ABSTRACT
East Asian cultures value group harmony and interdependence, collectivistic values that organize society, community, and family relations. As recipients of these traditions, Asian Americans of East Asian ancestry (i.e., China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam) internalize traditional cultural values that have a significant impact on their behavior. In contrast, the dominant U.S. culture values individualism where autonomy of the individual is preferred over group harmony. The impact of this value orientation on Asian Americans is commonly overlooked. Asian Americans are wedged between their own complex historical and cultural realities and the pressure of the dominant U.S. cultural context of individualism. Therefore, the process of choosing a career sharply evokes the dynamic tension between individual well-being and family well-being, which is valued so highly in Asian cultures.
