I don't consider myself Asian. Although I'm half Filipina and half Chinese, I cannot speak anything except English since my parents although BOTH Asian are from two different cultures and therefore communicate to each other in English as well.
When I see Asian things, such as fashion, music, movies, tv shows, it feels so foreign to me. But I do like some things, like I love Chinese history, I love manga, I love Asian tv dramas, movies... I love Gothic Lolita fashion too. But I believe the way I look at things is as if I was white like the usual suspects are.
When people speak to me in Chinese, I always get insulted and unhappy because I think 'Just because I look Asian doesn't mean I speak your language!' - plus I also live in Australia... so it's expected to speak English usually right?
Anyhow, I'm probably very confusing right now. Not sure if my post is making sense. But I did want to get my feelings out there.
I should accept that I am Asian, yes. But I am a Westernized Asian. I was born in Australia, and I will always be Westernized. I can't help it, that's the way I was brought up. I hope other Asian people aren't disappointed in how I turned out.
If you don't want to be asian and don't want to affiliate with being Asian, why don't you just tell the truth, it doesn't matter to anyone nor do we care. But one thing is that neither side will accept you, Asian or white. If you want to marry a woman of either race, both side will reject you unless the women happens to be like you, Asian who lost their culture and with predominantly white cultured. Too bad your parent didn't teach you Chinese, or maybe they also lost their culture, if it is the former, maybe she didn't like his/her culture or something and believe white is more superior, so she only want you to assimiliate with the white culture.
Ah fuck it just drop the asian identity and become white, think white. I think its better for you in the long run than to be depressed about not knowing about the Chinese culture. Asian people disappointed or not, they don't give a fuck, if they find out you can't speak Chinese or anything Asian, they just won't talk to you as they talk to their own people, they look at you like a foreigner. If you want to learn Chinese, I doubt you will be able to learn the language, it is impossible for you. But I doubt you will take the time to learn it in the first place, there isn't a good reason for you to learn it anyway.
Why are you so angry about other Asians expecting you to speak Chinese?
Just fucken tell them you can't, thats it.
If you want to marry a women, who would you marry, an Asian woman or white woman?
> When people speak to me in Chinese, I always get insulted and unhappy because I think 'Just because I look Asian doesn't mean I speak your language!'
Heh. I'm ethnically Hungarian (meaning black hair and slightly dark skin) and people speak to me in Spanish all the time. -_-
Anyway, in my opinion, centering one's identity around one's race is only slightly less stupid then hating and fearing others because of their races. It's usually just another excuse to feel superior to others, another excuse to ostracize people because they aren't quite the same as you. Even when it doesn't stem from xenophobia, it's misplaced pride. The world would be a better place if all the people so proud of being white or black or AzN instead took pride in things that are genuinely admirable, like being compassionate people.
So, no, you shouldn't consider yourself Asian. Instead you should consider yourself human.
I'm Chinese-American. When I visited Japan last year people assumed I could speak Japanese because I looked vaguely Japanese. Is that their fault?
The problem is that you view this as antagonism on their part. It's not. Just explain that you don't speak Chinese and move on. Nobody's going to hate you just because you don't speak their native tongue.
Hi! Stop thinking of yourself as Asian. If you were born in Austrailia you are an Ausie. My parents were Italian but I was born in America. I am an American not Italian. I think it is more difficult for you because you background is so much more "noticable". Being of Italian background I have olive skin and dark hair and eyes, but that could be anything. Relax and be yourself, dont let peoples assumptions of you get you down. And above all.... Be proud of your background but be faithfull to your country!
>>1
Well, don't worry about it too much. I'm a filipino, born and raised in Manila. But these past years, I've been living between Australia and the Philippines. I live a couple of years in one, the next couple on the other. Currently, I'm in Australia (again). It's very hectic, but I have half of my relatives here anyway so....okay, enough about me.
Now, you really shouldn't worry about this 'cause, believe it or not, yours is a very common situation. A lot of asians migrate to western countries, or just about anywhere, really. Specially the chinese and filipinos. Heck, if there's anything that can be said about the two, it's their masses -always ready to live somewhere else. Naturally, their kids would be westernized.
Three of my cousins are westernized asians. Two raised here in Australia and the other in America. I also have a new baby sister (well, technically half-sister) also in America. The three don't know jack about the filipino stuff, let alone the language. I'm assuming my baby sister will also. Now that's just my relatives. When I was in school, specially college, I had lots of classmates who were w.a. If you ever watched a filipino movie or t.v. show, chances are nearly half the cast, or all of 'em are Filipino-American, Fil-Australian or Fil-whatever. The same with the basketball league.
So what I'm really saying is, if you need an agent or anything, GIVE ANONYMOUS A CALL! ( ﾟ ヮﾟ)
>>3
I'm half-Hungerian by genes, and your comment about black hair due to being Hungerian is very confusing for me... As I'm used to the average stereotype Hungerian having brown hair, anything from hazel to mahogny. People have mistaken me for a pale hispanic on multiple occasions in spite of not having any genetic material from that region, but that's due to the way mix of my parent's genes turned out (my father's genes making me a bit darker, skin and hairwise, even though I don't have particularly dark skin, and my hair is only a dark brown of the obviously brown shade).
However, I very much agree with your comment about considering oneself human.
Both of my parents come from different countries, and I was born and raised in a third. Both of my parents' cultures seem foreign to me, in spite of that I've grown up with my parents, and have spent half a dozen of summers or so in Hungary on vacation with them. I feel like someone who belongs to the country I've grown up in, "in spite of" "only" belonging to that country by culture (two very, very busy parents = spending rather little time with them = less exposure to their cultures and more to the local one), mentality and citizenship. I've never felt "White", or "Asian", or something I'm not. I'm me, and I've let it be an advantage and strength.
>>6 has a good point too >Be proud of your background but be faithfull to your country
Naturally, only be as faithful to the country as anyone else would be, i.e. don't shut up if you feel that there are wrongs going on, just because you're not a "ZOMG genuine" aussie. And though you need to not be ashamed over your background, don't go snobbish over it.
Don't feel bad over not having a better connection to your "Asian roots". If people have a problem with it, it's their problem, not yours. They are not Australian the same way you are (if at all), and that doesn't make you worth any less. If they get dissapointed at that they have to spend more effort than what they assumed at first glance, it's their problem, as it was their false assumption. Don't feel offended. Humans deal with pattern recognition a lot, and so many assume that just because one looks as if one might have something to do with X, they do have many things to do with X. The appropriate thing to do when one finds out that one's assumptions was wrong is to learn, adjust one's attitude and go on. If others can't do this, they're the ones with the problems. Be polite, and don't take it personally. Let them make themselves look bad, there's no need for you to join them.
Sorry for this TL;DR, and I apologize for the vagueness.. But yes, rest assured, there are many more like us out there, you're in good company.
Proud being your self. Just like me althou' i'm Bruneian but i never forget where i come from which is, i am a Iban(if you don't know what iban is just watch jesscia alba's movie-the sleeping dictionary). What just you do is learn their language. Just like you, i don't speak iban with my family relative. Just ignore what they say to you. be selfish and proud that you speak english well.
y do u feel need to label urself? if others label u, that is there problem.
I'm "black," (African-American) but I don't relate to other "black" people at all.
For most of my life I've mainly hung out with Mexican, Asians, or white people, and I find most "hip-hop" and ghetto culture rather stupid and foreign.
I listen to J-rock, J-pop, and other weird stuff, and only like a few rap songs, mainly by obscure artists. Everytime I hear a "black" person use the "n" word I actually feel like lecturing them about it.
It's actually so bad that most people just assume I'm from another country when in person. I'm light enough to look like something weird other than or not completely black (I guess) and over the phone or chatting online I've gotten some of everything, with people saying I had an Asian fob accent, sounded white, had a German accent, etc. Only thing I've never heard is black, actually.
It's weird, but I sort of like it. It's better than being thought of as ghetto.
haha I'm asian and even if I speak chinese.. people would still come up and speak cantonese. It doesn't bother me at all, I tell them I can only speak mandarin.. or if they do speak mandarin, I tell them I would rather speak in english then chinese..
I never use chinese in public unless I am bad mouthing someone or have stuff to tell without the other person knowing, it's a very useful trick especially for picking up chicks.
>>11
Same here! I'm African-American, too (with some Costa Rican mixed in)... live in a horridly ghetto part of NYC.. but I don't feel like the other black people I live around. Heck, I don't even socialize with anyone in my building. Can't stand rap or hip-hop or this ghettolicious culture that's all about. Also, because of how I talk and sound, I've always been told that I sound like a white girl many times. Even by my mother. Hell, someone even rapped about that in my class. O_o;
I don't really feel like I belong to whatever "black" culture is about. Nor do I to the spanish culture... but, eh. I'm just fine with that.
>>1: This is really not a problem at all. Remember that ethnicity isn't the same thing as nationality or culture. Hey, I'm like 40% German, but I can't stand bratwurst. That doesn't make me a bad person. It just makes me an American with different tastes.
I say don't sweat it. Dig?
It's good to know where you stand. ;) I'm a mutt of Chinese, Dutch and Japanese heritage that was born in Indonesia, so that creates a minor problem for me. ;) I've been identifying myself as an Australian too though than an Chinese, Indonesian or Japanese. I'm sure your Asian fellows won't diss you just because you don't meet the cultural expectations. You were born in Australia! :D
Lol. I honestlty don't like English. I'm not white and wouldn't want to be. I embrace who I am. However, as someone coming from North America, English is the language. We're just so used to it that sometimes we forget our own. ' Cause it seems okay that everyone else is using it, that it's acceptable, the cool, whatever. I still like my roots and none other.
hey,
i'm white, but i feel more at home in japan. I think i consider myself a bit asian.
i cant get >>1s point. well u dont consider urself as an asian person, because uve been brought up in an westernized society. that makes sense to me. but whats ur point?? just dont want be spoken to by chinese??
if so, just get over it, or tell every chinese pple not to speak to u in chinese. which one do u think is easier?? here u go. the best answer for u.
It does not matter about your background. But why you feel depressed being spoken to buy chinese. I am an asian. (ethnic background: asian -other ; that s what i always fill in forms now while studying in UK). You can see that my English is not good enough. But I am proud of who I am and where I am from. Loving your roots is good.
It does not matter whether your lifestyle is western or not. In the end. you still has the eastern gene. And all the culture and language, they can be learned. They are not traits but Skills!!
learning English is my lifetime learning. Malay is my mother tongue. But you already got the English skills!! And I am learning Japanese now. Cause I love their DORAMA!!! I found this site after watching Densha Otoko dorama. LOL
Why do people draw lines on a planet that has no line, then call themselves whatever nation/region people they belong to.
Do "asians" have yellow blood? Do "africans" have black blood and "europeans" have white blood? Last I check we all bleed red and have blue veins. I dont know, but cant we just be...human?
You're not the only one to have a weird background, I'm 100% chinese, I can only speak not read cantonese (although I have a huge accent when I speak), I don't even know mandarin. I was born in africa (Madagascar) where I lived for 17 years, now I'm in canada. I'm feeling pretty proud of myself cause not everyone can have this kind of background and it's pretty good to impress chicks XD
>I love Gothic Lolita fashion too
sage. thread over. It's obvious you have been indoctrinated with western thought.
It really won't matter to us, since we're nameless, facelesses, but if you were to further towards the ass crack of the south (Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virignia) us honky crackers would go into full stereotype mode. Most ppl would immediately be fascinated simply by your appearance. Then you would get the stupid comments (akin to the embarrassing bs you've already described). Soon after, you would begin to notice the creepy, squinty honker stare of doom. When you realize that you are being stalked by white ppl's eyes, you begin to sweat! To most hicks, your race is equivalent to your social status. Mexicans and blacks are reaaaally glared at. Asians and Indians (Native Americans) are almost equal to whites, but still regarded with suspicion. Middle easterners are widely hated, but are forcibly tolerated since they comprise a slight majority of the medical personnel in Northeast TN. Race, sadly, sadly is still a factor everywhere in the world. I don't care what color you are as long as you are proud of it. (White guilt makes me sick!) Don't worry about culture. Find your own interests. Anyways, this longwinded response is really to tell you that you shouldn't blame youself for your skin color or upbringing, just be who you want to be.
We can all be humans...but differen't from one another. It's because of thoughts like those that beautifull cultures have been forgotten. Don't be plain, there's people who don't want to be the same...
different is good. better than to be the same.
I'm white, but have a pretty diverse mix of cultures and shit in me, with a splash of Asian thrown in. I don't consider myself any particular nationality or race.
This isn't a problem for me since; and I don't know about Australia, but where I live (Canada) has pretty much no national identity whatsoever. The US is pretty much the same, though they don't like to admit it. The only ones on the continent with any real nationality are the Native Americans. The rest of us need to live here several more centuries before we can say the same.
banana?