This one surprised me. Evidently, there is a boy bias in Asian American births, namely Chinese American, Korean American, and Indian American births. According to the article:
In general, more boys than girls are born in the United States, by a ratio of 1.05 to 1. But among American families of Chinese, Korean and Indian descent, the likelihood of having a boy increased to 1.17 to 1 if the first child was a girl, according to the Columbia economists. If the first two children were girls, the ratio for a third child was 1.51 to 1 — or about 50 percent greater — in favor of boys.
The article suggests that sex selection technology and abortion may be skewing the Asian American immigrants’ sex ratios. I had no idea. No Asian American friend or acquaintance of mine has ever discussed, hinted, or expressed any extreme preference for boys, but this could be due to the fact that I don’t know many recent Chinese, Korean, or Indian immigrants–I haven’t yet been invited into the club.
Has anyone else on this blog had experience with this?
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Growing up, my parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts, and great grandparents expressed preferences for boys. I lived in fear of being passed over in favor for a baby brother.
My dad and grandfather calls it “Chinese Social Security.” It is an ingrained Confucious notion that girls will grow up, marry an move away, so the investment in raising a girl has no return, but the curtsy, if any and therefore girls are a liability. Boys are expected to stick around and take care of the parents. Boys have a tendency to be treated better than girls, because a return is expected.
In our family boys are more likly to inherit more than girls. Unless the gods have cursed your father and sent him only girls; then the pressure is on to marry the girl to a docile man.