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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My opinion is that south east asians especially vietnamese are the funnest to hang out with.
Chinese people are too uptight and goody goody.
Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotians have a more rebellious/edgier side to them.
Southeast Asians Monday, June 10, 2002 at 06:07:26 (PDT)

I've been absent from this forum for 2 days and WOW...

I shall do my best to respond to those posts that are specifically/solely begging my personal attention/reply although I admit I will probably omit some of 'em/not cover the every single argument that has been presented to me. Please forgive me if that's the case with some of you.

Warning: by responding I'm afraid my next thread could turn out to be yet another long long post, if not the longest to date(sorry olmy!), -- much like some of my most recent ones -- for which I'm beginning to be infamous?!

Contrary to what some of you might believe(olmy et al), I don't have much leisure time at my hand...However, even in my (early) 30s, I'm afraid I still do have more testoterone in my blood than many of you. I'll give you that one.

I won't make comments about olmy's other statements/accusations becasue I think they are pretty ridiculous. And I believe most posters also feel the same way...
Not today, however...I just don't have time...

See you tomorrow.
One Korean Man Monday, June 10, 2002 at 02:00:29 (PDT)

Most Chinese and overall, China will not even feel threatened by this Altaic dream simple because:

my dear friend, China as a nation since 5000 (or even more) years back has seen a lot of shit happening to her.

You name it: floods, earthquakes, dynastic changes, famine, droughts, Nanjing Massarce, Japanese Occupation, Mongol invasion, separatist movements, etc. You are talking abt a time-tested nation or civilisation, not some newly form republic or federation. What have we Chinese not seen or experience? Tell me.

So what's there to be afraid?

Hua Sunday, June 09, 2002 at 23:20:02 (PDT)

The big Korean dream of one large unified Altaic league is a frightening one and there is no such a conferedation existing now or before.

It frightens me because Korea is such a small country and yet with such a loud attitude, equating to "empty vessels make the most noise". Hence, we can just disregard it.

Bearer of such dream just shows their hidden inferiority brewed through all these ages of subjection and cultural reception from the neighbours. Hence, it is like a small boy shouting out "I am a big man now, I wanna be a big man like you (China)". But the fact is how can u reverse numbers? It's like telling your dad "hey, I wanna be you as a father, and u be my son". Absurd and impossible.
Hua Sunday, June 09, 2002 at 23:14:10 (PDT)

I Believe and Asian American Unity:

I like your message - keep it up! We need more folks like you on this board. In my experience, American born Asian Americans from all the "tribes" get along very well. It's the foreign born ones that love to bash each other. I think they have brought over some cultural baggage from the old country.

Let's hold hands and sing a song... ;-) Sunday, June 09, 2002 at 22:00:38 (PDT)

After reading that account about the Indonesian Chinese that were brutally gang raped, tortured, and killed by ethinic Indonesians, I have come to the conclusion that there is no god. No God would ever let such horrible happenings befall any human. I swear to myself from now on to do my best in life and never fear or give up. I owe it to my family, my race and myself that much. And if one day I run into one of these Indonesian scum of the Earth that took any part of those f***ed up actions, I will castrate him with my bare hands.
Not The Same Anymore Sunday, June 09, 2002 at 18:25:36 (PDT)

The existence of Malay-type original inhabitants long ago in southern Korea (the Kaya kingdom) and Japan explains why some Koreans and Japanese look like Cantonese people.

Chinese, Koreans, and Japanese – they all look the same. That is the conclusion from a test created by a Japanese. http://inthefray.com/200203/imagine/same12/same12.html

We all look the same! Sunday, June 09, 2002 at 18:00:43 (PDT)

Faby,
You went through the riots? Some of my Indonesian friends too. But I heard the worst happened in the capital, Jakarta? Most of my friends are from Pekan Baru. They also told me what happened in Indonesia. The Chinese there, living in Jakarta ( not now ) are not allowed to used their Chinese surnames? Is that true?
Malaysian-Eurasian Gal18 Sunday, June 09, 2002 at 17:50:07 (PDT)

dancing into the night in Chang'an,

who was blond? One of fifty Tokharians perhaps if any at all.The ancient sources always exaggerate.History got mixed with myths.(Don't give the nazi "scientists" a chance.)Mummies have blond hair because it was bleached by the wheel of time.
Did you mean the light-skinned or the darker Persians?
rare stuff Sunday, June 09, 2002 at 17:35:25 (PDT)

Zhang 183,

You are as ignorant as they come. You wrote:

"I'll go easy on you, since your from Shanghai, and the Shanghainese are a well high class Confucian principled people."

Have you ever been to Shanghai? Confucianism is about as popular as Maoism in the city. What do you mean by "high class"? There are very poor people in all areas of Shanghai. In fact, the average Shanghainese earn 16,800 Yuans a year, roughly $2,000 US. I got this from my friend who works for the Shanghai city governement. If you mean by the way Shanghaiese "act", then you are also wrong! You can not generalize a entire poplulation based on fairy tales (Stop reading 1940s novels). We act like any other Chinese person based on our educational background. If you are educated then you may act a certain way. If you are not, then you will be a little rough-edged. That is true whether you are from Shanghai, Beijing or Guandong. Shanghainese do not claim "high class". That's a stupid misconception that many outsiders have of Shanghai just because we have tall buildings and clean streets. It is one's educational background that is a factor not the city of residence.

Why do you insist on propertuating tired old stereotypes of different Chinese provinces? You wrote:

"Exposure of the Cantonese to foreign nations have also made China have that yellow skin reputation, rounded , flat face reputation, but if you look in the whole of north china, but still under 40 degrees latitute (above you'll find mongolia and manchuria, who are different) you can find almost the whole population long faced, tall noses, sleek eyes, and females with skin nearly as white as the background in GoldSea!"

It is true that in different parts of our motherland, you will find different looking faces but you will find that phenomenon in all large nations. But what gives you the right to say that one group of our Chinese family looks "better" than another simply becuase they have fairer skin and look more causacoid?!! People who ascribes to your kind of thinking are insecure and have visions of dislusional granduer. This is close to the thoughts of Nazi Germany where people were categorized as "Aryans" and "non-Aryans". Thank goodness you are not in a position of power in China. You will be assasinated immediately.

You are also wrong about another thing. You wrote:

"Thats very daoist, and daoism has disgraced china and imbedded it's ugly face into China's already destroyed reputation. Think Confucianism. I find Chinese very logical and rational thinkers, favouring technology. Daoist should not call themselves chinese for they do not even like government! Your comments are more foreign born than any other ones I have seen."

Must I repeat myself? The majority of our people (800 million+)are rural and that's why they have respect for nature. They toil in the fields all their lives and pay attention to the natural cycles of the land. If you think this is "wrong" and not very "Chinese", then you have much to learn about our history and traditions. Put aside your snobbery and arrogance, and understand this: China was ALWAYS an agarian society. Every Emperor from the Qin to the Qing have to make yearly offerings to Heaven for a good harvest. Our most important holiday, the Spring Festival celebrates the Lunar New Year in accordance to the harvest season. The majority of China's technological innovations relates to farming and agriculture. Look into your own family's history and odds are you will find your humble beginnings in the fields of China and not within the walls of the Imperial City.

You put your foot in your mouth again by writing this little gem:

"But the name China or jung guo, was created by the central government districts in mainly Beijing to Nanjing, Shandong to LuoYang, etc... These people are what I think should have the title as pure chinese."

"Pure Chinese"? Are you the reincarnation of Hitler? There is no such thing as pure Chinese. Our people have always been mixed. Our genetic background include original Han and doses of Manchu, Mongol, Turk, Korean, Malay, Yueh, Tibetan....you name it we have it :). We have pride in our heritage in all its diversity but to feel superior over others because of it, is shameful to me and many of my mainland Chinese friends. Afterall, our grandparents experienced Japan's racism and hate in WW2. By the way, I have friends who come from many provinces and they call themselves Chinese, period. I admire that unity.

What do you think of HOng Kong, a predominently Guandong-speaking city? Or Taiwan, made up of predominently Fujian descendants? When Hong Kong and Macau were handed back to China, we celebrated. All it matters is that they were always part of our history and culture and that they are now part of our nation officially. We leave provincialism and bigotry at the door.

Zhang 183, stop worrying about what Westerners are thinking about our "physical appearance" and start to appreciate that all of our people contributed to China's culture and history. Poor and rich. Educated and uneducated. Beautiful and ugly. We are not perfect (never was) and neither are you. Deal with it or seek professional help.

You wrote:

"I find Chinese very logical and rational thinkers".

Are you sure you're Chinese? :)

boo boo Sunday, June 09, 2002 at 17:30:25 (PDT)

Dear Chinese Diaspora,

Yes, many chinese investors from indonesia have transferred their wealth and capital to China and this is srel helps the rebuilding of China. They do not feel safe investing their money in Indonesia, and risk their business premises and property being burnt everytime the country faces an economic crisis.They do not trust the sincerity of the Indonesian government anymore, coz the government could only give their assurance to protect chinese investors, but when the real crisis comes and when the street mobs start looting, the police is always helpless to do anything. They might have Indonesian names, but chinese people have never been treated like an indonesian citzen in the large indonesian family. They're just an outcast to the rest.

It's never that easy to have ethnic chinese in indonesia to migrate back to china. China has her own problems like big, uncontolled population, underdevepment,poor living conditions, etc.I dont think PRC really wants to have extra burden by allowing ethnic chinese from problemed parts of the world to come back to china. Besides, these racial discrimination against ethnic chinese in indoesia is a domestic indoesian problem which China chose not to interfere when it is having sch good relations with the other south east asian countries.

Freda Sunday, June 09, 2002 at 17:25:51 (PDT)

Dear Turk,

The discrimination on ethnic chinese is NOT only done by a few. Even the Indonesian Constitution limits the basic freedom of the ethnic chinese and this is a discrimination supported by the government. For example, ethnic chinese are not allowed to speak or write their language in the open, chinese language is banned, chinese are not allowed to be a civil servant, their houses are painted in different c olors compared to native indonesians AND since many decades ago, they are NOT allowed to keep or even e their Chinese names BUT instead forced to adopt Indonesian names. It's sad that everytime an economic crisis hits Indonesia, the Chinese gets the blame and becomes the scapegoat. Compared to the rapings and killings of Muslims in Palestine or Bosnia or Afghanistan, i surely think that not many people in the world knows much abt the story of the rape of the chinese in indonesia, coz it has been covered up, swept under the rug and treated like the incident never had happened. It's definitely not right to say that "the brutality in Indonesia is so well documented is simply because the perps are Muslim" BECOZ atrocities and uunfairness of all kidns on all ethnic and religious groups shold be condemned, BUT its only sad that the rape of the innocent indonesian girls have been ignored and kept a taboo among the world community and nobody even knows if the perps have already been charged and punished accordingly or are still free to roam the streets continuing their rapes. Ifg only you open yor minds and pt yorselves in the shoes of these innocent rape victims,no matter what their ethnicity is. What happened in Indonesia is definitely very brutal and inhumane which shouldn't have happened in anywhere else in the world.

Freda Sunday, June 09, 2002 at 17:10:59 (PDT)

Zhang 183,

If it wasn't for those Cantonese, Toisan and Hakka people in the USA (California, Hawaii) supporting and funding the movement of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, there wouldn't be no modern China as we know it today. Dr. Sun wrote his constitution with aid and inspiration from the US Constitution and other socialist works. We would have still been under the control of inept and eunuch-loving Manchus with the pigtails. Of course, you northerners kowtow to them more than us.
I am as Chinese as you, if not more Sunday, June 09, 2002 at 16:53:53 (PDT)

Blacks in China:

LOL!

And, Shaquille O'Neal was the "BIG CONFUCIUS."

If that was true, why are not Chinese people's hair wavy instead of being one of the most straightest in the world?

There may have been Negrito-like peoples in the very deep south parts of China, before China even became a state. There have even been in Japan, as Japanese legends mention a "spider people" in southern Kyushu before the Yamato took power.

Now, these Negritos are found mainly in the southern Phillipines. They look kind of black, but whether they are Negroid or Australoid remains to be determined by geneticists.
out of Africa Sunday, June 09, 2002 at 16:46:39 (PDT)

Just to clarify:

Some of you mentioned Koreans living in China as being there for thousands of years. And, some of you claim they went there during the Qing.

Both of you are right in some respects.

The modern Jilin (Kirin) province in northeast China (Manchuria) was once the land of the Puyo and Koguryo tribes. Because of their old capitals of Koguryo (Kungae) still stands there. It has largely been abandoned since the Tang sacked it in late 600 ADs. Lately, local ethnic Korean and Chinese looters have robbed the palaces and South Koreans blame China for not preserving the ancient site.

When the Tang destroyed Koguryo around the 700 ADs, the Koreans there were deported (along with their king) a little further south to what is now Liaodong and Beijing areas. Shilla later fought a war against Tang to recover the old Paekche and Koguryo kingdoms. The Tang withdrew some parts, but these parts of old Koguryo were never recovered until the Song lost them to the Khitan. And, the Koryo kings took back some of them from Khitan.

With time, many of the Koreans living in those regions became Sinicized and moved further inland China to escape the Khitan and Jurchen raids (to Liaodong, Beijing and Shandong areas) or got absorbed by the other local Jurchen and Khitan tribes.

When the Manchus (ex-Jurchens) came to power, they forced all the Han and Koreans living in Liaodong to join their banner army and many did so voluntarily because the Ming military administration was highly inept and cruel. Later, when the Qing took over all of China, they forbade any further Han migration to Manchuria (even though Liaodong had always been a mixed Han/Korean/Tunguz zone).

Later, when the Russians encroached the Amur and the Japanese took over Korea, many Koreans and Han both migrated to these regions with limited objection by the Qing authorities.

The Koreans from Korea augmented the very few Koreans who still lived in the old Koguryo regions in Jilin (we now call the Yanban Korean Autonomous zone).

Now, do Koreans have a legitimate claim to these areas?

They had lost it during the Tang invasions. It later switched hands to many different ruling tribes in the region, and the old Koguryo capital has largely been abandoned for over a thousand years. When China became a republic in 1911, the old Manchu territories (including Kungae) became the sovereign territories of the Chinese republic. The Chinese republic was not only just a republic for Han group. It represented all 55 groups (including Korean).

Koreans of Korea have no valid claim to this land.
Kungae should be preserved, but is part of China Sunday, June 09, 2002 at 16:39:32 (PDT)

Zhang 183,

Anyone knows that Daoism is a nice compliment to both Confucianism and Buddhism. Daoist thought makes one progressive and open minded. Sexual thought and art was not as perverse in Daoist thought as it is now in modern Chinese society. During the Han Dynasty, sexual behavior was not as shameful as it is now.

Confucianism is too pragmatic and not egalitarian. It is sexist if taken to its extreme.

The Tang Dynasty promoted Daoism (the religion of Lao Tzu). Later, they even promoted Buddhism and Islam. China was strongest during the Tang, when ideology was more open and new ideas incorporated.

It is the Song and Ming that got us into this Neo-Confucianism mess. The early rule of Ming was OK, as they were open to other religions (such as Moslem). The Muslim Zheng Ho admiral sailed the seas around the world bringing trade opportunities and wealth for China. And, the Chinese under Ming Emperor Yong-lo were invading Mongolia and destroyed their capital of Karakorum. But, when the later Ming emperors got fat and lazy, they turned back to neo-Confucianism and China was lost out to decay again.
Confucianism should not be taken to its extremes Sunday, June 09, 2002 at 16:17:35 (PDT)

I wonder if these groups can be considered Asian:

1) Indo-Pakistanis
2) Middle Easterners (Arabs, Persians, Afghans
3) Turks
4) Central Asians
5) Russians

All the Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi friends I know would consider themselves Asian in the presence of outsiders. But, amongst themselves they think of them as different from other Asians (namely, East Asians). There is even a tendency among Indo-Pakistani youths in America to identify with blacks (because of the similar skin tones).

Arabs consider themselves Asian or Eastern. But, it is clear many can pass for white easily.

Persians in the U.S. want to get away from the stigma of Muslim terrorism, so they always say they are "white." Some really are. Many of them are even lighter than Arabs, and can pass for Italian or French. But, there are many also who can easily spotted for non-white features. If they shave, they often pass for southern European or Latino.

Many of the Turks residing outside of Turkey are from the upper classes. They tend to look like Bosnians (ie. blonde). But, the eastern Turks look more Persian. If you ask them, they would say they are Asian in the presence of East Asians and Middle Easterners. But, they would claim European in the presence of whites. Compared to Arabs and Persians, they can pass even more easily with whites.

There are some Central Asians (in New York) who like to see themselves white, but you can easily see they are mixed (like Hapas).

Russians identify with whites and rightfully so.
Who is Asian? Sunday, June 09, 2002 at 16:07:16 (PDT)

tri,

usually one doesn't find descendants of the kind of mixtures you described (Oguz/Han,Iranian/Han).I've never been in Anatolia,but have already seen many Turkey Turks,nobody among looks like an East Asian at all.I've also heard of a small village somewhere nearby Paris where they are still stating that there have lived Mongolids -since Genghis Khan's times- during the 19th century.-Until now there seems to nobody from outside that village who has mentioned Mongolid French of that origin.
rare stuff Sunday, June 09, 2002 at 15:38:35 (PDT)

olmy,

that Han Chinese tend to have long faces is a fact.But further you stated the same long-faced race would also have a narrow face and would exist among Tibetans.-You can find really narrow faces among unmixed Aleuts,Tibetans, Turkic-speaking Mongolids of Central Asia but rather seldom among Han Chinese.Because Han Chinese cheekbones remain relatively broad though the lower jaw and the forehead are already narrow again.
rare stuff Sunday, June 09, 2002 at 15:12:56 (PDT)

[The reason the brutality in Indonesia is so well documented is simply because the perps are Muslim.]

Bullshit.The reason is clearly not as simple as that. I laugh at this one. if it were chinese who commit the crimes, the case would be the same here.
I didn't condmen ALL Muslims as being bad and evil doers. if i come off as being so then please accept my apology.
gk Sunday, June 09, 2002 at 14:41:37 (PDT)

dancing into the night in Chang'an :

I've never heard persian concubines were favored most. the truth is not a lot of women became wives or concubines of chinese either.

there's no such thing as most beautiful of all races. Sunday, June 09, 2002 at 14:36:48 (PDT)

to yellow

filipino language may sound spanish b/c there are many spanish words in their language. this is a result of the almost 4 centuries of spanish colonization in the philippines.

sala=living room, cuarto=room, cuchara=spoon, bano=bathroom, la mesa=table, etc.
lapu-lapu killed magellan Sunday, June 09, 2002 at 14:10:38 (PDT)

Hummer what do you think about the filipino language?
i dont like ignorance Sunday, June 09, 2002 at 14:00:04 (PDT)

Turk:

i'm sorry for having said so. what they did were just beyond any tolerance and i did feel angry. may be you shoould calm down a little too.
gk Sunday, June 09, 2002 at 13:03:49 (PDT)

Zhang 183,

You are wrong again. The concept of modern China was established by Han people of the deep south.

It started long ago with the Taiping Rebellion.

Then, who spearheaded the drive to rid China of the corrupt and inept imperial system?

A man of Canton origins (Dr. Sun Yat-sen), whom all Chinese still regard as the founding father of modern China.

Would we see him any less of a Chinese?
you gotta be kidding me Sunday, June 09, 2002 at 11:30:19 (PDT)

Zhang 183,

You are wrong.

I tend to see more fat-faced northerners.

Even in northwest China, the Qin terra cotta stone warriors had people of all kinds of faces: doliocephalic, mesophalic, and bracycephalic.

Chinese as a whole, whether north or south are mainly mesophalic.

Northern Asians (Mongols, Eskimos, Koreans and Manchus) are bracycephalic.

Southern Asians (Malays, Viets) have smaller faces.
head shapes Sunday, June 09, 2002 at 11:26:36 (PDT)

Faby,

I highly doubt you are a survivor victim as I sense a twisted sarcasm in your tone.

Abortion is practiced among the Chinese (unlike Catholics) and most Chinese families understand that daughters would unlikely to be married again if the suitor found out she had an "unwanted baby."

Even the East Timorese Catholics who got raped and pregnant had abortions. The only times when they couldn't get abortions was when those Muslim rapists abducted these poor girls to be their "wives" (ie sex slaves).

I read a story of one East Timorese 15 year old girl who was just worshipping at a church, when Muslim militants started opening fire and killed all the men in the church and carried off the young girls. The little 15 year old girl's brother was slain with a knife trying to protect her from the Muslims. He was killed before her own eyes. She was taken off to a Muslim area and forced to be the wife of one of her brother's killer. She bore a son. Later, when the U.N. rescued these poor East Timorese girls, they left without hesitancy even if they had children with those rapists.

Your story wasn't funny, if you meant to be anti-Chinese.

There were some Japanese and Korean residents who also got attacked for being mistaken as Chinese.
it ain't funny Sunday, June 09, 2002 at 11:22:05 (PDT)

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