Comparing Asian Nationalities | Asian American Poll

COMPARING ASIAN NATIONALITIES
(Updated Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:22:35 PM to reflect the 100 most recent valid responses.)

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WHAT YOU SAY

[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]

I think Koreans have every right to be defensive and proactive about their identity. Afterall, how would you feel if your people and nation were invaded and attacked constantly for 2000 years and at the same time try to maintain your way of life? Korean nationalism is a natural by-product of being subjected to brutal colonalism and war over the last 100 years. I am ashamed that my ancestors caused so much harm in Korea. The reason why Korea have so few ancient architectural monuments compared to China and Japan is because they were all destroyed during Hideyoshi's 1592 invasion of Korea. Most of korean old buildings were re-built but to smaller and less grand scale. If I was Korean, I would be very proud of the fact that Korea still exists as a sovereign nation after all that happened. In Korea, when a Korean spat at me for being Japanese I am not angry, just sad. Hopefully, Koreans and Japanese will live in harmony with each other.
Miyagi Sunday, April 21, 2002 at 23:39:23 (PDT)

[To Goldsea Editor: I apologize for getting off topic- perhaps you can suggest a forum for AC Dropout and myself to discuss this topic about Christianity and Asian culture]

I also apologize to everybody else for getting off topic.

Just a note: yes, Christianity may conflict with some traditional Asian practices such as feng shui. But, also note, it may also conflict with some Western ideas- individualism, humanism. Europe, for example, is far from being a Christian society today- it's very post-modern. Why are there missionaries going out to Germany, France, etc. Interesting enough, there are South Korean groups sending missionaries to America. Christianity is not necessarily synonymous with Western ideas.
AA Worldviews Sunday, April 21, 2002 at 21:28:01 (PDT)

[We will consider a forum on religion. Meanwhile, this is as good a place as any to discuss it so long as it concerns the various Asian nationalities. --Ed]

I know this Filipina woman in my neigborhood, she was born in the Philippines and came to America when she was a kid. She is a Malay, her family speaks Tagalog, and she learnt to speak Spanish at a Spanish language school in new york 3 years ago, she is 29 now. Now she goes around telling everyone she is latina. She identifies as hispanic and only asociates with hispanics she shuns all asians including other filipinos. And when asked what her background is she says "hispanic" or “latina” despite her 110% malay face, jaw, cheeks, eyes and almost black skin.
Then when i ask what specific country she reluctantly replies: “the philippines” but always adding "my great-grandfather was from Spain and I think my grandmother was half Mexican" This claim of hers can't be proven, and the rest of her family never claim this because they've never heard of this Spanish great-grandfather she talks of. I’ve never understood why she feels this way towards he Filipino heritage. Most people would say it is the typical self-hating Filipino colonial mentality that they all believe they are 1/50th part spanish because they have Spanish surnames. But most of her family aren’t like this, and they are proud filipinos, and to add to all this, her family actually has a native Filipino surname, but she changed hers to Gonzalez when she married a Anglo-Mexican guy.
Filipino Pride? Does it exist? Your comments.... Sunday, April 21, 2002 at 08:33:42 (PDT)

koreans are stuck up people not because they feel confident about themselves or they feel they are better than others. the truth is that they behave the way they are because they are actually shy, unconfident, introvert, anti-social people. they have no sense of humor too.
Purple Sunday, April 21, 2002 at 08:02:34 (PDT)

I'm looking at Rocky's comments, and for a guy who says he is not racist...he sure is spewing some racist BS...
Black guy observing Sunday, April 21, 2002 at 01:13:10 (PDT)

"But the current "Korean-Wave" that is occurring in Asia is probably doing a lot of good two folds: 1: in destroying some Korean's inferiority complex. 2: generating genuine love and interest about Korea from Asia."

I wonder how ethnic Vietnamese feel about Koreans. During the Vietnam War, the Republic of Korea (ROK) sent several thousand of its soldiers to help the U.S. Military in its fight with North Vietnam. Unfortunately for the Vietnamese, the ROK soldiers were excessively brutal with them. Some groups of South Korean soldiers went as far as to wipe out villages full of Vietnamese men, women, children, and babies.

Originally, I wasn’t going to say anything, but when I read that comment about Asia developing a love interest in Korea, I just had to respond. The South Koreans weren’t exactly the nicest people to the North and South Vietnamese during the Vietnam War. I would imagine the Vietnamese are going to bring this subject up with South Korea sooner or later.

Pocky Saturday, April 20, 2002 at 22:17:21 (PDT)

It is kind of interesting that people say that the Hoklo Chinese and Taiwanese are very hot tempered people. They are part of the Southern Chinese. While the Northern Chinese supposedly are more mild mannered. People here are often comparing Northern Chinese to Koreans, but don't Koreans also have the reputation of being hot-tempered as well?
Hoklo Taiwanese Saturday, April 20, 2002 at 19:11:19 (PDT)

AC Dropout,

Yes, it's true that there are many things among the Asian cultures that conflict with Christianity.

You seem to have more of a grasp of the "Christian institution" rather than relational faith of Christianity. These two are often confused and erroneously lumped together.

"I would kick you out of my bible study class because it is becoming quite obvious you are not ready participate in evangelism to make converts in Japan.
Let's be honest you're going to Japan this summer to participate in pre-marital sex with the natives. You sinner."

Nice try at trying to be "funny." You've obviously have a lot of growing up to do with comments like that.

AA Worldviews Saturday, April 20, 2002 at 19:08:22 (PDT)

to "The Informant"

i think this board is 90% anti-filipino.
Most of the time, all the asians always concentrate and focus on the NEGATIVE aspects of filipinos. I dont really understand why, because all the filipinos I know are very warm people who. And to that idiot "iforment" who said most filipinos in the US wanna be hispanic or pacific islander, that is just very far from the fact. 90% mestizo? Mestizo filipinos had their ancestors raped by Spaniards. I dont think so. Almost all filipinos in the US are malays. And who ever said there is such a thing as a "PURE FILIPINO". Doesnt the philippines have over 100 ethnic groups. Whats the deal with this notion that filipinos want to be hispanic? Just because they share cultural similarities with hispanics doesnt mean they want to BE like them. Everybody hates filipinos...so to all the filipinos, since everyone hates you, you should all love yourselves. Filipinos just want to fit in and that is very hard to do.
Jasperwhitedude Friday, April 19, 2002 at 16:12:53 (PDT)

Fil Chick7,

Individualism is the illusion of free society. It is uniformity that promotes progress. Corporations and high education would not work on a individual basis.
All individual must comform to the standards of the institution in order to promote the greater progress in established fields.

The sense of individuality is used as the extra-economic values. For a sense of self-worth and accomplishment, outside the standard, more competitive uniform enviroment.
AC Dropout Friday, April 19, 2002 at 14:48:25 (PDT)

Asian Psychologist in NYC,

Asians=Superego
Whites=Ego
Blacks=Id

Not to detract from your original argument. But wasn't Frued debased in the field of psychology decades ago. Why are you using terms from an age of the astronomical equivalent of the sun revolving around the earth, when we are in the age of earth revolving around the sun.
AC Dropout Friday, April 19, 2002 at 14:21:35 (PDT)

My 2 cents--

Please give me a specific reference to what I wrote which makes you think that it's what Korean's did that makes us hated by our neighbors. Actually, of course Koreans have done bad things just like everybody else, I'm not denying that. But it seems to me that you have a one-sided ill-informed view of the world.

In the history of China, Korea, and Japan, depending on time period, these nations had a very cordial relationship. Even if you think about the Korean war of 1950, many communist Chinese felt that it was their duty to fight with their ideological brethren, the North Koreans whom they fought side by side against the Japanese during WWII. If you go back in ancient Korean history, the Korean Kingdom of Paekche was closely allied to the Japanese kingdom, and even in the Nihongi, it mentions that the mother of the emperor was a Paekche princess. In addition, the Korean King sent Japanese emperor gifts of Buddhist texts. The Japanese never had a reason to hate the Koreans, because never in the history of Korea, have we invaded Japan. (Some Japanese nationalists like to point out the two Mongol led invasions into Japan as a Korean invasion, but that's clearly a twisted logic.)

But then again, I assume, you don't know about East asian history, because you probably don't care.

And in case you weren't paying attention to modern Korean history, Korea HAS been becoming moderate for the past 50 years! You don't look at the span of history, but you only look at what is NOW at hand.

Let me illustrate an example for you. My african american friends complain that so many Korean parent's are racists, that they would never let their children marry a black person.

Now, you have to wonder, where in the world would a Korean develope an anti-black bias. Prior to Western contacts, a typical Korean knew very little about even the existence of black people. It makes no sense, then, that Korean people would think that black people were somehow inferior at this stage. Korean people came into contact with people of African decent mainly from the Korean war of 1950. This era, is before Martin Luther King jr., and therefore the U.S. military itself was discriminatroy against black people. Now you have to picture a typical Korean of 1950. They are fighting against the Japanese, and all the sudden they see American's come in and they see how much more advanced and powerful than the Japanese. From the korean perspective, the U.S. was doing something right--hence many Koreans would adopt Christianity, adopt American constitution, etc etc. But unfortunately, another thing they probably adopted was white america's treatment of blacks. Afterall, they probably figured if white america is right about advancing technology and good governance, they must be right about racist anthropology.

There is another problem that you probably don't think about. Korea is not a multi-ethnic nation--for the most part.

But of course, none of this justifies racism--but what I'm trying to illustrate is that these sorts of values have been changing for the past 50 years. You go to Korea, and Korean youth are actively following black youth culture. American liberalism is also flowing into Korea too. People in Korea is now debating about Korea's treatment of illegal immigrant--a none issue before, since Korea used to be too poor to attract immigrants.

"My 2 Cents" you are so impatient and provincial minded that it infuriates you when you see fascist Korean people. But you do not fight fire with fire. It took decades for Koreans to get back on track for democracy.

Your response, that it's korean's fault for being obnoxious, is the typical type of response that produces problems in the world. The arab says, "it's the Jew's fault for being unreasonable. We will not engage them." The jew says the same thing about the arab. No engagement, no progress.

that's my 2 cents for you
ka Friday, April 19, 2002 at 08:17:09 (PDT)

Straight To The Point,

You're the best and I wait everyday to read your next mature insightful post........not!

WTF is part (1) of your post about. Zen philosophy interpretation of geographic location influencing Korean attitude. Your need to increase your fortune cookie grammer skill. It should read

"Koreans, USA sandwhiches they will eat. But Japanese hand rolls and Chinese kimchi they love best."
AC Dropout Friday, April 19, 2002 at 08:04:44 (PDT)

hey im a malay stock aswel, and i say to all these K-oreans, jepuns and cina's get over themselves and concentrate more on theyre women, a chinese woman once said to me chinese men are boring and she said she considered the malays the romantics of asia, and hey, you cant argue with that.

to the informent, bro whos side are you on, that aint how it is, firstly i too am from borneo cept im from the North (malaysian borneo), you make it sound like all malaysian-malays are like that which is BS, and certainly not all pilipinas are like that either, i know because north borneo has a very large population of pilipina migrants.

To white BOY observing, firstly you got to have an IQ of 3 or maybe 5 to think that is chinese, so why dont you take your peanut brain and try and figure out this mathematical problem, 3+17=???

Hey I was watching a filipino movie in tagalog the other day and i notice tagalog has alot of similarities with malay, we use the word selamat, anak (child) and there were lots others aswel.
kadazan Friday, April 19, 2002 at 08:03:05 (PDT)

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