Asian American Attitudes toward Height | Asian American Poll

AA ATTITUDE TOWARD HEIGHT
(Updated Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025, 06:39:09 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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WHAT YOU SAY

[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]

Interesting quote from CrzySxyCool:

"I've dated a latino guy who was about two inches shorter than me; his height was no big deal. My best buddy in high shcool was a short skinny chinese male and I loved him! I also went to college with a lot of short black men and trust me they never had problems getting dates. Height is relative."
CrzySxyCool Tuesday, July 31, 2001 at 06:50:33 (PDT)

I guess height is not a problem (dating) as long as your not Chinese, right? :-) Notice she dated the short Latino guy, and was buddies with the short Chinese guy. :-)
A little bit of truth in every Sarcasm..hmm. Wednesday, August 01, 2001 at 15:11:07 (PDT)

I'm a 5'1.5" AM and I think my previous self have trully commited the worst sins. being this midgety and fat is really hard on me socially i.e. I don't think the ladies have ever looked twice at me. I hate my boyish look. And all the teasing and bullying throughout my scholastic days have made me the introvert I am today. I get rejected so often that it's not funny.

Parents, especially new-generation Asian parents, should not over-prioritize education over the formation of character and charisma. Just in case they turn out like me, stature-wise.

underaverage in everything Wednesday, August 01, 2001 at 00:58:49 (PDT)

Henan isn't that North, it's like the most southern part of Northern China. My family is from Heilongjiang which is extremely far north. All my relatives have the small eyes, and most people from where I come from do too.
N. Chinese guy Tuesday, July 31, 2001 at 22:41:14 (PDT)

5'8 Asian Dude,

You should go out some more, there are tons of tall guys in socal, my cousins are 6'2, 6'0, i'm 5'11, I know a couple of Koreans who are 6'3, a Japanese guy who is 6'0, and a filipino who is 6'1.

Flip Guy 19 Tuesday, July 31, 2001 at 18:43:36 (PDT)

I really don't think that Asians are short because of genes. Look at what we eat! If we eat a lot of beef and protein we will be taller. I am a Chinese but I started hating Chinese food ever since 14, and I am now 3 inches taller than my old man, who can never live without Chinese food. I am 6 and he is 5'9. Nothing against Asian food but it is true that we need more calcium and protein.
taller Tuesday, July 31, 2001 at 14:18:34 (PDT)

To midget & AM, 5'8", 155:
I beg to differ in regards to black females being the least forgiving. Please stop making generalizations based on limited exposure. I am 5'8 and I like to date guys who are taller than me. That is a preferance not a priority. As far as body size goes, an individual should be proportional. Their is nothing wrong with a thin guy. And personally big muscular men are a HUGE turn off. I've dated a latino guy who was about two inches shorter than me; his height was no big deal. My best buddy in high shcool was a short skinny chinese male and I loved him! I also went to college with a lot of short black men and trust me they never had problems getting dates. Height is relative.
CrzySxyCool Tuesday, July 31, 2001 at 06:50:33 (PDT)

Some of these asian guys who say they're 6 something and above sound like they're exaggerating. i hardly see any that are 6 but on this website there seems to be tons. just doesnt sound right
5'8 asian dude Tuesday, July 31, 2001 at 00:23:18 (PDT)

Thanks for the info.
But, how could a guy be 5'8" at 95 lbs?
I'm 5'8" at 175 lbs (it fluctuates a few lbs every now and then).

Jay... 95 lbs, are you serious? Monday, July 30, 2001 at 11:58:52 (PDT)

to: 5'8 95lbs of pure steel

oh man, you're 5 foot 8 and only weight 95 pounds? dude, you need to eat some more, you are seriously underweight, I mean even the average weight for a 5 foot 8 girl is like 120.

cyberpup@prodigy.net
calpolygold cyberpup@prodigy.net Sunday, July 29, 2001 at 23:43:42 (PDT)

I beg to differ from your description of northern Chinese. I don't have pint sized eyes. I am not aggressive, more likely poetic and philosophical. And, I am sober. I never get mistaken for Korean. In fact, most other Cantonese and Taiwanese think I am one of them but just a little taller.
Northerner from Henan Sunday, July 29, 2001 at 20:29:48 (PDT)

Im an Asian American.. i been blessed by God to be 6'0! i wish was 6'2. that would be better. the national male height average is about 5'9. guys.. dont worry about height!!!
phil unrphil007@aol.com Saturday, July 28, 2001 at 21:31:53 (PDT)

there is a limit to how tall a certain group of people can be. American men have reached their peak at 5'9/5'10. also, american men have stopped growing especially since America has stopped developing and American diets are in excess anyhow.

but to all you average 5'7 5'8 asian americans don't feel bad at all: America is no. 2 in the world in height behind Holland (6'2). i know the avg South korean is 5'7 and Japanese is 5'5. young korean and japanese men are 2 inches taller than average. so really don't feel too bad.

also the whoel Chinese debate: China is a land the size of Europe, so there's a HUGE range of difference in height. the result? look at their national basketball team. korea and japan only have 2 players over 200 cm while China has 6. however on average, Chinese and Chiense Americans (who mostly come from the south or south-through-beijing/shanghai) are more or less equal to Koreans and Japanese in height.

5'8 95 lbs of pure steel Saturday, July 28, 2001 at 00:34:01 (PDT)

European Fella,

WHO DA F*** IS YOU??? I'm sick of your ass coming in here telling Asians how tall we are. Why don't you go to a European board and talk about European heights, you Asiaphile.
yo momma Friday, July 27, 2001 at 18:24:16 (PDT)

Korean-American,

Hey bro, no BS here. I'm Chinese American, and I came to the US when I was 2 so I'm basically American born. So I guess part of my size comes with a lot of milk and an American diet. Yes, it's muscle, I workout a lot.

Many Asians here keep mistaking me for a Corean actually, esp. other Coreans because they only see S. Chinese around and don't see many N. Chinese types like me. I got the same small eyes, high cheekbones, aggressive swagger, and I'm drunk every other day. j/k but it's all good.
N. Chinese guy Friday, July 27, 2001 at 17:59:32 (PDT)

I read this article about the average height in Taiwan from 1850 to 1910. It is quite interesting. It showed that males and females grew significantly taller during the Japanese occupancy of Japan compared to the period before. For example in male born in 1910 (during the Japanese occupancy grew by 1.99 centimeter compared to 1890). While a woman born in 1910 was 3.04 centimeters taller than one born in 1890. It was showing that economic development which led to better nutrition led to the growth in the average height. It amazed me to learn that the average height of a Taiwanese male 100 years ago was only 161 centimeters (barely over 5'2"). Well, I'm a Taiwanese-American male who is significantly taller than that! I wonder all tall my future grandkids will be?
Hoklo Taiwanese-American Thursday, July 26, 2001 at 20:47:53 (PDT)

Height is important to me because I feel more comfortable if the guy is taller than me. I'm 5'9 and I only date guys taller than me. Sometimes I wish I was shorter so I would have a larger variety of guys to date but I still love being tall.
chiNeseGurl zhenzhenJL@hotmail.com Thursday, July 26, 2001 at 11:25:55 (PDT)

The chinese i see in my country are from the Shandong area. Thats why i got surprised by their height... But as i say this i don´t mean they´re tall... They´re about 5"7-5"8 average and they´re mostly in their late 20s. But i thought the chinese would be shorter... Although i very rarely see one above 6"0...
The japanese are the tallest asians nowdays...
European fella, 5"10 Thursday, July 26, 2001 at 10:19:43 (PDT)

Northern Chinese Guy, et al:

Are you guys Chinese FOB who are writing from Beijing, or are you Chinese American immigrants or American Born Chinese Americans with Manchurian roots? I have a feeling ur BS-ing like there's no tommorrow, but if you guys really are 6-3 and 200 pounds (if it's in muscle), I'll say that I"m impressed. I'm about 5'10" and 170 pounds.
Korean American Wednesday, July 25, 2001 at 21:59:54 (PDT)

Obsession with height:

I find it difficult to understand the obsession with height among the Asian community, in particular among women. The average height of a man in the US is around 5'8-5'9 and women from 5'3-5'4. Yet Asian women who are 5'2 will only consider a man at least 5"10, or so she says.

I'm 5'11 and frankly i think I look really funny with a girl below 5'4. I mean if you ever see yourself holding hands with her, it appears awkward and pretty weird actually. Like a father with her little daughter..(exaggeration). Why do short women feel more comfortable with men so much taller.

If you are a female, why do you put down men around 5'7 or so as short, when they are easily several inches taller than yourself? Lets say you're around 5'2, wouldn't you feel more comfortable with a man who's 5'6 or 5'7 than someone who's 5'10 and above?

What is up with the 5'10 requirement, for SHORT Asian women??????
Big things often come in small packages!! Wednesday, July 25, 2001 at 21:11:38 (PDT)

Chinatown,

I wouldn't mind being 5'11, since I go by the metric system. I would piss me off if I were 5'10, since that is 178 cm. 5'11 is exactly 180.5cm, which is a nicely rounded number. Too bad I'm not that tall though.
Anon AM Tuesday, July 24, 2001 at 00:04:30 (PDT)

no.... black women are the least forgiving. In the black American community, having a tall AND muscular man is very important to the women, probably because of the rough neighborhoods that many blacks grow up in (thus physical protection was important). I know a really small skinny black guy and I feel bad for him.
AM, 5'8", 155 Tuesday, July 24, 2001 at 00:01:29 (PDT)

hey Chinatown,

Yes, you're right Shandong people are amongst the tallest Asians. In fact, it has been rare for me to meet a young Shandong man under 5'10. But I don't know about being the tallest Chinese, we Manchurian boys are quite tall as well, probably because most of us have Shandong blood. My dad is 5'11. I grew up taller than him by the time I was 16. I then grew another few inches to become 6'3. I was a lanky kid growing up but eventually by my late teens, my Manchurian genes came to the rescue and I filled out at about 210-220 pounds where I usually fluctuate. My cousins back in Heilongjiang are also of a similar height and build. They're definitely not people anyone would like to mess with.

I prefer taller girls as well. Yes, it's a personal preference. But short girls just don't do it for me. They have to be around at least 5'7 or above. I'm very picky with women.
Northern Chinese guy Monday, July 23, 2001 at 17:56:25 (PDT)

jukoh, is your husband an Asian man too?
Ghost Sunday, July 22, 2001 at 14:46:02 (PDT)

I'm a 6'1 (almost 6'2) Shanghainese American. My mom is from SHandong and my dad is from Shanghai. Supposedly Shandong has the tallest Chinese people (ergo the tallest asians), but I do not think it's a guarantee When I was 12 years old, I'd obsess constantly about my height, since my dad was only 5'8. Due to the fact that I wanted to play basketball, I figured that at 5'7, I'd be nothing more than a spud webb. Luckily, my Shandong genes took mandate. lol. For me, 5'11 just sounds crappy. I'd rather be 5'9 than to be 5'11. 5'11 is something like getting a 79 as a opposed to an 80 on a report card. You're so close to 6'0, and yet you're not.

I'm not sure that nutrition has all that much to do with height. MY great-grandfather was a 186 cm. However, my uncle is scarcely 170cm. Ultimately, nothing is truly guaranteed.

I personally prefer taller women. Being that I'm not exactly chunky, I exact the same in my female preferences. Ideally speaking, a 5'8 or taller female who is slender.

There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with a person at 5'6. It's just a personal preference and nothing more.

Chinatown Saturday, July 21, 2001 at 12:14:27 (PDT)

which race or nationality girls take less emphasis on a man's height? I think Asian and white girls are very unforgiving of it despite the other attributes that the guy may possess (e.g. personality, financial success/security, nice body/face). How about Latina, black, Middle Eastern, Hindu, Native American females and what do they think about height?
midget Saturday, July 21, 2001 at 02:10:58 (PDT)

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