Comparing Asian Nationalities | Asian American Poll

COMPARING ASIAN NATIONALITIES
(Updated Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:20:56 PM to reflect the 100 most recent valid responses.)

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WHAT YOU SAY

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Well, many of what I'm gonna say has already been rehashed and analyzed/counterargued to death, but I feel like I have to chip in my own 2 cents.

As much as we Koreans like to brag about us being the most homogeneous group on the earth, we also know that we are a mixed race. Predominantly, we possess the classical Mongoloid features, e.g. yellow skin, high cheekbones, epicanthic folds, flat face, etc., much like our closely related northern brethren, Manchus and Mongols. Koreans are even linguistically related to these people. But then there are some individuals who clearly show very distinct Caucasoid physical traits as well. I've personally seen some Koreans with deep sunken eyes(no eye surgery!), very light skin tones(no skin bleaches), pronounced double eyelids(again no eye surgery!), high nose bridge, aquiline-shaped noses(like them typical "Jewish nose", but on a slightly smaller scale), wavy hair(no chemical perms!), brown-reddish hair, light brown eyes, or very hairy face and body, etc. Some individuals looked somewhat Ainu-like. Some looked somewhat semi-Semitic. And then there were some individuals who resembled somewhat like a mixture of Indian or Dravidian. Again, these individuals are an exception rather than a rule. They are very small in number, but they do exist. Of course, this kind of "exotic-looking" people are not well-represented in the Korean media/entertainment, or pop culture at all because they are not the normal/typical-looking Koreans, you know. Very un-Koreanesque.

Obviously, most of early Korean ancestors were nomadic, horse-riding Tungus-like people originating from Central Asia. But, it's also apparent that small racial groups of Ainus, Dravidians, or even Scythians as some scholars speculate, and God-Knows-What-else, etc., got assimilated into overall Korean racial stock/genes.

From what I've seen, Koreans seem to have more varieties and extremes ranging from stocky, swarthy to slender, fair-skinned types in its population than other East Asians.
Then again I've seen more Koreans in my life than either Japanese or Chinese, so my view could be wrong.

Many of early Westerners who visited Korea for the first time in the early 19th century did remark on some Caucasoid-looking features in the general Korean population. They universally concluded, "Koreans are handsome people." I'm not saying/advocating that having a Caucasoid trait is desirable/superior vs. having a classical Mongolid/Negroid one, but that's how the perception is, unfortunately. Dravidians are thought to be of African origin, as you know.

Okay, other Asian nationalities?

I've found the Koreans and Japanese to be the most look-alike albeit the latter being more hirsute. Even our languages are thought to be most closely related to one another than anything else. Some Korean linguistic scholars even suggest that ancient Japanese language was nothing more than an offshoot of one of early tribal dialects spoken in northern part of Korean peninsula dating back 1000 years or so. There have been some convincing evidences accumulated to support such a claim. Of course, the Japanese don't buy it.

I've met some Chinese who do look very much like Koreans - almost indistinguishable from untrained eyes - but, with Japanese, it's so freaking frightening how much some of us resemble each other, physically. It's like looking oneself in the mirror.

After Japanese, the Chinese come in second. But then, for every single Chinese who look like Korean, I've met another Chinese whose facial features look more like those of Vietnamese or Southeastern Asians. It's not a knock on them. They all definitely do look Chinese tho' if you get my drift...

Generally-speacking Vietnamese seem to be shorter in stature, smaller in build, rounder face, have bigger/round eyes, flat/wide nose/nostrils, thicker lips, darker skin, etc. They do resemble their Southeastern Asian counterparts for most part. But, then there are those who look "East Asian" too.

The personalities?

On the average Koreans are definitely more hot-tempered and impatient than either Chinese or Japanese. I mean this topic has been already addressed. Koreans tend to be more frank, loud, blunt, straighforward or confrontational. You know where you stand with a Korean. We are no less sophisticated/or more simple-minded than our neighbors.
I'm convinced to think that our history and environment had a lot to do with shaping up our overall national personalities.

Japanese seem to be more reserved, quiet, withdrawn, self-controlled, etc.

Chinese seem to be friendlier and nicer than either Korean or Japanese. They are a fun bunch to be with. But from personal experience, sometimes I couldn't just figure out what some of my Chinese friends were really thinking in their heads. Hmmm...

Anyway, as much as we like to stereotype other nationalities, and distance ourselves, we share many many common cultural/racial heritage and roots including personalites that draw us together time and time again.

BTW, there might be some truth to Filipinos wanting to be like whites. I haven't met many Filipinos in my life, but the ones I've met ALL wanted to associate with only whites, and didn't want to have anything to do with other Asians. One happened to be quite an attractive and smart pre-med major in my college. Sad...

I know I didn't say anything new that you already didn't know about....But...

From a Koreancentric male...

One Korean Man Wednesday, May 22, 2002 at 00:41:43 (PDT)

Southern Chinese,

I noticed this too. The Spaniards with black hair look feintly Asian, even more so than typical Mexican people do. Spaniards and Cantonese have the same height and body build. The women especially. Many southern Spaniard men look like Russell Wong, I am not kidding.

And, I have met many Lebanese and light skinned Pakistanis who fit the same description.

About the music, one funny thing is that the suona (Chinese shawm) was introduced into Cuba by the Chinese immigrants and the Cubans picked up a liking to it very quickly because it plays well with Spanish music (which is derived from Arabic). In Arabia, Persia and Turkey, the Chinese "suona" instrument is called "zurna." (both from the same origins along the silk routes).
Harry Tuesday, May 21, 2002 at 22:44:20 (PDT)

The other way around,

If you have been to the bazaaris in Gaziantep and Konya, Turkey, you see that they have carpet designs from all over the world (influences from Persia, Arab lands, Caucasus regions, China and India). It is a safe bet to say that the Turks have always been a people who amalgamated different races into their tribal confederations. Even when they were still encamped near the Great Wall, many Chinese renegades, Sogdians and Tocharians assimilated into their race. Chinese writing have been found in virtually all the old Hun, Turkish and Uigur sites in modern Mongolia. And, even in Turkey, they list the original 15 Uguz Turkmen tribes as ancestors who migrated to Anatolia including one named "Toker" (Tocharians). These people never saw race as we do here in the West and modern world.
Asian Marco Polos Tuesday, May 21, 2002 at 22:37:08 (PDT)

To, History Freak;

Sorry for taking so long to answer your question but, no i'm not vietnamese, i'm part chinese and my dad is irish. Loving family so don't say anything stupid. I've only been to vietnam and been to their museums and such, so i read the history books in libraries and i know this stuff myself now (by reading the books provided and the little broshure things).

Someone said that the vietnamese tend to be darker and have large flat noses. Well that is something believed to have been handed down by the Cham and Malay ancestors the vietnamese had, but this is only correct in the Southern areas where the Cham and Malay were at, not mentioning also living near the cambodians. When vietnam moved south, the Cham in resistance moved south, then they just stayed there while the vietnamese took over, but A LOT moved into cambodia.

The vietnamese in the north and central tend to have brighter and lighter skin, some of the brighest i've seen (again from my travels), they also have this beautiful pink pigment or hue in their skin which makes them look spontaneous (from what i've seen in the north and central it's a common thing, also it looks to be of the majority, someone raised that it could be make-up, but why would someone wear make-up in 35+ degrees celcius weather in 95% humidity, surely it would melt off, why would anyone want to sweat over sweat? It is also true in the rural areas, why would they buy make-up before food?).

Well just telling you this so you don't go out and keep on saying, "they're dark, and big nosed" because it's not that true, only in the south. But in america the vietnamese hold this discription well. Why? Becuase as you can tell the refugees were from the south like 95% of the refugees were from the south, which means of atleast some malay or cham blood in them.
a travellers view Tuesday, May 21, 2002 at 20:54:07 (PDT)

Filipinos are very hospitable and have the most beautiful faces / body figures. Their round big brown Eyes are just tantalizing and seductive. I think they also possess an extensive awards on International Beauty Contest...Very well known worldwide.
Mr. Joe Sy Tuesday, May 21, 2002 at 16:52:45 (PDT)

ive noticed theres a emerging presence of asians here in latin america mostly filipinos, overseas workers. Theres alot of chinese immigrants here. what upsets me is the discrimination of some of the natives here against the asians. Filipinos ive seen tend to fit it well maybe its because of their culture, they just adapt quickly to the way of life here. But in no way, like many of you have said on this board, do filipinos want, or claim to be hispanic, There a different islander people. Asians are cool.
chato Tuesday, May 21, 2002 at 14:59:35 (PDT)

An Nam guy:

hm...actually only 30 % of vietnamese are part chinese. Ethnic chinese occupies only 3% of vietnamese population.

gk Tuesday, May 21, 2002 at 12:47:34 (PDT)

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