How can an introvert Asian engineer like me make friends?

I read this somewhere recently but I can't find the source but hopefully this helps.

Find a club / local interest group on Meetup.com (or similar), go to this group and see if you like it. You can usually get a feel for how friendly a club is pretty quickly even if people don't approach you or start conversations with you.

If you like the group then approach the organiser, let them know how much you like the group and offer to help in some way, most events can always use extra helpers. Exchange contact details and follow up with an email the next day as a reminder that you were serious about the offer.

Here's the thing, people naturally talk to the organiser team as it's an easy conversation starter ("hey, where is this/that. What time is x" etc) You also become part of the team and included in more social things like visits to the bar or other stuff.

Of course you also meet people with a common interest and other people that are interested in socialising.

Clubs & bars are usually not good places to meet new people as most people go there with friends so are not interested in meeting other people.

One usual advice is to take classes of something that interests you. Let me add something that I've realized about that.

A lot of people feel awkward at the notion to take classes about something they are not good at. "Dancing lessons? I suck at dancing!". "Joining the gym? But I'm out of shape!". I find this really strange, but it's something I've heard many times, specially from people that is usually very rational! I don't know about you, but you may feel this kind of anxiety.

The whole point of taking classes is starting to stop sucking at something. I love the feeling of immersing myself into something I don't know absolutely nothing. The point isn't to be the best. If you take this route, avoid being self-deprecating, relax and just enjoy the ride.

If my memory is still good, Benjamin Franklin did this by borrowing books from other people whom he wanted to get to know.

I am not going to give you any advice but I can tell you my experience. You can decide if there is anything meaningful you can get out of it. I was in a similar situation as yours for several years (new to the country and culture). However my English was very fluent. Never had any problem with holding a good conversation with anybody. However, it didn't matter. Friendships are formed based on what you have in common with the other person. The commonality comes from growing up in the same country and culture - having watched the same movies and TV shows, having same childhood heroes etc. No matter how hard you try you can't overcome these limitations because you can't change the past. Once I figured this out, I began to realize that I would effortlessly form friendships with people who are most similar to me (education, background, culture, nationality etc.). And with people who I didn't have much in common with - no matter how hard I tried, we could not be friends. So I stopped trying too hard and stopped being needy. My closest friends are still the ones I formed back in my own country who now live here. You seem like a smart guy, I don't think you will have any problems in making Asian friends with whom you have most in common. Anybody else is a bonus.

Hello,

I had same experience. But i do have nice friends, but this friends aren't like me in one thought. They hate IT related works. Due to this, i live alone, i went hospital alone , i even goes pub alone. I do have lonely life but i think i have chosen it. I am the person who responsible for this or you can say the circumstances made me.

Now, i am moving to silicon valley with a hope that i may have good time with my bodies to whom i work with.

The only thing i can do now i dont think about this too much.

If you really very concerned and want all your social life back i guess you should join some big MNCs. The life is really awesome there(i never experienced it but i have seen many people)

The choice is up to you. Think about this closely. What is the thing that keeps you away from the people, find it and abandon it.