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? "

I don't, but this "Ellery" individual talks like one. Full of lies and sarcasm! It's also typical for the brash New Yorker to make blatant comments of other places. To them, the world revolves around them.

Chi-town, huh? I do miss those Italian Beef sandwiches from that place in Little Italy, "Al's #1 Italian Beef" is it? Or did I fall for a tourist trap?

This sounds like a typical Big Apple person who thinks they're too good for "anyone else" or any other place...even Chicago!

Smug Friday, June 14, 2002 at 07:10:03 (PDT)

Is there anyone in here who knows about China, and attitudes there towards Chinese who come from the West and can't speak Chinese? Is it generally positive or negative? I'm thinking of going there and getting in touch with my roots, but i don't want to get disappointed by people treating me with hostility. Does anyone know what it's like living there? Is it still really authoritarian? Are there nice, serene little villages with friendly country people, or is it really depressing like Gong Li films?

Do Chinese Americans often feel any desire to go to China...?

krasavitsa Friday, June 14, 2002 at 00:46:35 (PDT)

I was looking for a parking space inside a full parking lot on a school campus. Then I saw a young white couple walking in the lot who seems to be leaving. I pulled over and politely asked them if they were leaving. However, both the white guy and the white girl literally ignored me. They didn't even bother to make eye contact with me. The white guy just shrugged his shoulder and they walked away. I don't know if they reacted this way due to the fact that I was Asian, but it was extremely rude and desrepectful. Next time this happen I'm just gonna yell "well, excuse you whitey!"
21 AM Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 22:15:42 (PDT)

positron,

I'm more than a little confused. It seems that you accurately observe anti-Asian behavior in your post to Toy Sunner, yet you seemed to have disagreed with me the other day when you complained about me that "she doesn't want to see the reality" abd that I was churning out verbose arguments. Then you went on to discuss the Chinese and females (categories which I belong to) being sell-outs. Did I misread your post?

Black Crimson Tide,

You probably know too that Asians also get paid less than whites in Asian countries. (BTW, see Economist's most recent post in the Friendships forum.) And that many white expats in Asia tend to seclude themselves in all-white communities, especially if they're not married to an Asian. I'm sure it's probably the same in Africa. I think this fact probably bothers me even more than any anti-minority discrimination in the US. We colored folks are still the proletarians of the world, it seems.

BTW, the worst bigots, if I haven't already pointed it out, are those belonging to the uppermiddle class and above: the classes to which those wealthy sorority girls you mentioned most likely belong. These are the peeps who think they are entitled to fricking everything no matter where they go. While they ignore middle and lower class whites, they see ethnic minorities as the "hired help"--the "Uncle Tom," "Mammy," "Hop Sing" or "Ah-ma"--whether we're African, Asian, or African-American and Asian-American. Unlike lowermiddle class bigots, these are people who are educated enough to know better but only use their education to enhance their own careers and prestige (or to find husbands in the case of those sorority bimbos), not to EDUCATE THEMSELVES. Not unlike British aristocrats, these human vermin are taught from birth that they are wealthy and better than anyone else because of their FAMILY not their own ACCOMPLISHMENTS. They care little about less privileged whites: hey, who cares about laying off 10,000 people as long as you can get a 2 million $$ bonus and a chateau in the Loire valley? (And let's blame the Japanese and other "forriners" for ruining our trade while we're at it.) Who cares about not giving their nanny adequate time off? As long as these parasites can enrich themselves at the expense of others and maintain their "lifestyles," that's all that matters.

When they disrespect people of their own color, they will naturally have even less respect for those of "color"--even when we do have the SAME or BETTER educational and economic background. In fact, we "threaten" their idea of exclusive privilege. This explains why they hate aff. action even tho' they perpetuate their perverted form of aff. action for alums. This also explains why the same folk are so enamoured of films like "Gone with the Wind," "Indochine," and anything from before the 1950s when minorities and the lower classes "knew" their place. And why traditional furniture, clothes, and anything European is worshipped by them.

I'm praying for the day when the sun sets on the corrupt remains of the day!
Asian Dominatrix Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 19:59:31 (PDT)

Asian Dominatrix,

What the hell is your problem??? I wasn't talking about you in my post, unless your name was Ellery. Can't you read? Did you even read my post? Damn!

Oh boy! and to think I was criticizing Ellery while defending you. After reading that filthy barrage of verbal abuse from an ungrateful you, I'm thinking that I must've been blind!

positron Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 15:28:49 (PDT)

Dear Asian Dominatrix,
Right ON! I like you...want to hear more of your thoughts.

ABC boomer Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 11:20:43 (PDT)

What a spiteful, bitter posting. I am sorry you feel that when you are wronged, that you have to hold it against the whole race. I do not condone people being rude to each other no matter what the race of the person, but their will always be rude people. I always thought that someone would be a better person to not stoop to their level when dealing with them.
I guess the next time I go to the Eden center here and experience rude or derogatory comments from an Asian person, according to Asian Dominatrix's manners, I should call them a racist name and be equally rude back to them. What a great way to improve race realtions !
And I really think that the "white" people that post on this board are here for different reasons. The majority here, and some who have become email friends , are here because they have an involvement in some way with an Asian person, a family, or are part Asian. I am sorry it inflames the racist person within you. I am sure you would be welcome to post on the other boards as well, the Italian ones etc. that you mentioned. Especially if it touches your life in some way that you can contribute or learn from them.

I think that without other points of view and inter-cultural experiences, the forum might miss out on something that could be constructive to bringing Asians and Caucasians closer together...or for learning why they are not.
Hannybunbun, Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 10:58:33 (PDT)

"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."

Yes, Caucasians whine and cry about Asians who are found in quantities greater than one. The underlying reason is raw fear: racial minorities in isolation represent "control" over the ethnic group vs. racial minorities in numbers greater than one represent the loss of control, from the fear of being ridiculed to the fear that when they do act racist, particularly in an "unconscious" manner, they won't get away with being an ethnic buffoon.
Let's Unpack that Squealing Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 10:56:49 (PDT)

Asian Dominatrix,

Your energy and attitude is so cool. You should write a book, if you haven't already.

krasavitsa Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 10:33:08 (PDT)

"Whites who prefer to promote and mentor whites unless the Asian is much, much better qualified than other whites for the same freaking job."

This happens regularly in a consulting company outside the nation's capital that works mostly on Asian issues using our taxpayer money. The whites there argue that they really cannot recruit locals because it would be "encouraging brain drain" or pouching on local talent...and that most Asian Americans who are as qualified as whites are of mixed Asian origin and do not speak Asian languages (the only reason they may consider hiring Asians). Incidentally there was an assignment in Russia and the best qualified Asian American woman spoke Russian but was not hired because she would not fit into Russia and there is a lot of racism in Russia...I think they mean there is a lot of racism at their firm.

"Note how some of these whites want to get their butt in everywhere?"

You tell me. Case in point Afghanistan. Most of these white women have never been in the Middle East...however, they became Afghan nutrition experts overnight. They were instructed to hire locals or qualified people from Asian countries. But, before long the bosses said that they had people in mind and the rest was history. And the entire team of Afghan experts is white who have no clue about Afghanistan.

"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?"

Partly other countries have to take the blame. The personnel in many organizations based for instance in Hong Kong still hang on to the outdated procedure of salary matching. They advertise that the salary range is between $45,000 and $165,000. However, a Sri Lankan expert with a PhD and perhaps relevant Asian experience would be paid only $45,000 because the person made only $30,000 back home. Whereas a white American with less qualification would be paid $100,000 for the same job because based on salary history the person made $80,000 back in the US. Needless to say the analysis applies for natives as well. Salary history enhances power differentals. I have been advising Asian countries to get rid of this system and pay per experience and qualifications but to no avail.

"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!""

Chinese authorities in Hong Kong treat Mainland Chinese like dirt and want to deport them, but there are many British and American whites in Hong Kong who are staying on with expired visas. If this is not deference, I do not know what is. And what do Asians get in return in Europe. In places like Denmark they stop Asian Americans holding US passports and question the validity of the passport. Of course, Denmark plans to keep Asians out if possible. It scrutinized Danish-Asian marriages more thoroughly than Asian-Asian marriages for giving Visas. A white Danish male marrying an Asian woman is always suspect. Asians are not treated kindly in many European countries.

"It's a little too late for them to be telling us "go back to where you came from.""

You came from America and this is where you belong, perhaps more than a substantial number of whites.

"Yes, but just for ethnic whites. Or Hispanics who look white."

As Doormatt Richardson argued Lebanese women and girls who are as white as white women in contrast to "Asian women who look, walk and talk differently."

Economist Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 08:43:10 (PDT)

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