My family has never been very affectionate. I always assumed it was an Asian thing until I saw my friend, who is also Vietnamese, hug and kiss his mom once. I was flabbergasted at what I saw. My experience with hugging is entry level at best. When I hug someone, there is a fraction of a moment where the contact is faintly uneasy and foreign, but then the awkwardness melts away and it feels right. I would hug more if I could, but I’m sure people wouldn’t appreciate random hugs. I think they call it hug rape.
My nephew and niece are being raised differently. When the nephew was younger, he would grab at one of my legs and kiss me on or around my knee. His kisses aren’t with the lips however. The nephew leans forward at a 20 degree angle until his forehead makes contact with your body, and he will gently smacks his lips once.
(via Achewood)
