Rainbow superstition

Context: “My friends used to get mad if you pointed with your pointer finger like that at a rainbow. Didn’t matter how big or small, you point with that pointer, you’d get an earful about how your nose was going to fall off. Always had to point out a rainbow with my thumb and look! I still have my nose.

Analysis: This was a superstition that taught pointing at a rainbow with your index finger would make your nose fall off. It was commonly played amongst school children as a light-hearted taunt whenever anyone forgot. It has no clear source, but is geo-specific, with this particular school the only one in the area that references the belief and it serves as a quick filter for those familiar.

“What do Navajos call a dog?”

Context: “What do Navajos call a dog? Cleh-chant-ee!”

A Navajo slang term for dogs, directly translating to shit-eater. It is commonly used on the reservation, especially due to the high concentration of strays. The conditions also mean most dogs are starving and can even be aggressive and the attitude towards them can lean towards ambivalent. The harsh conditions means that dogs are known to eat anything, including the poop of other animals. Coupled with the attitude towards strays, it has become a derogatory slang term/joke for dogs. 

Saying: “You hear, but you don’t listen.”

Context: “It’s a nice way to say ‘I won’t repeat myself’ when someone obviously wasn’t listening, but said that they were. My grandmother always said it when I would say I’d do the chores and then she’d come home and there they’d all be, still waiting.”

Analysis: This is a Navajo saying that roughly translates to, “You hear, but you don’t listen.” It is usually said to children as a kind of reprimand or one word reminder. It is also said with a high tone and usually in jest rather than in serious situations. In recent years, it has become more of an ironic term used among younger generations towards their peers as a parody of the elders in the tribe, signifying the generational divide and resentment.

Clothes Are Wings

Age: 24

Text:

“Clothes are wings.”

Context:

The informer tells me that this is a Korean proverb, and essentially means “Clothes make people better”. They’re not sure where they learned it from, but they assume it’s from their parents, or from watching k-dramas.

Analysis:

I thought it was very interesting that Korea would have a proverb about physical appearances and how it affects how people may perceive you. Korean society is very much one where one’s physical appearance absolutely determines how you are treated, where you are in the social hierarchy, and what people think your character and personality is like–this is all determined by how you look. It can become so extreme to the point where it may becomes toxic–one must always be skinny and slender, conventionally attractive, pale, chic, with impeccable fashion taste regardless of your socioeconomic status.

I feel like this emphasis on physical appearance has something to do with how homogenous Korea is, and its values on community rather than the individual. By having the mindset that “clothes make the man”, it creates a standard that everyone must strive to meet in order to not stand out and disrupt the flow of what is considered “normal”. This is a Confucian ideal(community over individual), which is a foundational aspect of Korean culture and social roles.

The Lazy Donkey

Age: 20

Text:

“The lazy donkey has to shit and piss before it goes to the mill.”

Context:

The informant would hear this from their mother when they were younger, but still hears it today as well. They grew up in China, and thus the above phrase is simply a translation from Chinese.

Analysis:

I interpret this phrase to mean doing aimless things in order to delay going to or doing work/what needs to be done. To back this up further, the informant told me that one time their mother said this to them when they went to get a drink of water and go to the bathroom right before their piano lesson–they were trying to delay going to their lesson, and thus their mother scolded them. I noticed that the phrase talks about the lazy donkey. No one wants to be seen as lazy, so this would incentivize them to work harder and efficiently. Furthermore, Chinese culture(and East Asian cultures in general) places a huge significance on diligence and rigor; having a strong work ethic is incredibly important, as it is seen as a reflection of one’s character. Additionally, Chinese social norms today find its foundations in Confucian principles, particularly in the principle of community and the collective good. If you are a lazy donkey, you are actively choosing to be a burden to your community.

* I would like to note that although I, the author of this post, was not born in China, as a first-generation Asian American with immigrant parents, I have grown up in an environment that placed heavy importance in the values mentioned above, and am familiar with this culture.