Following Jesus Without Dishonoring Your Parents [Paperback]

Jeanette Yep (Author), Peter Cha (Author), Paul Tokunaga (Author), Greg Jao (Author), Susan Cho Van Riesen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 19, 1998

Go to the right school. Become a doctor or a lawyer. Marry a nice Asian. These are some of the hopes of our Asian parents. Knowing that our parents have sacrificed for us, we want to honor their wishes. But we also want to serve Jesus, and sometimes that can seem to conflict with family expectations. Discovering our Asian identity in the midst of Western culture means learning to bridge these and other conflicting values. We need wise counsel on

• our parents' ways of loving us
• vocations that show respect for our parents and allow us to serve God
• the "model minority" myth and performance pressures
• marriage, singleness, and being male and female
• racial reconciliation
• spirituality and church experiences
• unique gifts Asians bring to Western culture

This book, written by a team of Asian American student ministry workers who have been there, can serve as our guide on a difficult journey. The authors represent a variety of perspectives, including the immigrant experience of a Korean man, a third-generation Japanese-American's understanding of his parents' experience in the internment camps during World War II, and a Chinese American woman's struggle to communicate with her parents. Their accounts of humorous, frusrating and heartbreaking personal experiences (as well as stories from other Asian American students and adults) offer support and encouragement. And their ideas for living out the Christian faith between two cultures show us the way to wholeness.

Product Details

• Paperback: 178 pages
• Publisher: IVP Books (March 19, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830813586
• ISBN-13: 978-0830813582
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #154,120 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #77 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Other Practices > Tribal & Ethnic

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book to explain the trouble of living in 2 cultures, May 8, 2002

By 

Pastor Roger "Roger R." (Chicago, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Following Jesus Without Dishonoring Your Parents (Paperback)

I'm a Caucasian pastor whom God called to minister to and worship with the Asian American community, mainly ages 18-30. Since I didn't grow up inside the Asian culture, I was ignorant to many of the struggles that Asian Americans go through. Thank God for this book!
This book examines many of the issues that Asian Americans face, including the Asian work ethic, marriage, the struggle with Asian parents while living in western culture, among the many. While the authors may not have quoted from lots of scripture, they still did an accurate job of letting you inside their hearts, minds, and souls. And they did it from a Christian point of view. Anyone who is a serious Christian can see their Christianity shining through as they share thier lives. So they did honor Christ by sharing themselves, as John 14:6 commands us to do. For me, this book was certainly an eye-opener.
While this book may not be a "how to" in terms of how Asian Americans should deal with things, it provides a decent framework for looking at things and sorting things out. In short, it provides a good starting point for the journey. I recommend this book to all Asian Americans and to those who, like myself, minister to and worship with them. As I said when I started out, thank God for this book.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for Asian-American Christians, December 21, 2000

By 

"esyuen" (Cupertino, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Following Jesus Without Dishonoring Your Parents (Paperback)

This was an extremely insightful book which examined the ways that elements in Asian, Confusian-based cultures clash with elements in the American culture. Furthermore, the authors presented ways in which these conflicts could be worked out.

One strength of this book is its authencity. It was written by Asian-Americans who used examples from their own lives to illustrate concepts. I was able to relate to many experiences which the authors described.

Another strength was that this book presented the issues in a mature and non-accusatory manner. Although strong emotions may have surrounded the issues discussed, the authors did not use this book as an opportunity to lash out, but rather explained the problem in a humble manner.

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read for Asians growing up in North America, March 4, 2010

By 

Wen Yi Lo (Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Following Jesus Without Dishonoring Your Parents (Paperback)

This book was tremendously helpful in helping me understand how our Asian background has shaped us into who we are, and how God can use us to edify His kingdom. It is a good book with many practical insights and personal stories from the writers. I recommend every Asian immigrant reading this book as it is well worth investing the time to read it. It is by far one of the most helpful books I have read. It is also an easy and fun read!