Why do you think that there is such a focus on bad luck and death?
Stuff like not giving clocks because they are reminders of finality, not grouping in 4’s because four is vaguely homophonic with death in Chinese: (si^) vs (si-).
However, my mom was raised in Japan by her adoptive parents (aunt and uncle) and lived on her own since the age of 14.
She’s had a hard, unique upbringing and her values have been affected accordingly
She’s still fiercely Chinese but I think she’s been given such a harsh dose of reality that the superstition parts are a little less emphasized.
See post titled “Laying Down” for full story. The informant relayed and reinforced the notion that an individual’s upbringing can and does indeed cause them to challenge the beliefs that their culture might normally instill in them. However, he also attested to his mother’s remaining “fiercely Chinese,” which shows that – despite being raised by Japanese people – she still places an intrinsic value in her ethnicity. This, paired with my “Pepero Day” post, shows an Asiatic fixation on the idea of remaining young and fit, a natural fear of death ingrained into the culture.