forum Customs

Started February 20, 2018 by Krynn

tune

I'm writing a book and I want to use a diverse cast of characters other than Caucasian. I also want to be accurate in their customs as well but I don't know how… Could someone help?

Depends… you’ll have to determine what cultures you want to represent, and then research that culture extensively. That means talking to people you know who belong to that culture as well as using the internet.

Asian person here! I don't mean to represent all Asians, but I'll put in my two cents. In my household, we often eat rice. But we all have taste buds. I actually don't like Asian food that much. Also, Asian people born in a predominantly English-speaking country and growing up with English as their first language won't have an accent, believe it or not. My friend's dad has a very strong accent, but she doesn't. It also depends on the character's family's personalities. Do they value tradition or assimilation? How has this affected the character's life? Also, don't put culture before personality, aka DON'T USE STEREOTYPES. I would be rich if I got a dollar every time that the "Asian prodigy" trope was used. Yes, people like that exist, but they have personalities. I like bands like My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy. I like to draw. I like to write. My other Asian friend is not good at math. I am. Create characters, not stereotypes. Good luck!