If you ever wondered why I post the stuff on Facebook that I post.....

On Facebook, I tend to post a lot of links to things I like to my wall, which in turn goes out to my friends home pages.   There is one trend that I am sure most people have noticed.  A good number of those links are Asian or Asian-American themed.    They may be about Asian athletes (Jeremy Lin, Ed Wang, Yao Ming), Asian-American movies (usually independent stuff), or music videos by Asian-American performers (Far East Movement, etc).

Why do I do that?  Considering that Asian representation in the movies, TV, music and the professional sports arenas are fairly sparse, I want to take advantage of the Facebook platform to promote all things Asian.

That might seem odd to a degree.  However,  one should not underestimate the power of the media to influence people of all ages.  The people who see my postings may enjoy what they see and that is good.  But maybe some young kid who hadn't thought of pursuing interests in acting, music or athletics might be influenced by what he sees and give it a shot.

Asians families are a practical sort.  They encourage their kids to focus on careers that are solid, stable and earn money.  Acting, music and professional sports are not always guarantee of that.

However, I would hope that Asian families learn to encourage their children to follow their passions to wherever it takes them.  After all, the Jeremy Lin's, Ed Wang's, John Cho's and the Far East Movement's of the world have been able to do it.  Your child may be able to do it as well.  Even if he fails, it's not the end of the world.  That is one aspect of life that is so great.  Mistakes are usually not fatal and will teach you to do better in your next endeavor.