holiday in the US, Lunar New Year is celebrated amongst various Asian American communities. Just like any other festive holidays, Lunar New Year is all about eating lots of good food and having quality time with family.
For those who immigrated from Asia, the tradition of New Year’s celebration continues in the U.S. The celebration of Lunar New Year symbolizes the communities’ strong ties to their own heritages. Looking at the self-identification terms among Asian Americans (those living in the US), the majority call themselves as Country of Origin or COO American (e.g., Korean or Korean American).
In America, “Asian American” is the most commonly used term that refers to the ethnic group. It combines all unique heritages into one. The term is used in market research, media, marketing, and politics in the US. However, ironically, “Asian American” is not the way the community defines themselves. Notice that less than a fifth of Asian Americans use the term “Asian American.”
The overwhelming preference towards specificity of origin shows that individual heritage has more weight in defining who they are, even among those US native born. When it comes to targeting the Asian market, there is no one-size-fits-all strategy. A successful campaign will require a deeper understanding of the culture and uniqueness of each group.
