Comparing Asian Nationalities | Asian American Poll

COMPARING ASIAN NATIONALITIES
(Updated Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025, 04:39:09 AM to reflect the 100 most recent valid responses.)

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WHAT YOU SAY

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correction,

my mother is hakka, my dad is cantonese

but like 'look back to the glorious Tang Dynasty' said, that doesn't make me any less Chinese

question: why is it that taiwanese will never call themselves chinese? the languages are 99.9% similar yet they see themselves as non-chinese just because they live on a little island named taiwan. its not like people from hk don't call themselves hongkonese and not chinese.
i dont look any different than the rest of you Tuesday, February 26, 2002 at 10:35:22 (PST)

look back to the glorious Tang Dynasty,
amen bro

im Hakka, but im Chinese first

Real Observer of the Real Hakkas, go f*** yourself
we're all chinese Tuesday, February 26, 2002 at 10:25:08 (PST)

look back to the glorious Tang Dynasty:

The reason there are not as much "regionalism" among Koreans or Japanese is that they are more homogenous than the Chinese. (not to say that all Koreans and Japanese are alike). However, the Chinese are not a "race." They are made up of many different people who contributed or became assimilated into the dominate "Han culture."
Min Yueh Blood + Pingpu Blood Tuesday, February 26, 2002 at 00:00:51 (PST)

Tang Dynasty,

Why compare Chinese to Koreans and Japanese? The reason why Chinese are not as unified as they are is because we are 40 times larger. Korea and Japan are the size of medium sized Chinese provinces. The bigger Chinese provinces would dwarf these countries.
think about it Monday, February 25, 2002 at 21:55:46 (PST)

look back to the....Tang Dynasty,

The divisiveness of the modern day Chinese has to do with their old world provincial thinking that their local customs and dialect are better than the others.

You cannot blame it on any particular group of Chinese or individual because China is a big country with many isolated pockets of land. These isolated areas lead to the evolution of the various groups of Chinese, each having their own distinct customs and dialect (something not really found in Japan or Korea). Therefore when Chinese from one region encounters another group of Chinese, there is a sense of miscommunication and suspicion. It's human nature to be suspicious and prejudice of something that is foreign and unfamiliar. In addition, it's human nature to see oneself as better than the other (no one wants to be labeled as inferior). Further, the Chinese divisions are deeper because currently, many different groups of Chinese are discovering their unique roots. Those groups you've mentioned are now posting websites and doing research of their historic past. This leads to more division. For example, there is a website soley for Hakkas, and another one about the Hoklos and their history. There is also one for the Toisans emphasizing their status as being 1st ones in the US, and another one for the Chaozhous, etc...Each group prides themselves as being unique and having a rich history. It's hard not to feel a division when one thinks of themselves as unique and cultured.

Btw, since u're of Toisan descent, I will address my point. Many Toisans pride themselves as being the 1st one to arrive to the US and the only Chinese to take part in laying the railroad tracks on the West Coast. They were also the 1st ones to establish Chinatowns in the US. During the 1970's there was an influx of non-Toisan Chinese to the States. The Toisans saw these non-Toisan Chinese as foreigners. As time went by, these newer waves of Chinese began to develop their influence onto the once dominated Toisan Chinatowns, replacing them with different restuarants, cultural centers etc...adding more flavor and spice! Compare SF's Chinatown and that of NYC's? SF's Chinatown is mostly Toisan, with very a few variety of restuarants and things to offer. NYC's Chinatown on the other hand is dynamic, because many different groups of Chinese are speaking their distinct dialects and offering different types of Chinese food..things..,etc.

In a perverse way, such divisions and differences have made the Chinese more competitive and powerful or even "richer". I also noticed from observation that each Chinese group has their own unique strengths and weaknesses.

Remember, diversity leads to a creation of new ideas and things. The same applies to the US and that's why she is a powerful country.

No Chinese think they are purer than the other, just better and different!

Tang Dynasty is only glorious to the Cantonese groups such as the Toisans and Hakkas. Hoklos, Chaozhous, Fujianese, Shanghainese and Taiwanese do not call themselves "Tang Ren" unless they speak Cantonese and know of the term.
Rivalry among the Chinese Monday, February 25, 2002 at 14:32:59 (PST)

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