All Asians Are Not The Same

[LoveNDino]

Do we have any Asians on here to ask them?

Sometimes, I suppose - but not always. And I mean, it’s just not something with which I’ve ever been concerned.

[trav05]

My boyfriend is Vietnamese and can almost always name the country another Asian is from.

When he is asked if he is Vietnamese, he answers, “I am from Vietnam”. Many Asians are country proud

They don’t use the work Asian as often as we do, they say the country.

[Rudynate]

My dentist is an Indian woman. I once asked her where she was from, meaning what part of India. She answered “Seattle” and we both laughed. She went on to say she has never been to India, was born in the US and her parents were from two different parts of India and came to the US when they were young. She couldn’t remember where they were born. It’s not always easy to ask a question out of curiosity and not make it sound racist. “ What are you?” doesn’t quite work. I find when I meet someone who has an unusual name I struggle to find the right words also. I’d like to think most people would not be offended if you ask about their nationality but it’s not always easy to ask.

 

I would argue that she isn't Indian, she's American. If for some reason, you feel like you must identify her ethnic origin you could say she's an American of Indian descent, or an Indian American. But, in this day and age, ethnicity becomes less and less relevant.

 

It's extremely rare that I ask about a person's ethnic background. When you stop asking about it, you realize it's usually a non-issue anyway.

[marylander1940]

Umm, there have been posters who identify as Asian posting since the thread was opened.

 

I know. It was directed at them, maybe they should keep answering that question.

 

Several people of Asian heritage have replied.

 

Btw on American soap opera "Days of Our Lives" there is a prominent gay Japanese character. And on the Australian soap opera another gay Japanese character.

 

Both have "white" fathers.

 

I'm glad they did, it was a question to them...

 

[+ Avalon]

There is a news announcer here, Kumi Taguchi, who was a mainstream news announcer on ABC TV but is now hosting another program. Her mother was Anglo and her father Japanese, she grew up in Australia. Kumi presents as an archetypal Australian, but she does acknowledge her heritage. For the most part, no-one notices her, or other presenters who are Asian or of Asian descent any more than they notice Emma Alberici. One of them, Jason Om did draw attention to himself though, http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-15/same-sex-marriage-how-my-dad-changed-his-mind/9152518

 

Thank-you for sharing that story.

[MartyB]

I just posted a review of a great young man I had a great time with Michael in NYC. I asked him after we were done out first time what his ethnicity was? He identified himself as Taiwanese not Chinese. Glad I was corrected.

[marylander1940]

My boyfriend is Vietnamese and can almost always name the country another Asian is from.

When he is asked if he is Vietnamese, he answers, “I am from Vietnam”. Many Asians are country proud

They don’t use the work Asian as often as we do, they say the country.

 

Does he get mad when folks confuse his heritage?

 

His country defeated us in a war, that's something to be very proud yet now they are aware capitalism is better and going communist in the 70's was a mistake.

[trav05]

In my 6 years of going to Hanoi no one has ever talked to me about the War. Something just not discussed. Americans are openly welcomed. Only in the museums is it really seen.

They are very proud of their country and capitalism is showing up big time now. The internet has opened up the world to people outside the big cities.

[+ quoththeraven]

I'm not Asian. But I would think that a person of Chinese, Korean or Japanese heritage could recognize their own ethnicity from a distance.

No. Members of my family didn't even recognize my first cousin Mary in a photo from the 1940s. The only person who recognized her was her husband. Yes, my cousin not only didn't recognize herself but didn't remember the photo.

 

But if I knew the person's name, I would be able to make a fairly accurate guess.

 

See also:

 

http://askakorean.blogspot.com/2008/09/ultimate-korean-looks-list-how-to-pick.html

 

Best part: "Facial Expression – in a neutral state (i.e. not talking with a friend or watching something in particular), Koreans tend to look like they are pissed off."

 

P.S. The question is actually about East Asians, not Asians in general. The above blog post says if you can't distinguish Southeast Asians from East Asians, you might as well hang it up. That's absolutely true.

Edited November 19, 2017 by quoththeraven

[+ Avalon]

No. Members of my family didn't even recognize my first cousin Mary in a photo from the 1940s. The only person who recognized her was her husband. Yes, my cousin not only didn't recognize herself but didn't remember the photo.

 

But if I knew the person's name, I would be able to make a fairly accurate guess.

 

See also:

 

http://askakorean.blogspot.com/2008/09/ultimate-korean-looks-list-how-to-pick.html

 

P.S. The question is actually about East Asians, not Asians in general. The above blog post says if you can't distinguish Southeast Asians from East Asians, you might as well hang it up. That's absolutely true.

 

Thanks for the link! Regarding Koreans being taller that is only in South Korea. In North Korea because of malnutrition over several generations the people have become smaller.

[rvwnsd]

Yes and no. What I meant was there is no homogenous white . ...

OK - we are saying the same thing.

[rvwnsd]

Do we have any Asians on here to ask them?

Well...

As an Asian I guess I can answer this....

 

I'm Asian

...

[+ Avalon]

My father - 4th generation, American - is of English heritage. He had black hair and brown eyes. My mother said that when they first met and before she knew who he was she thought he was Italian. He had been working outdoors and had a tan.

[marylander1940]

Well...

 

some of yinz don't get sarcasm... now you don't get a rhetoric question....?

[LoveNDino]

 

Best part: "Facial Expression – in a neutral state (i.e. not talking with a friend or watching something in particular), Koreans tend to look like they are pissed off.

RBF - Resting Bitch Face.

[P Gren]

In Canada we generally refer to people as either East Asian or South Asian, the same way we'd generalize with say, Northern European or Southern European.

[TruthBTold]

My dentist is an Indian woman. I once asked her where she was from, meaning what part of India. She answered “Seattle” and we both laughed. She went on to say she has never been to India, was born in the US and her parents were from two different parts of India and came to the US when they were young. She couldn’t remember where they were born. It’s not always easy to ask a question out of curiosity and not make it sound racist. “ What are you?” doesn’t quite work. I find when I meet someone who has an unusual name I struggle to find the right words also. I’d like to think most people would not be offended if you ask about their nationality but it’s not always easy to ask.

 

I was and still am confused about how Indians and Pakistanis feel about the difference between the peoples. I know that it was decided in large part on a religious component but I never knew if there were other components.

[nynakedtop]

In Canada we generally refer to people as either East Asian or South Asian the same way we'd generalize with say Northern European or Southern European.

 

that's a good approach... because i am an "asianist" by training (S.E. Asia was my area of concentration as an anthropology student), I am hyper-sensitive to the very profound differences amongst Asian persons... but I think you provide a good general way to deal with it... not many westerners could tell the difference between a Lao person, a Thai person, and a Cambodian person, even if one were to hear the spoken language(s).

 

we just need to be very sensitive to the "Orientalist" approach that lumped everyone from Asia together as either just a culture-less or an exoticized other.

[nynakedtop]

I was and still am confused about how Indians and Pakistanis feel about the difference between the peoples. I know that it was decided in large part on a religious component but I never knew if there were other components.

 

there is a historical issue here pregnant with complications.... the 1947 partition of South Asia into East and West Pakistan and India was one of the more traumatic experiences in recent history.

 

my understanding is that the memory still persists (as well as linguistic and religious differences).

[P Gren]

there is a historical issue here pregnant with complications.... the 1947 partition of South Asia into East and West Pakistan and India was one of the more traumatic experiences in recent history.

 

my understanding is that the memory still persists (as well as linguistic and religious differences).

The British imperial penchant for drawing lines on maps has caused innumerable post-colonial problems, in South Asia (as mentioned the partition of India/Pakistan) but also in the Middle East (Palestine for one) and in Africa.

[TruthBTold]

there is a historical issue here pregnant with complications.... the 1947 partition of South Asia into East and West Pakistan and India was one of the more traumatic experiences in recent history.

my understanding is that the memory still persists (as well as linguistic and religious differences).

 

And I totally forgot about the Bangladesh/Pakistan tragedy.

[TruthBTold]

The British imperial penchant for drawing lines on maps has caused innumerable post-colonial problems, in South Asia (as mentioned the partition of India/Pakistan) but also in the Middle East (Palestine for one) and in Africa.

 

They think they know better than everybody about everything.

[+ quoththeraven]

They think they know better than everybody about everything.

Fun facts: The Industrial Revolution was financed by destroying the Indian textile industry.

 

British slave owners were compensated by the government. Newly-freed slaves received nothing.

 

The British economy at the height of the empire relied on the sale of opium. Today that would be called a drug cartel.

 

Winston Churchill countermanded plans to make food available to ameliorate the 1943 Bengal famine. 3 million people died at the same time Indian soldiers were in the field fighting WWII on behalf of the empire.

 

Every time anyone says Anglo or European culture is superior, I laugh.

[EastbayMike]

When I was a student at UC Berkeley in the 80s, I worked on campus at one of the faculty clubs that also acted as a hotel hosting visiting academics. Late one night I was expecting two arrivals, a Mr. Takemoto and a Mr. Kim. One of the two gentlemen arrived and I tentatively asked, Mr. Takemoto? He was silent for a few seconds, started gritting his teeth and turning red, then said in an angry voice said "DO I LOOK JAPANESE TO YOU!?!" I was a naive kid still unaware of how Korea suffered under the Japanese during WWII. I learned my lesson and never assumed anyone's nationality/ethnicity again.

Edited November 19, 2017 by EastbayMike

[gallahadesquire]

When I was a student to UC Berkeley in the 80s, I worked on campus at one of the faculty clubs that also acted as a hotel hosting visiting academics. Late one night I was expecting two arrivals, a Mr. Takemoto and a Mr. Kim. One of the two gentlemen arrived and I tentatively asked, Mr. Takemoto? He was silent for a few seconds, started gritting his teeth and turning red, then said in an angry voice said "DO I LOOK JAPANESE TO YOU!?!" I was a naive kid still unaware of how Korea suffered under the Japanese during WWII. I learned my lesson and never assumed anyone's nationality/ethnicity again.

 

"May I have your name, Sir?"