Asian History & Modern Society | Asian American Poll

ASIAN HISTORY & MODERN SOCIETY
(Updated Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:25:31 PM to reflect the 100 most recent valid responses.)

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WHAT YOU SAY

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Why do so many people associate Chinese as a race? Its like saying all Americans are anglo-saxon. I've seen a malay-looking man and another Korean looking man, both from China. Clearly, their genetics differ so Chinese can't be a single race. Scientists already showed Southern Chinese are genetically more closer to Thai than to Northeast Chinese which are more related to Koreans. The same study showed Northwest Chinese are related more to Turks than to other Chinese. Wacky huh?
BooBoo Friday, December 07, 2001 at 00:57:24 (PST)

Present Chinese culture is an amalgram of all the different cultures on the mainland that came under the control of Han and Tang armies. Interestingly, Han people originally did not eat rice until they came into contact with the southern "barbarians" who cultivated rice on terraced fields. Linguists theorized that ancient Han spoke in a non-tonal language and gradually became tonal when they came into contact with people in Southeast Asia. Present Chinese surnames came from many different kingdoms with their own cultures before China was unified by the Qin state. Contrary to popular belief, Han culture did not "civilized"...it just became part of existing cultures already thriving in China and grew into what we know as Chinese culture today. China is really an extremely cohesive empire.
Miyagi Friday, December 07, 2001 at 00:27:42 (PST)

Banana and Stop the B.S.
Asians, for the most part, want to believe that White is always right. Now that you see how they help Asia expand, you want to get mad or say that they are racist and such? I have heard so much crap about how other minorities aren't as good unless they are mixed with Whites. Well, it seems like Asians weren't (and never will be) able to operate on their own without the help of the White man. Basically, the Whites should get the credit that the Chinese have stolen for centuries.
Haha Hoohoo- Can't have your cake and eat it too Thursday, December 06, 2001 at 18:41:09 (PST)

I believe that should be Mongolian.
Mongol sounds to much like Mongrel.

How do native Norwegians fit in this grand scheme of things? Why do they have inset eyes?
Albiyes Thursday, December 06, 2001 at 08:15:05 (PST)

Yo, Asian American male.

I may be off by 60 to 70 years concerning the Northern Han's final southern push - but I'm man enough to admit it:-) and it doesn't change the fact that you aren't , and no one in this world for that matter, is "pure" and more "culturally blessed" than anyone else. Everyone is a mixture and everyone is genetically connected in some way or another.
My point concerning you making sweeping prejudiced generalizations with no historical background still stands.
That goes towards your comments concerning the arabic expansion in the late 600s/early 700s and the Mongol invasions in the 1200s.

Waiting for your reply...
It's still time to get real! Thursday, December 06, 2001 at 07:11:18 (PST)

To my "superior" Asian American male,

Your "most of Europe was living in caves and up the trees" at the time of Christ line shows just how "enlightened" you really are.
If you would pick up a book and look at a map you would see that most of Europe at that time was thriving under the Pax Romana of the Roman Empire. It stretched from Northern England through Germany, Czech Republic and Romania all the way to the Black Sea. All of the African Mediterranian lands were also under Roman control. And let me tell you, the place was far from uncivilized.
Rome was a mighty administrator with an efficient infastructure, taxation system, legal, education and language system (some of which we use today and yes, influence the way YOU think).
So before you go on a anti-western, anti white tirade remember, China and the Han people were no mightier or civilized than Europe at the time. Both civilizations had their pluses and minuses and both affect the way the world thinks and operates today.
But just to make this interesting I'll do some assuming of my own as you so love to do. I'm going on a limb to guess that as you identify youself as an "Asian American male", you are second or third generation AA and so therefore probably Cantonese (I can be wrong but most are). So here is something you should check out:
if you pick up a book as I was talking about you'll notice that Southern China (Guangzhou, Fujien area) was not part of the great Chinese empire.
While Southern China was added to the Han empire by the year 220 AD, the great Chinese armies had not reached the very south yet by the year 32 BC (when they figure christ was born).
It seems YOUR ancestors were not "enlightened" by Han culture as much as you believe. Nor was your southern Malay blood mixed yet with pure blooded chinese by the rape and pillage of invading Han armies.
Again, I'm assuming you are Cantonese but it doesn't change the fact that it never feel good to be on the receiving end of a prejudiced remark.
So why don't you cut the superiority bullshit and discuss the issues as others have on this bulletin board with a bit of "Civility". The way "enlightened" cultures debate!

Someone should get real! Thursday, December 06, 2001 at 06:42:38 (PST)

I'm smelling white wannabes in here
banana Wednesday, December 05, 2001 at 23:47:56 (PST)

Ah yes. The "white is right" mentality strikes again. So nothing great came out of Asia without the white man's influence?
Stop the B.S. Wednesday, December 05, 2001 at 14:43:21 (PST)

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