Annoyances of Asian American Life | Asian American Poll

ANNOYANCES OF
ASIAN AMERICAN LIFE
(Updated Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:25:55 PM to reflect the 100 most recent valid responses.)

Which of the following is the most annoying occurrence to which Asian Americans are routinely subjected?
Being told you speak English well | 21%
Being asked where you're from, originally | 28%
Having (non-Asian) strangers address you with phrases in Asian languages | 23%
Being subjected to offensive media portrayals of Asians | 28%

Which of the following is the most common way in which racial hostility has been expressed toward you?
Hostile words spoken to your face | 9%
Hostile remarks to others within earshot | 41%
Slurs or taunts shouted from a distance | 17%
Spreading of malicious gossip about you | 6%
Pointedly excluding you from a conversation or event | 27%

In your experience what types of persons are most likely to show hostility toward Asians?
People with low educational levels | 24%
People from social backwaters | 17%
People insecure about their own places in society | 28%
People envious of Asian success | 11%
People with little contact with other ethnicities | 19%

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Comments posted during the past year remain available for browsing.

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WHAT YOU SAY

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Asian American Alpha Male:
Congratulations you've got a little of the sense of what's it's like to be Black in America. We have more in common than most of us will ever understand my friend.
joe next door Wednesday, March 06, 2002 at 12:06:30 (PST)

To me, one of the top annoyances of Asian American life is the arrogance often projected by White Americans. This is a deep-seated, almost unshakable conviction of superiority, and it expresses itself in various ways.

Here's an example. A lily-white coworker talked about how Americans are extremely efficient at mass killing, as evidenced by the recent military action in Afghanistan. He talked about the atomic bomb in World War II as a historical reference, and then described various high-tech weapon systems employed recently, such as bombs specifically designed to attack caves.

I am one of those strong and confident Asian males that White males find so disconcerting, so of course I had to ask:

"Is it Americans who are efficient, or is it the weapons that are efficient at killing people?"

"Well, these are weapons used by Americans."

"If another group of people used the same weapons, would they be equally efficient?

"If Pakistan decides to use its nuclear arsenal, would they be extremely efficient also?

"If an 'Axis of Evil' country perfects a new weapon of mass destruction, either chemical or biological, would you see it as an extremely efficient killer, or would you condemn it?

The coworker is miffed, because I have thrown a wet towel on his expression of superiority.

Even though I utterly crushed his points, I still felt annoyed. Being smarter and better informed than most White Americans like him, I find it no great effort to deflate their egocentrism. However, I am also realistic enough to know that reason and logic won't change their deep-seated convictions of assured superiority, and before too long I'm going to encounter yet another expression of similarly harebrained ideas.

Asian American Alpha Male Monday, March 04, 2002 at 09:11:58 (PST)

I think the "are you chinese or japanese comment" question just irks me. I am an ABC, but can speak fluent Mandarin, but it irks me that I am always asked this at school, job, bars, everywhere? Maybe next time I should say "are you an idiot or a asshole?" Sheesh
Asian Sting Monday, February 25, 2002 at 16:40:32 (PST)

To childslavelabor:

actually I'm 24, and I'm into animated shows....go figure, huh?
T.B. Sunday, February 24, 2002 at 18:09:09 (PST)

If you saw Michelle Kwan skate in the first round of the Olympics last Tuesday, her real-life father was standing at ringside, and came to hug her afterwards.

And this is her real father, not some fictional commercial.
B. Lee Thursday, February 21, 2002 at 15:50:30 (PST)

T.B.

You watch Jackie Chan cartoon adventues before work and class? Aren't you too young to be working?
childslavelabor Thursday, February 21, 2002 at 09:06:32 (PST)

ABCDad

The asian spokesman in the UPS commercial.

Does this mean Fed Ex turned down a loner who can't drive a delivery truck?
onemorejoke Wednesday, February 20, 2002 at 17:02:41 (PST)

T.B.,

There is nothing overtly offensive about the characters. The storyline is also sometimes compelling. However, it is the stilted English which grates on me. For Jacky's character there is not much you can do, because in real life he speaks with a heavy accent.

However, for the uncle character it is not really necessary for him to be a "yoda" like portrait. All knowing of archaic chinese voodoo, toughest fighter, stilted english authority figure.
AC dropout Monday, February 18, 2002 at 07:42:02 (PST)

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