One of the most entrenched stereotypes about Asian people is that they're overly polite and docile. On the surface, it may seem like a harmless association, but the implication is that Asian people are pushovers. While there is a focus on manners and social etiquette in Asian cultures, it's naive for anyone to believe that an entire race of people is inherently submissive and passive. Stereotypes of Asian people being passive have even created harmful film tropes such as the neutered Asain male and the Lotus Blossom for Asian women, which adversely affect the perception of Asian people.
Having said that, the viral clip of South Korean strangers working together to help a truck driver clean his spilled cargo speaks to a level of compassion and community that seemingly doesn't exist in the West. Looking at the clip linked above through my American eyes makes me feel like the stereotype is inverted. Asian people aren't overly polite, but rather that Americans are inherently disaffected from the idea of community. However, I spent the last decade in New York City, so my perspective on Americans and etiquette might be a little skewed.
A beer company in South Korea is winning hearts online by thanking people who helped clean the liquor spill from road after a mishap with its truck. The incident took place on June 29 in Chuncheon and the Good Samaritans immediately started cleaning the road. The video of the incident was recorded on a CCTV installed in the area and has gone viral on social media now. The gesture of the group of people is being widely appreciated by Twitter users after watching the clip.
The video was originally posted by Cass Beer company on its YouTube channel with the caption in Korean. It later surfaced on Twitter and other social media platforms where users posted an English version of the caption.
