Annoyances of Asian American Life | Asian American Poll

ANNOYANCES OF
ASIAN AMERICAN LIFE
(Updated Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:25:48 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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WHAT YOU SAY

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Smug--cool post but why do you hate New Yorkers?

Asian Dominatrix Wednesday, June 12, 2002 at 22:33:06 (PDT)

Toy Sunner, AC Dropout, Smug, and Kimchi--You said it, folks!

Positron--Were you looking in the mirror as you were writing your post about verbose, prolix people "immersed in infinitely dense and useless academic arguments?" Because while there was nothing academic about your argument, it sure was dense and useless. (Oh, BTW, your last 2 sentences were highly repetitive. Try Composition 101, sweetheart.) I bet when you're trying to be less "verbose, arcane, and circuitous," your other favorite phrases are probably either "me Hop Sing and weally, weally love white massa; please, please, my body is yellow but my mind is white, please don't kick me." Or "I'm a FAT, UGLY white female reject: my own man don't want me and no colored man want me cos' I ain't got no ejakation after 5th grade even tho I was there 3 years in a row. I hate slim, pretty, well-bred, well-read Chinese bitches. How dare they be better than me!"

OK, folks, let's sum up a few annoyances, most of which come down to DOUBLE STANDARDS. Now let's make it clear to some of the idiots who can't read and can't reason that this list does not refer to ALL whites, or even most, but QUITE A FEW:

1. Whites asking "Where are you from. Really, really from." Next time this intrusive question comes up, ask them "Which trailer park do you come from, trash?" Or smile, and say "Sweden" before walking away. I did.

2. Whites who prefer to promote and mentor whites unless the Asian is much, much better qualified than other whites for the same freaking job. If you don't believe any of the stuff that's been written in Goldsea over the past years or so, read Deborah Woo.

3. Those whites who enjoy being rude to Asians. Hence, staring, refusing to open doors, standing in the way, etc.--actions which they would not impose on other whites for the most part. One of my favorites is when women barge right ahead with this arrogant little "excuse me" when you know they obviously don't mean it." The only way to behave is to give these assholes a dose of their own medicine. (And try to trip 'em if while you're at it.)
LOL, I remember shopping one day and this ugly skinny crag-faced, hag-haired, middle-aged white bitch was standing at a sale rack, looked at me, and pushed the clothes my way, saying "Excuse me" in the snottiest manner. I pretended to look at the stuff some more and as I was about to leave, pushed the clothes on my end in her direction as hard as I could, literally throwing the rack at her. I smiled sweetly, and went "Oops, sorry," before clicking away in my kitten heels. Was that fun!

4. Note how some of these whites want to get their butt in everywhere? It's not enough that they went plundering, raping, and massacreing their way through Africa, Asia, Latin America, and everywhere else over the last 4 centuries or so, but they manage to bludgeon their way into Asian websites as well AND complain about the way we Asians discuss racism! OK. I'm being a little facetious but let me explain myself.
You see, from time to time, I check out Italian- and other ethnic American websites but I don't go barging in on their conversations telling them their discrimination is nothing compared to mine. Why? Because it's THEIR space and I RESPECT their desire for community even tho' they welcome visitors. There are probably experiences and feelings that only Italian-Americans can fully understand and THE LAST THING THEY NEED is someone intruding and telling them they don't know what they're talking about. IF YOU FOLKS RESPECT WHITE ETHNIC AMERICANS AND THEIR PRIVACY, WHY CAN'T YOU BLOODY RESPECT OURS????

5. Whites writing about the "racism" they've faced. Or "no, racism doesn't exist. Sexism does." Oh, please, spare me. Ever heard of the POWER DIFFERENTIAL? Ever realized that YOUR people are the ones who displace natives in their own countries and earn more than they ever will wherever you go? And that you are treated with more deference just about everywhere? I remember some English bitch complaining in the Sunday Times about how the native Hong Kong people "are not as polite to whites as they used to be." It's as tho' Asians and other non-whites are supposed to kowtow to whites no matter how ugly, stupid, uneducated, and boorish the latter are every second of the day and say "Thank you, me your humble obedient servant!"

6. Whites grumbling about minorities in America and Europe. If they hadn't gotten their skanky butts everywhere else in the world, we'd leave them alone too. It's a little too late for them to be telling us "go back to where you came from."
The worst tho' are white Americans bitching about minorities. The US is supposed to be a melting pot, right? A land of equal opportunity, right? Yes, but just for ethnic whites. Or Hispanics who look white. Why don't those Americans wanting white everything just go back to Europe? (Not that the Europeans would necessarily welcome them, BTW. When I was in Britain, they loved talking about how fat, loud, and stupid white Americans are!)

7. Racial profiling. A white mass-murderer is just a "nutcase." A minority criminal is "A Chinese/black/middle-eastern nutcase. These people cannot be trusted!" Yes, white males don't get profiled; everyone else does the minute one of their people commits a crime.

Well, this is the "lucky 7" I've come up with. I'm sure there are many, many more.

Asian Dominatrix Wednesday, June 12, 2002 at 21:00:37 (PDT)

Asian Dominatrix,

my family is "anti-everything" in the sense that they tend to isolate themselves from other people.They don't trust.That's obviously not necessarily a "bad" trait. But the disadvantage for me is that I am one of those people who are outside the family though I'm physically inside of it.
My white stepfather degrades both my mother and myself because he dislikes people with Asian temperament. But my mother doesn't hear that because she's Christian.
How do they talk when they are pretending I'm not there?-My stepfather says I'd be a gypsy bastard, my mother and all others state I'd be a hapa because of formal reasons (her marriage to a white guy).-Besides,I look like the average "Manchu" or Yakut looks like.
The most annoying thing was that my mother said would lie whenever I had been mobbed at school by my white nazi mates.Thereafter she claimed that I wouldn't have said anything about it. That's what I call hypocrisy.-By the same time her whole life is a lie. She didn't tell me who my real father is,she forbid me to speak any Asian language, she forbid me to talk about Asian religion with her mother, she forbid me to train martial arts...(I could write a thick book about that self-hating white-washed person.-But maybe she's not even my mother-who knows?)

rare stuff Wednesday, June 12, 2002 at 16:21:34 (PDT)

Bill Lee,

Christianity is undoubtedly more than the faith in your god and the teachings of your messiah. Remember that Christianity is one of those religions which can be abused by totalitarian rulers in the easiest way BECAUSE OF ITS ABSOLUTE VALUES.
I know a lot of people who don't believe in "good/evil","right/wrong" etc...They are often very social -and they are more pragmatic than Christians could ever be.
rare stuff Wednesday, June 12, 2002 at 15:46:10 (PDT)

"Indeed, try telling that to mainstream Americans opposed to their sons and daughters marrying non-whites and opposed to minorities moving into their neighborhoods."

Have you had problems with the families of white men you have dated?
Sociologist Wednesday, June 12, 2002 at 15:33:05 (PDT)

You make very good points.

"I don't need to be accused of playing the "Race card," which is what whites like to whine when they feel they are losing the plot. Yes, I have seen lots of whites--or rather, those claiming to be white--on Goldsea and other Asian websites accusing minorities of not seeing things the white--oops, I mean the RIGHT way."

Typical white attitude, especially here in the South. They do not like the fact that we demand reparations for slavery, but they would do everything to remind me of the slavery of my ancestors by waving their dumb confderate flag at every turn. I would make a deal: Get rid of the confederate flag and the statues of your "heros" such as Nathan Forrest who slaughtered my ancestors at Fort Pillow and we would stop demanding reparations.

"Try telling that to the KKK and other white militia fronts first. Indeed, try telling that to mainstream Americans opposed to their sons and daughters marrying non-whites and opposed to minorities moving into their neighborhoods. Has it ever occurred to you that Asian-American consciousness has taken off PRECISELY because of their overall rejection by mainstream white society?"

Or to the white sororities at the University of Alabama or the University of Georgia. The white sisters at UA frequently complained (and still do) that blacks hang out together and they were very upset when blacks demanded their cultural center. However, when one of my friends, Melody Twilley, who happens to be black like me, tried to get into one of the white sororities, she was rejected not once, but twice for only one reason..she is black. They obviously did not want to put their money where their mouth is. Non-white groups tend to hang out separately in school cafeteria because they are not accepted in mainstream white society such as exclusive country clubs, and white sororities and fraterninites and other exclusive white institutions. Here in Alabama the situation is even worse, because the whites want inbred, native born white Alabamians for positions of power at the UA. Whites have the gall to ask "Why are all the black kids sitting together in the cafeteria?" Why dont they look themselves in the mirror and ask the question, "Why are white girls segregating themselves in their sororities in this era of globalization?" And by the way, this nonsense with white Americans continues abroad. There are American country clubs in East Asia, and guess who they let in...only whites of course. My Asian American friend who works over there as an executive for a corporation cannot even become a regular member. And guess what...one of the member's son is dating a local Chinese female and the family (particularly the women) does not like the idea. What would the fellow club member's think is the attitude. And they are in this young lady's country.

Black Crimson Tide Wednesday, June 12, 2002 at 15:25:09 (PDT)

"my opinion",

you think that "racism is racism". I differ between that racism which I cannot accept if it's directed against me and that racism which I can still bear to face. Racism is the illegitimate substitute of clannish lifestyle.
rare stuff Wednesday, June 12, 2002 at 15:25:09 (PDT)

Toy Sunner,

That was an excellent observation. I have noticed the same behavior time and again. But I think I have an explanation for this: It's because in American culture and society, at least, whites generally feel superior and are taught to not compromise anything, especially with someone who's a minority. Concessions in life are much less accepted by them when compared to the way Asians allow them in Asian culture. On top of that, a lot of whites in this country do not "stand their ground" as much when they are dealing with each other, as compared to the way they act toward minorities whom they look down upon in the first place.

That's my proposition, and it has been further confirmed by the following observation: The same people who would treat you in an inferior way would tone down their behavior somewhat once they see that you have accomplished something they weren't able to do. Although, the attitude of racial superiority is still detectable.
positron Wednesday, June 12, 2002 at 15:12:50 (PDT)

"forcefeeding me to embrace feelgood multicultural agendas"

Ellery,

No one is forefeeding you anything. You've forcefed yourself.
Can You Say Bloated? Wednesday, June 12, 2002 at 15:12:28 (PDT)

"if liberal stormtroopers want a shoulder to cry on, they can go find Bill Clinton,"

With the way the economy and the stock market are going under Dubya, many of us are beginning to feel that Bill Clinton was not that bad after all. He definitely did not preach free trade and sign into law a protectionist farm bill that virtually destroys the farmers in other countries, and imposed steel tariff, thus providing a form of welfare or Affrirmitive Action, if you will, for rich white farmers and white steel industry executives.

"but I'm not gonna sit here and insult anyone's intelligence by citing the numerous examples of successful Asian Americans who have earned their way on merit, and then insinuate their successes should have been augmented with affirmative action, as Mr Wu would like me to believe."

What Mr. Wu says is closer to the truth. However, more than affirmitive action, free trade is likely to help minorities. Free trade brought the white auto executives down in Detroit down to earth. It may do the same thing for our incompetent airline executives who I am beginning to increasingly believe (based on performance) that the only reason they are CEOs is because they happen to be white.

Economist Wednesday, June 12, 2002 at 13:40:16 (PDT)

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