Last month, we talked about how Asian Americans are leading the future of smart home and in-home technology. Their appetite for technology is rooted deep in their lifestyle and cultural heritage. In addition to Amazon Echo and Google Home, I want to share a few other common items you will only see in Asian households. Asian Americans are so used to growing up with some of these items, they may not even know how uniquely interesting they are!
- Hot Water Dispenser: Cold drinks are considered unhealthy in Asian culture. Many believe the cold temperature breaks the balance of yin and yang in their body. This notion has been passed down for generations as Asian people mostly consume hot tea, hot dessert, or just hot water. Ever been to an Asian restaurant and got served room-temperature water? This is precisely why. In almost every Asian household, a 4-liter hot water dispenser is as important as a rice cooker. It allows you to adjust the temperature depending on the type of tea you are making. In an Asian house, you can go without ice for weeks, but you can never go without hot water for a day.
- Advance Karaoke Stereo System: Asians are famous for their love of karaoke. It is a critical part of every party and family reunion, especially among Chinese, Vietnamese, and Filipinos. Many Asian living rooms feature a custom-built entertainment center to accommodate an advanced karaoke stereo system. We are talking about professional karaoke machines imported from Asia with the latest in-language songs, surround sound speaker systems with subwoofer, and at least 2 wireless bluetooth microphones. You might even find a dedicated karaoke room (instead of a theatre room) for the ultra-passionate singers.
- Remote Control Organizer: According to Pew Research, 50% of Asian Americans are dual-language TV viewers. They spend more time with streamed content (106′ 27″ per day) compared to general Americans (98’49” per day). For many Asian Americans, entertainment is never in one place. It is common to juggle between 3 -5 different remote controls between a smart TV, a cable box, an Apple TV, a Roku and a PS4. That’s why you will see a remote control organizer in many Asian American living rooms. And of course, you better not have removed that plastic films outside the remote!
- Smart Toilet: You might have seen or used these in Japan. The toilet usually features heated seat, automatic-open seat covers, sensor-enabled warm water wash, air dry, and even smartphone enabled massage function. Your jaw is probably dropping at this point, but Asians take the comfort of their private businesses very seriously. These smart toilets can easily run from a few hundred to a couple of thousand dollars – not a small investment for the bathroom. Kohler just launched their first smart toilet in 2018 CES, but Toto has been ruling the market for decades in the Asian American community.
Have you came across anything similar in an Asian household that baffles you? Drop me a note and I will talk about that next time!
