Why is building social and financial status considered important in Asian culture ?

I have few classmates and family members who are Asians and they just always aim for higher things like higher salary, good professional job and marrying someone who is also wealthy and has social status. They always want to look perfect in the eyes of public. Most of my classmates parents are into business like motels and gas station even few restaurants like subway or dounkin-donuts. It’s always this peer pressure of being in same bracket with friends and family. Just because this person got married and settled by this age, now I have to settle down and get married and have a baby. It’s always this comparison/competitive nature.