My dad has three brothers, which is a small family by Asian standards (an informal poll of my Asian friends concludes that 6-8 siblings is the norm for our parents’ generation). My mom is more normal at five siblings. However, based on the way they introduced family friends to me, you would think that they had many, many more siblings:

Uncle Wong
Uncle Mark
Uncle Mike & Auntie Betty #1
Uncle Henry & Auntie Christine
Uncle Sit
Auntie Shirley
Auntie Betty #2
Auntie Dorothy
Auntie Ann
Auntie Helena
Auntie Aiko
Auntie Clara

You get the picture — the list goes on and on. For some reason, Asian culture dictates that you call older people of your parents’ generation Uncle and Auntie (confusing, but still plausible), even older people of your grandparents’ generation Grandma and Grandpa (leading to all sorts confusion about who your actual grandparents are), and people intermediate in age between you and your parents are Older Brother and Older Sister (when they are obviously not). This always struck me as straight-out lying, and I was pretty hesitant as a child to address complete strangers with such familiar terms.

This was still mostly okay, though (once I got older and figured out it was just a term of respect), until I got to college. My dad called my dorm room and got my roommate, who was white and had grown up calling family friends normal names like “Mr. and Mrs. Johnson.” Anyway, my dad said “Hi Elaine, it’s Uncle Bill!” and asked to speak to me…which made her wonder who this weirdo was who thought he was related to her. Of course, then I had to explain that no, he was actually related to me.

I have since then reached that dubious intermediate age where I am introduced to younger children as “Older Sister.” I am torn between wanting to insist that they just call me by my actual name, and thinking “yes!!! yes!! I am now worthy of a title of respect!” The problem with the latter is that at some point I will reach the age where I am introduced as “Auntie ____,” and I will then officially be old and uncool. I’d rather not know when I’ve gotten there.

[Side Note: My mom refers to me as "Older Sister" when she's talking to our cat, e.g. "Go say hi to Older Sister!" when I get home from work. I suppose this makes sense, since our cat is only two and I am of that intermediate age.]

CT