As the daughter of two immigrants who are part of the Indian diaspora in Indonesia, I am always lost for words when asked “Where are you from?” How do I tell people that I am a girl made of Indian values, but also Indonesian mannerisms? A girl with the likings of my mom’s home cooked Indian food, but also one who would choose to eat Indonesian dishes in a heartbeat? How do I choose between a home that I was gifted, India, versus a home that my parents built for me, Indonesia? The answer is I don’t. I do not choose between them, because I take the best of both worlds and continue to live my life as an Indian citizen and an Indonesian resident. A conflict arises, though, not when cultures are compared, but when conventional ideas are pitted against contemporary aspirations. The contemporary world is symbolized as a globalizing one, where the term “globalized” extends beyond mere cultural interactions, and rather denotes the influence of Western ideals on the Eastern world. Perhaps, then, the issue does not solely lie in the cultural differences but rather the wave of globalization and those who were caught in those waves, as compared to those who clung onto the old, broken logs that were left.

Jonathan Murray Chu’s film Crazy Rich Asians (2018) examines these generational conflicts where he explores the tension that rises in preserving cultural traditions while moving ahead with globalization. The plot revolves around the life of Rachel Chu, an Asian-American economics professor at New York University. Raised by a single mother, Rachel is a middle-class immigrant daughter, who is independent, but also cherishes her relationship with others, such as her boyfriend Nick Young. The movie pivots around the trip that Rachel is about to take with Nick for his best friend's wedding. However, unbeknownst to Rachel, Nick is from an immensely wealthy family in Singapore––Nick is shown to be discreet about his family’s money as he has always “thought of [the money] as theirs.” During Rachel's encounter with the Singaporean elite––where their judgements are represented by Eleanor Young, Nick’s mother––she faces hostility from the community, and she is forced to navigate her own identity as an outsider. In the preconceived conflict that this community believes to exist between the West and the East–family vs. self,conventional ideals vs. contemporary aspiration– the Singaporean elite looks down upon Rachel as they expect her to prioritize herself as well as her aspirations. However, we also see Rachel striving through the support from her best friend, Peik Lin, her mother, Kerry Chu, and her boyfriend, Nick Young. Ultimately, the film Crazy Rich Asians invites its audience to consider the significance of culturally conventional ideas, while fulfilling personal aspirations in the face of social standards and expectations. The film displays the possibility of getting caught up in the wave of globalization, while also remaining steadfast in one’s values and ideals. So then we question, what does Crazy Rich Asians show us about efforts to preserve cultural traditions in the face of globalization?

Chu demonstrates the effort toward cultural preservation in an interesting manner where the audience is rather pushed to sympathize with those who are able to find a middle ground in the preservation of ideals, and progression with globalization, as compared to those who decide to stay on the extremes of the spectrum. Rachel’s persona is one of the various middle grounds in the film; a product of values that are appreciated in the Chinese community––kindness, and compassion––as well as individualistic ambitions––her capabilities as an expert in the field of economics. However, this middle ground is ignored, or rather deemed impossible, by those on the extreme sides of this spectrum. As Rachel sits across from Eleanor in a game of mahjong, they play a silent game of wits and wills. We see Rachel's assured moves testing Eleanor's calm demeanor, with Rachel finally breaking the tension by questioning Eleanor’s resentment towards her. As the camera stays still on Rachel, we are able to see her eyes move from the mahjong tiles to Eleanor, where Rachel not only breaks the tension, but we also see her confidence break away as her smile shifts to a tensed frown. Through the smirk on Eleanor’s face, she finally reveals that Rachel lacks the ability to be part of their “kaki lang”, their community. Rachel rebuts this argument by questioning why this assumption: “cause I’m not rich?”, “cause I didn’t go to a British boarding school?” But Eleanor cuts her off. The sun hits half of Rachel’s face, her eyes light up with curiosity and impatience, as she yet again raises them from the tiles to Eleanor. Eleanor takes this opportunity to present her argument that regardless of Rachel’s Chinese descent, Rachel remains a “foreigner. American––and all Americans think about is their own happiness.” Though the audience sees Rachel’s efforts to preserve and embody cultural traditions, Eleanor rejects these efforts, and deems it impossible to be a diasporic identity while simultaneously preserving cultural conventions.

Throughout the film, we see Eleanor comparing Rachel’s lifestyle to one that she deems acceptable and deserving of Nick, where surprisingly the comparison does not come in between Rachel being a middle-class individual and Nick as that of the Singaporean Elite. Rather the comparison comes between Rachel’s American upbringing by a single mother, and Nick’s Chinese upbringing with a community––where in this case was his extended family. This contrast is used by the Singaporean community to create a misconception about Rachel’s character, where they concede to the stereotypes of one raised in America: individualistic, self-centered, selfish. This misconceived perception leads to an ignorance of Rachel’s ability to maintain a good relationship with the only source of family she has––her mother––and the many efforts she puts in to show her respect for traditions as well as to foster love for bigger families every time she gets the opportunity to interact with them––from meals with Peik Lin’s family to making dumpling with Nick’s family. With the help of these parallels, we can see how Rachel's attempts to preserve cultural traditions are ignored in favor of the growing perception of her as a selfish foreigner––where this growing perception is seen through Eleanor’s remarks towards Rachel: “we understand how to build things that last, something you know nothing about.” This further illustrates why the possibility of being a diasporic identity while preserving cultural traditions is rejected by the Singaporean elite.

Kristina Göransson’s book The Binding Tie delves into Chinese intergenerational relations in Singapore, focusing in one chapter on “Modernity and the Generation Gap.” This chapter examines Singapore's generational divide, emphasizing its causes, effects, and practical applications. Singapore's rapid transformation from a developing country to an industrialized nation has led to significant social mobility. This change highlights the generational gap between those who live with conventional ideals––promoting cultural values and family traditions––and those with contemporary aspirations––the kids that leave home to study, or to work. Through the gap exists challenges in fostering understanding relationships between generations. However, despite these difficulties, the “sandwich generation”—those who care for both their children and elderly parents while bridging the gap between traditional and contemporary social ideals—manages this complexity. Göransson’s insights resonate with the film Crazy Rich Asians, which portrays affluent young professionals balancing contemporary lifestyles with conventional family expectations. For instance, Nick Young embodies the challenges faced by Singapore's sandwich generation. He navigates the tension between family and self, choosing to move to America to pursue his contemporary ambitions without relying on his family’s name, yet remains steadfast in the values of respect, compassion, and togetherness instilled in him. Moreover, we also see him as the center point between Eleanor and Rachel, where we inherently consider that the generational gap perhaps exists between Eleanor and Rachel, where Nick ultimately bridges the gap and “sandwiches” between them.

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To Take the Best of Both Worlds