Top 5 Christmas Gifts for Asian Dads

Asian dads are hard to shop for, especially if you come from a first generation family.  Some of the classic “American” gifts just don’t apply.  When was the last time your Asian dad needed power tools to fix up his Mustang? Or a Civil War documentaries DVD set from the History Channel?

Even worst, Asian dads are also not used to communicating what they want.  It’s the immigrant mentality: Put aside your wants and prioritize your family’s needs.  Dads sacrifice a lot of us; Christmas is a good time to show your appreciation by showering dads with a few gifts they’d never get themselves (but will love!).

1. Bodum Tea Press with Stainless Steel Filter ($34.62 on Amazon)

Replace his old grandpa tea set (which your mom probably got at 99 Ranch) with this modern tea press. It’s slick, young, and convenient enough for dad to make tea himself.

2. Vietnamese Coffee Starter Kit ($15 from Happy Go Coffee)

The ladies at Happy Go Coffee pay hommage to their dad with a classic Vietnamese coffee kick.  Your dad will get to take a nice stroll down memory lane through those old coffe shops in Saigon.  You might want to throw in a Trinh Cong Son CD, too!

For full disclosure, Mai at Happy Go Coffee has offered to donate part of the proceeds to OneVietnam.  We’d recommend it regardless.

3. Johnnie Walker Blue Label ($159.99 at BevMo)

Asian men either can’t stand alcohol or drink like a Russian. If your dad enjoy spirits, consider the Johnnie Walker line instead of the usual Remy Martin.

4. Apple TV ($99 at Apple)

No one needs an Apple TV, but boy is it great to have. That’s will it’s a perfect gift for dads that never spoil themselves. He can stream pictures, videos, and music as well as Netflix, Pandora, and a other services.  Best of all, it’s dead simple to use.  My parents love it.

5. High Fashion (various)

Make your dad look more like George Clooney and less Robin Williams.  Asian dads are clueless about fashion.  If you have trendy taste, go ahead and upgrade your dad’s wardrobe. Don’t worry about skewing too young, it’s much better than dressing too old (which Asian dads tend to do).  For help, browse over to Esquire, GQ, or just Google Clooney.