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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Hey TSJ,

Yep, Toi Sans are Cantonese. The Cantonese are those folks who come from the areas west of HK. Let me clarify certain things why there are these terms among the different groups.

There are basically 3 types of Cantonese, the Sam Yups, Chung Sans and the Sze Yups.

The Sam Yups were the 1st to settle in the province so they took most of the desirable areas. They were the ones who introduce the dialect that is spoken in Guangzhou and in HK. Most of them come from Panyu, Shunde, and Nanhai, and hence the term '3 districts'.

The Chung Sans were an offshoot of the Sam Yups, they settled in the south of the 3 districts, and developed a separate dialect.

Then a second group who came, were known as the Sze Yups or 4 districts folks, such as the Toi Sans. They took all of the areas unsettled by the Sam Yups and Chung Sans. The Sam Yups speak a dialect closely akin to the dialects of the Sze Yups and Chung Sans. The 4 areas are Sun Wui, Toi San, Yun Ping and Hoi Ping.

All of these groups migrated from the North to the Guangdong Province before 1100.

After that, then came the Hakkas, whose customs and dialect were very different from the Sam Yups, Chung Sans and Sze Yups. Since all of the land was settled by the earlier groups, they made their life on the hills. The Cantonese groups call them 'guests' but it really meant 'barbarian', since the term was written in Chinese with some additional stroke representing 'animal'. The Hakkas later become rivals with the Cantonese for land and all sorts of things.

After the Hakkas, another group came and settled in the Eastern Coastline. Speaking a dialect closely related to the people of Fujian, and whose trades were fishing, smuggling and piracy, Cantonese people called these aggressive people the 'Hoklo' which means 'Men from Fujian'. The Chiu Jaus belong to this group, and so are the Taiwanese and Hokkien (an ethnic group that the actress Michelle Yeoh is part of).

Actually, those terms you mentioned are both racist and practical. They describe the characteristics of those people, but usually in a negative way. Like the word 'gwai' means 'devil'. 'Gwai lo' sometimes is 'bak gwai' 'lo fan' or 'fan gwai' way. Another term I often hear is 'Jew Gwai', a term for used for Jews. Basically, anyone who is a 'gwai' is uncivilized. And I guess anyone who is 'lo', is Asian and ruthless, such as 'Ga lo' for Japanese, 'Hoklo' for Chiu Jau..hahaha...

Cheerios,

Hahaha...I guess the Cantonese character is taking hold of me.

The Cantonese were the ones who intially came up with these terms that caused the divisiveness. Do you hear any Fujianese or Northern Chinese or Taiwanese giving us nicknames with 'jai' or 'lo'? Cantonese love name calling because the dialect is vulgar to begin with...hahaha..
LSD Thursday, September 12, 2002 at 09:32:24 (PDT) [66.212.81.229]

Sometimes, i dont really like the Southerner esp the Cantonese, coz they kinda represent the whole Chinese which the West and the rest of the world see us as: loud, uncouth, snake-eating, short, shrewd etc. But that is not all of China or the Chinese.

And Cantonese dont look like the Chinese image we have in our mind. They look very mixed, kinda Malay or Polynesian with big eyes, jutting jaws, tanned,and conical skull. I dont think they truly in anyway represent the Chinese people in the looks department.
Jiu Li Wednesday, September 11, 2002 at 19:10:35 (PDT) [202.166.126.231]

the Chinese were never warriors the Jats are. secondly, China was often ruled by Tibet and also Mongols. both Kanishka and Maharaja Ranjit singh's troops defeated the Chinese soundly. In addition the eighth Century great ruler of most of India Muktapida conquered large chunks of China. Let us assume that Jats came from Central Asia. were not most "STANS" (Sanskrit place) parts of Aryavarta. To this day Kashmir which is Central Asia is India. The Jats have always lived in Aryavarta and invaded distant lands and not their motherland Aryavarta. while the Hindu and sikh Jats marry quite often, they never marry with the Muslim jats as the Muslim Jats often married with the Arabs.
Shivdev Singh Joon Wednesday, September 11, 2002 at 16:17:40 (PDT) [195.93.48.9]

LSD:

Why are you so eager to pit one Chinese group against another? The characteristics mentioned in your posts about the Cantonese are prevalent among other groups too. They are not a solely Cantonese trait.
cheerios Tuesday, September 10, 2002 at 15:54:06 (PDT) [216.254.195.155]

Hey, LSD. I guess our discussion is better off in this forum. Anyways, where do put Toi Sans? I guess you included them with Cantonese?

Speaking of derogatory Cantonese terms, don't forget the words used to describe foreigners. Of course, there is gwai lo (white), hok gwai (black), ga lo (Japanese), cha (Indian), etc. I don't know if they were all intended to be racist, but maybe they are just used to describe certain characteristics of other races.
TSJ Eric@KristinKreuk.net Tuesday, September 10, 2002 at 13:01:26 (PDT) [209.162.48.81]

Hafti is one of a few Viet who makes any sense here. i am proud to have a countryman like you.

to those Viet who want to be Chinese. Are you really Viet or just Chinese pretent to be Viet to make us look bad in this forum. If you are Viet, stop watching too much HK movies , learn more about our history and culture
a Vietman Tuesday, September 10, 2002 at 11:18:35 (PDT) [198.64.15.168]

Jeff and Rare Stuff,

Actually all of the people in the Guangdong (Canton) province are not the same. There are 4 main groups that inhabit the province, they are the Cantonese (Natives), Hakkas (Savage Guests), Hoklos (Men from Fujian), and the Tankas (Egg Families). All of them live on a rice diet, which either consists of meat or seafood as the protein source.

The Cantonese were the ones who gave these non-Cantonese groups derogatory names such 'Hakka' or 'Hoklo' due to that fact that they "owned" the province. They were also the ones who instigated the rivalries/conflicts between them and the other groups. Overall, the Cantonese are the more cunning and clever of the Southern Chinese. However, groups such as the Hakkas and Chiu Jaus have recently overshadowed the Cantonese in HK (in the case of the Chiu Jaus) and SE Asia (both Hakkas and Hoklos), especially in the arena of commerce or politics. These groups have a better work ethic, and are more ambitious and bolder, allowing them to take more risks than the Cantonese.

On the other front, there is another fierce rivalry between the Cantonese and the Taiwanese. Interestingly, many of the Cantonese who are of Hakka and Hoklo ancestry are able to befriend with the Taiwanese due to the fact that these people share similar roots...while the "pure" Cantonese disdain the Taiwanese due their stark differences.
LSD Tuesday, September 10, 2002 at 08:14:27 (PDT) [66.212.81.229]

To Gothfairy,
Vietnamese jealous of Chinese? Hahahaha, uhhh NO! Only in your delusional world, though I agree that Viets are distinct culturally (and racially) from Chinese.
Moon Cake anyone?,
From some books I have read, Chinese cultural influence (Sinization) was always much more thorough amongst the upper classes than amongst the peasantry, where indigenous traditions and influences from their SEAsian neighbors also left their mark. Similar to that of the French influence.
Brahma Bull Tuesday, September 10, 2002 at 07:09:21 (PDT) [209.178.159.95]

"Danny Inosanto taught Bruce Lee how to use the nunchuck properly, and with speed. In turn, Danny became of one of Bruce's most proficient students in JKD (Jeet Kune Do)."

Yeah, and his daughter is fine as hell too. Also, most of the Chinese martial arts schools in my area are filled with Filipinos. For some reason, Filipinos feel connected to southern Chinese kung fu.
TSJ Eric@KristinKreuk.net Tuesday, September 10, 2002 at 01:31:55 (PDT) [67.116.230.242]

To, GothFairy;

Yes we Viets want to be chinese. That's why throughout china's one thousand years of rule on Vietnam we fought like hell to get independence. And also the reason why we forced everyone in Vietnam to change their names into a more Vietnamese name, or a Vietnamized equivalent.

*extreme sarcasm there for those who don't know*

For one there is nothing to be jealous of. For one, we have Vietnamese food, and yes this is influenced by chinese cuisine, BUT you notice that we haven't fully adopted the chinese food. This is because we don't like chinese food THAT much, and we prefer to make something that is more ours. For example, noodles were probably introduced to Vietnam and was not originally Vietnamese. BUT everyone agrees that the invention of Pho came from Vietnam, something that WE love more then anything chinese noodles can offer. So i don't know why i would be jealous just because your food to YOUR taste is 'better'. Everyone has different things that they like, and to my taste buds, i do not like chinese food over Vietnamese food just like any other Viet.

Ok, that is my views if i didn't read 'Moon Cake anyone?' post. Yes i agree that 'those' viets want to be chinese. But MOST don't, and you can tell through history.

But i like your post on how we are who we are at now. I thought that and it is very correct. We should just consider ourselves whatever we are. For example, i am Vietnamese, but after a few dozen generations along the line my kids will remember nothing of Vietnam and become Canadian. Just like how the entire population of ancient Viets who moved down to northern Vietnam from Fukien long ago. And do we today say we are from Fukien and say we have our loyalty to Fukien? NO. And do the Minnan and Hakka who have been long since assimilated into the Han culture still consider themselves ancient Viet/Yueh from Fukien even with those numerous genetic research done by americans, japanese, chinese (mainland) and taiwanese? No.

You are what you are.

To, Moon Cake anyone?;

Uh, do you mean vietnams official written language by official language? Then yes vietnam used china's writing system. But the language is still different with some similarities.
Hafti Monday, September 09, 2002 at 15:44:24 (PDT) [142.59.36.71]

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