Comparing Asian Nationalities | Asian American Poll

COMPARING ASIAN NATIONALITIES
(Updated Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025, 06:39:09 AM to reflect the 100 most recent valid responses.)

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WHAT YOU SAY

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Most Filipinos have straight or wavy hair. Only few have curly hair.
Informer Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 10:22:51 (PDT)

This Korean man is sad that his nation had shrunk into a "peninsula" due to Han Chinese and Mongol invasions. But he finds pride believing that his nation would've been just as powerful as China today had it not been for the stealing/robbing of his once vast Korean territory. He also finds comfort believing that the Chinese are destroying evidences (so-called archaelogical relics) that would prove that vast regions of China's territory were once Korea's.

Too bad. Blame it on ancient Korea's weaker civilization. Face reality, Korean man.

Chinaman Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 02:36:08 (PDT)

no beautiful race,

It is all speculation.

But, many of the early Tang emperors had a fond appreciation for Persian people and their culture.

Native Chinese women thought the Persian women so beautiful that they imitated their headwear and dress.

Many early Tang emperors were buried with vases and sculptures with West Asian (ie Persian) facial features, nose shape, and usually riding camels and playing stringed instruments.

I know that Li Bai have written the beauty of various nationality women. But, his descriptions of Western (Persian) and Yueh women still seem true. These women are still amongst the most beautiful in the world today.
Races of Asia Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 01:11:48 (PDT)

One Korean Man,

Koreans in northeastern China (Manchuria) are one of the more respectable citizens. They are educated and conduct their own affairs (compare them to Tibetans and Uigurs who always complain). They feel very much a part of the Chinese nation as well as their Korean ethnic heritage.

It is indeed pitiful that the Chinese government is not doing much to preserve these ancient Koguryo sites in Kilrim area of Jilin Province. But, this is true also of many other Chinese historical sites. Had there not been foreign interest (lucrative tourism prospects), the Chinese govt. probably wouldn't give a hoot of even the most famous preserved site existing now in China (The Qin Dynasty Terra Cotta Warrior statues).

The Japanese were one of the first to discover and publish the findings of Han Dynasty Chinese artifacts in Korea (north Korea to be exact). Previously the Pyongyang govt. claimed the Han Dynasty colony (Lolang, or Nangnang/Nakrang) did not exist in Korea proper but somewhere in Manchuria. During the early 20th cent., the Japanese archaeologists uncovered grand palaces built for Han governors in Chosun. It was very priceless not only for Koreans, but also for the Japanese, because that colonial center in Korea (Lolang) served as a base from where the first Chinese cultural contacts with the Japanese took place.

Now, I don't what the Pyongyang regime has done to these ancient sites? Perhaps the same as is happening in the Kilrim site in Manchuria.
both sides neglect their artifacts Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 00:56:37 (PDT)

It's my hope that all Asians can get along. One of the issues that seems to divide us is what's taken to be the excessive pride of Koreans, particularly vis-a-vis other Asians. On the other hand, Koreans tend to see a lot of other Asians as overly submissive and sycophantic, particularly to whites, and wonder how they can have so little pride in themselves. Take the recent controversy about Ming Tan, a Chinese American who has written a book and teaches a course about how white men can pick up Asian women--what they should say, what they should not say, how to flatter them and not insult them. Her website is : www.attractasianwomen.com
The photo on the cover of her book is not of her, incidentally, but of a Korean model. I don't think a Korean-American could ever have written a book like that however. It's a huge insult, in any case, not only to the Chinese but to all Asians.

Perspective Wednesday, June 12, 2002 at 19:48:42 (PDT)

Miyagi,

Many Japanese look Chinese rather than Korean. We have narrower heads and have slimmer bodies. Like the Chinese, we have mixed with malay type.

Very true, there are many Japanese who look Chinese. It's has been proven that many ancestors of the Japanese originated from the Shandong region of China. This is the same region where the Hakkas (Kejia in Mandarin) are said to originate. The Hakkas are distinct group of Northern Chinese who eventually settled into the Southern regions of China. Interestingly, many Hakkas resemble the Japanese, and some have been mistaken by their fellow Chinese as being Japanese because of their facial and physical traits.

Take a close look at some of these famous Japanese writers and artists.

1) Yasunari Kawabata

2) Akira Kurosawa

3) Ryunosuke Akutagawa

4) Kenzaburo Oe

All of them have Chinese-type faces, they do not resemble anything like Koreans.

One famous Japanese that has a true Chinese face.

Takeshi Kaga - Actor and host of the Japanese TV cooking show "Iron Chef".

Look at his face, he looks Chinese. We would all agree!

Culturally, We are distinct. Our culture is a mixture of continental culture (Tang China) and native traditions. We were no match for advanced nation like Tang so we had to adopt their ways to bring Japan to standards of refinement. We perfected their ways and made them uniquely Japanese. Korean culture did not have a major influence in our culture contrary to what Korean scholars are claiming.

This is also very true! The Japanese in many ways behave like the Southern Chinese such as the Cantonese, Hakkas and Hoklos (these Chinese were the most influenced by the Tang Dynasty). It's also interesting because many Japanese have been associating with the Southern Chinese and not the Northern Chinese. Many Japanese friends tell me they rather learn to speak Kanton-Go (Cantonese) because it sounds more like Japanese than Ko-Go (Mandarin).

I have met some Japanese who are capable of speaking basic Cantonese. They learned it in HK or in the UK with Chinese friends. It is very impressive!

Why do many Japanese ppl visit HK, Singapore and Malaysia (places with Southern Chinese), and not China, Taiwan or Korea? This is a good question to ask!

Chinese influence in Japan Wednesday, June 12, 2002 at 17:33:08 (PDT)

To "Koreans are better off not associating with anyone",

Actually, you are quite wrong on basing the fact that Koreans don't use Chinese characters because they don't want to associate with the Chinese. Chinese characters are still used today in Korea, but to a much lesser extent than in Japan because the modern society in Korea has no need for it--it is only used to clarify definitions because Koreans don't have the 4 different tones like they do in China to differentiate words with the same pronounciation.

In fact, the creation of the Korean alphabet was started by a Korean emperor, Sae Jong, out of the sheer fact that the numerous Chinese characters are fairly difficult to master. Therefore, out of respect for his people, he invented an alphabet system known has Hangul so as to make communication easier among Koreans. Hence, disassociation with other Asian ethnicities was never a motive to the creation of the Korean alphabet system. Just thought I'd help clarify your misconception. :-)

so_it_goes (anyone else sick of the BIRG effect in this particular forum?) Wednesday, June 12, 2002 at 15:25:22 (PDT)

Dear Freda,

I do not have an issue with understanding that it was wrong for any rape to be committed against any women. I have a problem with saying that entire race or nation of people are "all cockroaches" or "scum" because of the actions of a few or the actions of a repressive nation. As far as documentation is concerned, more rape has been committed in Kashmir against Muslim women. I'm talking about anal gang rapes of girls 6 years old by Indian "soldiers" doing the governments work. I bet you didn't know that because that little issue has been swept so far under the rug that it is routinely denied. But ask Amnesty international and doctors without borders, who have had the sad fortune to restich some of these girls themselves, if its true or not.
Turk Wednesday, June 12, 2002 at 15:02:41 (PDT)

tri,

The Iranian history books were not burned by the Arabs. This was Islams golden period of learning. They never burned books. They embraced Aristotle, the Hindu numeral system and vedic math and even translated Confucious to Arabic. The book burning you are speaking of was done by the Mongols when they ransacked Persia. One of the greatest losses in thier burning down of the Persian empire was the loss of thousand upon thousands of original maunuscript books that had been collected by Muslim scholars for over 500 years. Original works by famous Greeks, Persians, Indians and Chinese all of whom were non-Muslims.
Djinn Wednesday, June 12, 2002 at 14:50:03 (PDT)

Joy,

Japan's first Emperor was not Korean! It is obvious you have never visited Japan. All schools teach that first Emperor Jimmu is the descendant of Ninigi-no-mikoto, grandson of Amaterasu, our mythological Sun Goddess. No where in the chronicles of Kojiki and Nihon shoki does it mention Korea. Our nation does not denie foreign influences but Korea is never a big influence. Look at our culture and ways. It is unique. I have been to South Korea and it is not at all like my country. It is nice but our culture is more China than Korea. Our refinement is what distinguish us from Chinese culture. Schools teach since ancient times, many of our ways were adopted from the great Tang and we made their ways Japanese. Some even teach that many Japanese aristocrats were actually Tang and maybe a few were Korean too. This does not mean Koreans influence us. Koreans immigrated to Japan and adopted our ways. not the other way around.

In my country, I admit we do not like outsiders. I think this is worng but in general, we like to keep our nation the way it is. There are many Chinese living in Japan and we do not really notice until they speak then we konw they are Chinese. We do discriminate against them and this is very unfortunate, but we do not do them physical harm. In Korea, I was almost attacked because I was Japanese not so in China which I also visited. Koreans are fiery people! I like that quality. Not at all like Japan. We are too quiet sometimes. It is very hard for me to distinguish Japanese from Chinese but very easy to notice a Korean. Koreans have larger bodies and bigger faces. It is interesting that Koreans in Japan behave like Japanese (do not look like us) but in Korea and US, they are themselves. That is strange to me.
Miyagi Wednesday, June 12, 2002 at 11:55:15 (PDT)

Thanks One Korean Man and other Koreans for informing me so much on Korean History. So what you are trying to say is that Han Chinese, Manchurian, Mongolian, and Japanese are descendant of the Koreans not to mention that the territories they presently lived on once belong to Koreans I didn't know that. Now I have to reevaluate my view of Koreans as a conquered people subjected to the oppression by the Chinese and Japanese.
how i see it Wednesday, June 12, 2002 at 11:38:41 (PDT)

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