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[pel1300]

I grew up in the 1980s and 1990s in SoCal.

I loved both decades but especially the 80s and early 90s. I look back fondly on those times compared to nowadays.

however I've come across other Asians who insist it's much better today and that life sucked for non-whites. They will tell me about how it sucked for them, therefore it sucked for me and that I'm bullshitting or lying to myself when I say I loved my childhood in the 1980s and early 90s. I dunno but I feel like they are off by 1 or 2 decades.

The other day an Asian told me that growing up in the 1990s, he got in many physical fights, like constantly because he was called Asian slurs at school. I didn't say anything, but thought to myself if that happened constantly, maybe the issue was him because that sort of thing didn't happen to me often at all. It was kind of rare, like just a few times that I can remember.

So to any Asians on gaf who grew up in the 1980s, how was life for you back then?

 

[Meicyn]

Welp, since you asked, about to get dark.

Half Asian here, but the eyes give it away. Was called ching chong, chink, and gook very frequently. Was mostly black kids who bullied me the worst, but the white ones got their fair share in too. Grew up an Army brat, so I went where my dad was stationed. Attended schools in Kentucky, DODDS schools in then West Germany, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Prejudice knows no boundaries.

I hated my childhood. Dad was an abusive alcoholic, I was miserable in school due to the aforementioned bullying, and was sexually assaulted by the male manager at my first job as a teenager. I had nowhere to go and no one reliable to turn to for help. I contemplated suicide numerous times, and imagined doing horrific things to some of the folks who abused me at the time.

I’m in a far better place as an adult than I ever was a kid. I always wondered what it’d be like to have had a really fun childhood, or to have a network of childhood friends. I can’t relate to any of it. I opened up one of my old yearbooks when I visited my mother during Thanksgiving and saw nothing but a bunch of peers who made me feel awful for existing. Videogames were the one escape I had growing up, but access was limited so I treasured those moments. I’m lucky I escaped it all and made a successful life for myself, I almost didn’t.

Merry Christmas!

 

[TheDreadBaron]

Not Asian, but I’d imagine your experience would have a lot to do with where you live. Living on the West coast there’s a whole lot of Asian population. For myself, living in Seattle in the 90’s, I never got the sense there was much hostility towards Asian people, they were pretty fully integrated into the community. However, when you get a little further in from the coast it becomes much whiter and less open to racial diversity, especially 40 years ago. I think that two Asian people living in the US both during the same time in the 80’s could totally have different experiences and memories of that time just based on their local communities.

 

[Hudo]

I am not Asian or even American. But I love the Jackie Chan movies of that era.

 

[Lord Panda]

Welp, since you asked, about to get dark.

Half Asian here, but the eyes give it away. Was called ching chong, chink, and gook very frequently. Was mostly black kids who bullied me the worst, but the white ones got their fair share in too. Grew up an Army brat, so I went where my dad was stationed. Attended schools in Kentucky, DODDS schools in then West Germany, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Prejudice knows no boundaries.

I hated my childhood. Dad was an abusive alcoholic, I was miserable in school due to the aforementioned bullying, and was sexually assaulted by the male manager at my first job as a teenager. I had nowhere to go and no one reliable to turn to for help. I contemplated suicide numerous times, and imagined doing horrific things to some of the folks who abused me at the time.

I’m in a far better place as an adult than I ever was a kid. I always wondered what it’d be like to have had a really fun childhood, or to have a network of childhood friends. I can’t relate to any of it. I opened up one of my old yearbooks when I visited my mother during Thanksgiving and saw nothing but a bunch of peers who made me feel awful for existing. Videogames were the one escape I had growing up, but access was limited so I treasured those moments. I’m lucky I escaped it all and made a successful life for myself, I almost didn’t.

Merry Christmas!

Thanks for sharing. Glad you got though it and that you're in a far better place.

 

[analog_future]

Also half asian here. Grew up in the 90s. Definitely had my fair share of racism. Went home crying in ~3rd grade because a bunch of kids started calling me "chink". Good amount of bullying as well.