Oh if the current generation of Americans were our founding fathers, the United States of America would consist of Delaware and Rhode Island with Mexico in between. That would be our north and south. Half the country would need travel visas to go to Disneyland.

Where there be a pinata in place of the Golden Gate Bridge?

I was gonna say I thought that was more apt for honky westerners. Had to read it a couple times to get the crux of your meaning. Being successful is most important. Period. I'd agree with that. Not getting along for the sake of virtue, but personal gain.
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I will say with Chinese (and Japanese to a lesser extent) there is/was the saving face and don't offend culture, but I find this very regional, class dependent and probably a dying value in modern society. I've been very taken aback by some of the offensive and impolite things I've heard from more recent Chinese and Japanese people, and I'm no shrinking violet. I've heard things from some Japanese youths that made me think if we were back in Meiji era or earlier, they would have been decapitated by a samurai for saying some things. But hey, at least they aren't as bad as Italians.

Very interesting and I agree with everything you said.  Also we should realize that interactions with Chinese immigrants in America is a bit of selective sampling and people who have the guanxi (network/connections/relationships), motivation and money to leave China for America hardly represent the culture that remains in China.

I always had a view of Chinese people has hardworking and highly driven from my experiences in America, but I can tell you that is definitely not the norm in most universities here, especially the class 2 and 3 universities (which make up the majority).  Students want to goof off their entire college life because they had to study for the past 15 years for the gaokao test, and you never actually fail a class - even if you get a 20. 

One of my local friends here just graduated and is moving to America soon for graduate school to work toward his MBA.  He asked me if it's true that there is a lot of racism in the States (after reading all about Ferguson et al.) and I admitted that while racism obviously exists in different forms, I found Asians in general to be more racist.  China, Korea, Japan, etc are still much more culturally homogenized than the US, and while that does not give an excuse for casual racism, it's much more apparent and culturally accepted here.  (Just look up the "Rent-a-foreigner" mini-documentary about China haha).

Regarding racism against groups and not against individuals, I've seen it both ways.  In the end, guanxi is elevated above all other things, so ideals like community, work ethic, etc are actually not as important here in China as they may be with Chinese Americans overseas.  On the other hand, while Chinese people still routinely bully and despise Japanese individuals, foreigners, and government, they have no qualms now purchasing Japanese cars and products.  Many of my students tell me they hate Japan yet they watch One Piece and other anime shows daily.  It's very interesting.

Regarding Confucianism and other traditional values, while the current President is trying to push these values back into the foreground, they had been summarily demolished and undermined by previous leaders.  I can tell you that cultural norms like the honor-shame culture, honoring elders and family values are not high priorities in society anymore (which people do rightfully bemoan but acknowledge).  Honor nowadays means "how much money do you have", which is why you see so many companies ignore IP and other laws to get ahead - it's not dishonorable if it's making money.  Confucius mainly wrote that social hierarchy ("people knowing their rank and place") brings about harmony, and not the other way around.  Even tho ugh Confucianism isn't as culturally relevant now as 100 years ago, you could say the new hierarchy based on guanxi and money is still a shadow of its past self - perhaps with some "capitalism" thrown in there for good measure    And I use that word VERY loosely because it's not quite the same as you'd expect (Chinese call their social structure here "socialism with Chinese characteristics").

This is going off topic too quickly... My apologies.

Anax and DF, I'm not sure if I've got your crux, but let me say I'm nowhere objective to being successful as the most important calibre. I also firmly believe that we live for personal gain, also period.

I think I need to be a bit more specific: Chinese culture in general tend to caliberate success as money and a Western PR card. Liberal arts, hobby, reading, curiosity, everything out of mainstream accepted learning (mostly technology that earns one money) are perceived as trivial, with no connection to success.

On the other note, I also think there is a connection between not enough liberal arts (self)education and people being ignorant. I've been called Shinajin by some Japanese kids who knows nothing but manga and anime, and my middleschool English teacher, who though my self-learning Japanese is completely a wrong behavior, called me a nigger (I'm dark skined as a Chinese). Meanwhile some of the most intellegent people (regardless of cultural background) I've met share a common practice that they read a ton of good books.

Confucianism in China or Asia in general has been mistranslated into obeying one's superiors and reinforcing herd mentality, which royally pisses me off. I just feel that in Canada, mainstream culture has yet to embrace obeying one's superior as a primary quality, and herd mentality has yet been so strong as what it is in China.

I think I need to be a bit more specific: Chinese culture in general tend to caliberate success as money and a Western PR card. Liberal arts, hobby, reading, curiosity, everything out of mainstream accepted learning (mostly technology that earns one money) are perceived as trivial, with no connection to success.

It's because of survival. China was a poor country were people ate bark off of trees just a few decades ago. I'm sure some parts of China are still like that. My dad had the same mentality since he grew up poor in Taiwan and his evil stepbrother took everything from him when their dad died. The awesome thing about my dad is that he gets it now. He actually advised me that my kids don't need to the best at school - just good enough - so they can pursue their dreams.

The awesome thing about living in the West is that you can actually devote yourself to hobbies, the arts, etc. It's very hard to starve to death in the West, assuming your mind hasn't been fried by drugs.