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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Chinese influence in Japan,

"The Japanese in many ways behave like the Southern Chinese such as the Cantonese, Hakkas and Hoklos..."

Huh? For example?

"It's also interesting because many Japanese have been associating with the Southern Chinese and not the Northern Chinese."

Because:
1)Outside of China, the vast majority of Chinese are Cantonese, especially those from Hong Kong. 2)The Cantonese from HK and the Japanese have similar economic status. That is, both groups are relatively wealthy. So there're more opportunities for both groups to meet. 3)Northern Chinese had suffered much more brutality from Japan than the southern Chinese in WWII, and this could cause northern Chinese to want to avoid the Japanese. Remember, HK was Britain's territory back then, not China's.

"Many Japanese friends tell me they rather learn to speak Kanton-Go (Cantonese) because it sounds more like Japanese than Ko-Go (Mandarin)."

I personally think Canto and Mandarin sound equally different than Japanese. Also Mandarin is much easier on the ears. So it puzzles me why the Japanese would rather learn to speak Canto.

"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!"

I have seen Indians (from India) who spoke what sounded to me perfect Cantonese. The experience is, shall I say, un-nerving.

"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!"

Taiwan is about 80% Southern Chinese (Hoklos, Hakkas). If the Japanese associate better with the Southern Chinese, as you previously said, then why there's not many Japanese people visiting Taiwan? My question is, after the handover of HK to China from Britain, did the same number of Japanese visit HK?

Hoklo Taiwanese (also a Chinaman) Friday, June 14, 2002 at 04:51:11 (PDT)

As I have been reading some of these postings, I think people are taking things way out of proportion.

To Mr. Miyagi,
yes, the first Japanese emperor is not of Korean-ancestry, however, the Japanese emperial blood line does have Korean ancestry.

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2002/03/28/200203280017.asp

There are other historians even Japanese, that confirm this. Also Korea did have influence in Japan. Many Japanese people do not admit this. I am not saying that Japan is not unique. I am living in Japan now, and I know the culture is not same with Korea. I have lived in Korea also.

However, the grammar of the languages are nearly identical.

Are you saying that it is more like Koreans are people who migrated from Japan? Then how is that Japan and Korea have similar languages? Also Japan and Korea, Mongolia, Turk are also classified under Ural Altaic languages. It doesn't make since how the culture flowed from island to the mainland and all the way to the west....

I am not also saying Koreans didn't get things from Japan. I know Koreans got red pepper and spices from trading with Japan who got it from the Spanish.

But one thing, Japanese people don't just accept the fact that Korea had a lot of influence in Japan... This is not who is better argument. The facts are just facts.

Truth? Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 21:31:03 (PDT)

Among the four most beautiful women in chinese history, was there a persian? it doesn't seem to be true.
no beautiful Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 20:53:21 (PDT)

To, Races of Asia;

What was Li Bai's description of Persian and Yueh women? You know just a little curious.
Hafti Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 19:04:21 (PDT)

Sorry if I sounded like I was saying "that an entire race of people are scum or cockrocahes" to you. But that wasnt my real intention of bringing up this matter abt the atrocities commited by the violent mobs in Jakarta and elsewhere in Indonesia during 1997 or prior to that. I guess it is really hard for me to forget the fear and agony we all faced when my family and I have to seek refuge in either the peaceful island of BAli or neighbouring Malaysia or Singapore whenever there is an anti-Chinese violence going on in my country. I have given up hope with the system back home,where my culture and freedom and basic rights are denied. I am now in a different country and trying hard to forget abt the beautiful home we had which had been torched and the wonderful times we had with our wonderful Indonesian neighbours. Yes, rapes are happening everywhere.Bosnia, Kosovo, India-Kashmir,etc. Women are often the easy prey who are made to pay. ANd it is sad that most people are unaware of the rapes and killings and discrimintaion which had been silenced and covered up in many parts of the world. The suffering of these people, including my fellow indonesian friends, still remain unknown and unnoticed. I really which the perps would be brught to justice if only the world and the government of indonesia gets serious in doing so. Turk, I'm not comparing rapes commited by Muslims with rapes commited by non-Muslims. I'm not saying everyone in Indoenesia is evil and im not blaming the perps becoz theyre Muslims. But what i want is the discrimination we face back home would stop and we could all go home and live like we used to without fear and the feelings that we dont belong to our own country.Im sorry for my very bad english,im trying my best to tell what i think.
Freda Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 17:33:37 (PDT)

Miyagi,

This should be of interest to you. Please note this is not to demean anyone, but to help educate the people on this board:

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2002/03/28/200203280017.asp

I still don't understand why it is taboo in Japan to accept that quite a bit of culture and technology was imported from Korea. And that the imperial lineage of Japan has Korean blood. Emperor Akihito acknowledges this, but only 2 of Japan's major newspapers chose to mention it. The rightist newspapers such as the Daily Yomiuri did not publish his comments. The two leftist newspapers (Asahi Shimbun being one of them) printed Akihito's comments about this blood-relationship. Newspapers in Korea had his comments on the front page praising the emperor for his honest comments.

Did you know that it is common practice for the rightist newspapers in Japan to do the following: According to the Asahi Shimbun, if a Korean is a victim of a crime in Japan, his Japanese name is published. If a Korean is committing a crime in Japan, his Korean name is published.

The younger generation in Japan do not care for this type of discrimination.

Japan, to this day, continues to distort history which is only harming the younger generation. At least on the grassroots level, the people of Japan are demanding that the truth be taught in school. If you study history, it is clearly evident that Paekche and Yamato were very close. It was also during this period that Paekche helped transform the Japanese culture at this time. If people don't believe me, please read the following link:

http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/ANCJAPAN/YAMATO.HTM

As a Korean-American studying in Japan, it astounds me how ignorant people here are about history. These people are victims of a distorted school system that teaches nationalism. I'm so glad that Prime Minister Koizumi and President Kim have agreed to form a joint-study panel on Korean and Japanese history to teach the truth once and for all. THis can only help understanding between the two countries.

I love it here in Tokyo, but it saddens me to see that Japan and Korea are so distant when they are so near one another.

Waseda-man

I've also copied the article below for your reference:

The Japanese emperor's ancestry

In a recent press conference, the emperor of Japan surprised everyone by stating that he felt a certain kinship with Korea and Koreans because one of his ancestors, the mother of the emperor Kammu (r. 781 - 806), was Korean.
It seems odd that the statement was put in that particular way, for after all, Kammu's mother was also the wife of his father, the emperor Konin (r. 770 - 781). Perhaps Akihito chose to put it in those terms in order to match what is related about her in the Shoku-Nihongi, one of the ancient histories of Japan. There we are told that Kammu's mother's name was Takanono Niigasa and that she was a great-granddaughter of Baekje's King Munyeong. It goes on to say that she was a descendant of King Domo, who was in turn the son of Habaek's daughter and the father of King Onjo, the founder of Baekje.

...

Ed. By Gary Rector

Waseda-man Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 16:29:13 (PDT)

Nothing really related to anything,
but I think basketball in asia is growing at a very massive rate especially in China. There is a Nike Basketball camp going on and it has 60 players 47 players from China!!!!! 6 from the Philippines 4 from Taiwan and 3 from Korea. Watch out NBA, ABA w00t!!!! Wonder where the japanese and thai players are I heard both countries have good women basketball teams I wonder if their mens team is also the same
FIL GUY 19 (20 next week w00t!!!) Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 16:29:12 (PDT)

Roman,

dude thats pretty embarassin' nevermind the fact that filipinos do not fit the bruce lee stereotype at all. As asians we could care less about distinguishing between white nationalities, culture. But as a filipino, coming from a overly diverse nation, i enjoy learning about different people. I dont go around calling asians "chinese kid" when their not chinese but japanese. I dont call people "japanese" when they are actually korean. Its just me. I take the time to ask people before labeling them.
'tavio dotel Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 14:21:25 (PDT)

filipino language doesnt sound vietnamese at all. If you were an educated asian like me who appreciates the diversity of asian peoples, you would know that the filipino is related to all the western polynesian languages. It all depends on the accent of the person who is speaking filipino. Different accents are found in different regions in the philippines. you can tell a tagalog from a cebuano or an ilocano. Its pretty diverse. Filipinos kinda sound like the the guamanians when they speak. It all depends on the accent, clarity of their speech. filipinos are often lazy speakers.
Viet King Kong Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 14:10:50 (PDT)

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