Asian American Attitudes toward Height | Asian American Poll

AA ATTITUDE TOWARD HEIGHT
(Updated Saturday, Jun 6, 2026, 12:07:54 AM to reflect the 100 most recent valid responses.)

Assuming you are an Asian American, how important is height in your assessment of a person's attractiveness?
It's a key element of attractiveness. | 20%
It's one of many factors I consider. | 44%
It's less important than other personal qualities. | 28%
I am not attracted to tall people. | 8%

Assuming you are an Asian American, which best matches your feelings toward your own height?
I'd like to be 3 inches taller. | 43%
I'd like to be an inch taller. | 27%
I'm happy with my height. | 26%
I'd like to be an inch shorter. | 4%

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I think one of the reasons why Asian Americans are more preoccupied with height than some other races is because the being short stereotype has been more perpetrated on asians than on any other race.

Additionally, what this poll is showing, is that the stereotype is not well deserved - at least not anymore.

BTW, a recent comparision of average heights for different countries showed that Ecuadorians are over five inches shorter than Japanese on the average. Yet people don't usually say to a 6 ft. South American, "gosh, you're tall for a South American."
If its an issue...address it Friday, January 04, 2002 at 17:56:00 (PST)

Michael K,

I think this guy's theory is correct. I know some southern Chinese (Cantonese) who emigrated to Beijing and the Cantonese children who grew up there or born there are usually taller and have changed facial structures compared to their parents. They ate more wheat/lamb than they did rice/fish. They tend to look no different from the other locals.

The same with northerners who settle in Guangzhou. Their children sometimes are not as tall and well built as their parents as they have adopted to the local climate and food.

So, climate and food does affect one's genes and height. This I have seen for myself.

Joe Friday, January 04, 2002 at 12:31:20 (PST)

Michael K.,

AMEN!
. Thursday, January 03, 2002 at 22:40:24 (PST)

korean dude, yao ming is 7"6 and that guy from korea is 7"9 (could be even taller since asians don't bull shit their personal height like some whites and blacks do!) u can substract the statistical heights of all nba players by 2 inches, then u get their actual height.

micheal jordan is really 6 "4.5, i met him at a hotel in hawaii 3 years ago

my friend was only 5"11, and he was at mj's eye level

damn! eat!! and sport! asian boyz, come on!!

i REALLY don't think american whites are any taller than american asians!!!
dan Thursday, January 03, 2002 at 18:43:58 (PST)

Just some comments regarding various topics:

Jackie Chan -- Don't know how tall he is, but I tend to believe the guy who said he's around 5'7 and saw him in a sauna in HK. Moreover, Jackie Chan appears in Enter the Dragon in a couple of the fight sequences with Bruce Lee. Did Jackie tower over Bruce? No. Sammo Hung (?), the guy from Martial Law, also appears in Enter the Dragon. According to IMDB, he's only 5'7 as well.

By the way, Jet Li is supposedly 5'6 or 5'7, but I have a friend who met him and said he was no taller than 5'3.

Growing Taller -- The reason why Asians are growing taller, and why Europeans and Americans have grown steadily over the years is because of diet, but not "better" diet, necessarily. It's the high protein, high fat diet that's making us taller, and fatter, and less healthy in general (and not to mention the growth hormones in the meat). Americans todays are one of the least healthiest and fattest people in the world, and Asians are following in their footsteps as they adopt the Western diet of hamburgers, pizza, more meat consumption, less vegetables and fruit, and more fast food in general (Have you noticed that Asians kids are fatter than they used to be?). Sure, it makes you taller and stronger in the short run, but weak and diseased in the long run.

Koreans, Chinese, Japanese / Climate and Height -- Koreans and Northern Chinese (esp. Manchurians) are of Tungusic origin. "Racially" speaking, they're cousins, and closely related. Generally, they tend to be taller than other Asians. In fact, people in colder climates tend to be bigger and taller, and those in warmer climates smaller. It has nothing to do with superior genes or superior diet. It's just natures way of adapting to environment. The Japanese are related to Koreans, but they also have a goodly dose of Malay and aboriginal mixture, making them a bit shorter. Southern Chinese are shorter relative to northern Chinese as well, as they live in warmer climate, and have more of the "southern" genes.

Asians and height -- Asians seem to be, in general, more preoccupied with height than other peoples, at least from my observation. Why is this? Well, like many other things, it's their desire to emulate and be like the "Powers that Be". White people rule the world, and they want to be like the powerful. We're adopting Western culture, Western foods, Western fashion, and Western beauty. But we shouldn't feel inadequate because we're shorter; or for whatever natural difference we might have -- be that our eyes, nose or the shape of our face or the length of our legs. Accept your "Asianness". Stop trying to be "white". If you're tall, great. But don't feel you have to be "just as tall" as your White neighbors in order to be adequate.

Michael K. Thursday, January 03, 2002 at 13:43:47 (PST)

koryo,

If you studied the genetics of the Koreans and Japanese, they are the same race.
The Mongols are short and so are the Japanese. Which only leads one to think that the taller height in Koreans must have derived from mixing with Northern Han Chinese.

Study history and realize that Hideyoshi's forces were only in Korea for 8 years (1500 ADs). The Tang Chinese forces were in Koguryo and Baekje for well over 35 years (around the 700 ADs). And, the Han Dynasty Chinese ruled over much of Korea for over 500 years (200 BCs to 300 ADs). They had a kingdom there (Nangnang). Back then, people's populations were smaller, so an invading army mixing with local women does significantly change and add to the genes.

Actually the genes of both the Koreans and Japanese are intermediate between the Mongols and Chinese. (genetic distance studies)
All Asians are related in one way or another Sunday, December 30, 2001 at 15:57:20 (PST)

Korean,

The Mongols are a short and and squat people. Much shorter that either Northern Chinese and Koreans. Milk doesn't always do a body good.
Roger Sunday, December 30, 2001 at 15:33:11 (PST)

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