Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate or marble.
OK, let me warn you this is a long one. This is a topic near and dear to my heart. So go pee, put on some comfy clothes and settle in….
……
Have you ever been asked that? For this of you who know me, you're probably not surprised. For those of you who have faced this unique question, you'll understand my obsession over this topic. And for those of you who don't have a clue as to what I'm talking about...be warned. You're about to engage into one of the topics that I'm most passionate about.Let me tell you a story...
I went into my local convenience store to pick up a scratch n' win ticket. I was coming from the gym so not looking particularly made up or dressed up. But perhaps that added to the confusion. Because when I got to the cashier, the guy behind the counter asked me,
"What nationality are you?" He just came out with the question, no small talk, no preface...he just bluntly asked."
I'm Chinese," I answered, slightly surprised by his question and not sure what the question was leading to.
"Are you sure?" he replied. What do you mean am I sure? Of course I’m sure. Are you sure you're male? Are you sure you're an idiot? I just smiled and stood there taken aback.
"Are you mixed?" he continued. Now this was getting interesting. He thinks I'm mixed. What does that mean? On a superficial level, I took it as a compliment because I generally think people with mixed ethnicities are beautiful, in an exotic way. But on the other hand...what was he implying about my cultural identity? Was it an insult? A compliment? Or just an ignorant statement?
"No, I'm not mixed. I'm 100% Chinese," I defended. How dare this guy, this complete stranger make ignorant assumptions about my ethnicity and cultural identity! Hmmph.
"Really?" he retorted. OK, honestly, at that point, it was getting funny. Why wouldn't he believe me? Better question would be why would I lie?
“You look like you’re a Spanish mix,” he continued. I grabbed my scratch n’ lose ticket, smiled at the clerk, and went on my way.
Now, that conversation was new territory for me. I’ve been called a Hawaiian, Singaporean, South Pacific Islander, Japanese, Native Canadian, “maybe Thai”, and even “Mediterranean-ish”…but never Spanish-mix.
Even more interesting, my ethnicity apparently changes depending on the part of the world I’m in and who I’m with.
· While in Hawaii, I was considered to be “like Hawaiian”. OK, this I can understand because Hawaiians have the same origins as the Chinese. Along with my tanned skin and my summer beach wear, I can absolutely understand why people made this assumption. They could have left China by boat since the Chinese empire was vast and covered much of the Asian continent, including the South.
· In New Zealand, I reminded someone of a South Pacific Islander. OK, once again, South Pacific Islanders is understandable because in general, they have a larger build and darker skin, characteristics that do apply to me. They too could have left China by boat, same explanation as Hawaiian.
· In Northern Australia, someone thought I looked “kind of Singaporean”. Fair enough, once again, at least we’re still in the Orient. Plus, proximity to Singapore.
· An elderly man I met had lived in Canada and thought I resembled the Native Canadians he had seen on TV. I’m figuring that Native Canadians came over on the ice bridge so once did share origins with the Orient because the Chinese empire did reach up to Mongolia. Native Canadians took the ice bridge while Hawaiians and South Pacific Islanders went by boat. Same difference.
· While in Japan, when mute, people couldn’t tell I was a foreigner. And since I was able to adopt the Japanese accent with the limited Japanese I learned, even if I spoke a simple sentence, people assumed I was Japanese thereafter and would continue an entire conversation with me in Japanese. On a daily basis, I had to interrupt and say “Sumimasen, watashi Kanada-jin desu.” (“Excuse me, I’m Canadian”). OK, although I can tell the difference between Japanese and Chinese, it is easily forgivable how others outside of the culture cannot distinguish the two. It’s like confusing the Spanish and Portuguese – will never make that mistake again! But this is also understandable because long time ago, Japan used to be a part of the Chinese empire (but don’t go around mentioning this point though!)
· Leaving the Orient and Oceania, while on vacation with my girlfriend, who is Spanish and Italian, for some reason, people thought I was “Mediterranean-ish”. Did her ethnicity travel to me through osmosis? Maybe it was my hair, make-up and skin complexion at that moment….but that’s why the convenient store clerk’s comments about being mixed-Spanish was so interesting to me.
· Back to the orient…on my vacation in Phuket, I confused the heck out of the girls at the hostel. Clearly, they knew I wasn’t local. But in combination with my Canadian Passport, my reservation made from Japan, my Chinese last name…they didn’t know what to make of me. They said I looked “maybe Thai” but not quite, but there was something more than just Chinese there.
That’s the general consensus of what I am. I’m something Oriental, perhaps a blend of a few. Maybe there were some torrid affairs among my ancestors generations ago…I’ve even asked my mother if she met some ‘foreigner’ hottie! But no such luck. In the end, there’s no explanation of why people don’t think I look 100% Chinese. Now, as for the question of what a Chinese person looks like? That’ll be my next blog. This one is already too long.
……
Have you ever been asked that? For this of you who know me, you're probably not surprised. For those of you who have faced this unique question, you'll understand my obsession over this topic. And for those of you who don't have a clue as to what I'm talking about...be warned. You're about to engage into one of the topics that I'm most passionate about.Let me tell you a story...
I went into my local convenience store to pick up a scratch n' win ticket. I was coming from the gym so not looking particularly made up or dressed up. But perhaps that added to the confusion. Because when I got to the cashier, the guy behind the counter asked me,
"What nationality are you?" He just came out with the question, no small talk, no preface...he just bluntly asked."
I'm Chinese," I answered, slightly surprised by his question and not sure what the question was leading to.
"Are you sure?" he replied. What do you mean am I sure? Of course I’m sure. Are you sure you're male? Are you sure you're an idiot? I just smiled and stood there taken aback.
"Are you mixed?" he continued. Now this was getting interesting. He thinks I'm mixed. What does that mean? On a superficial level, I took it as a compliment because I generally think people with mixed ethnicities are beautiful, in an exotic way. But on the other hand...what was he implying about my cultural identity? Was it an insult? A compliment? Or just an ignorant statement?
"No, I'm not mixed. I'm 100% Chinese," I defended. How dare this guy, this complete stranger make ignorant assumptions about my ethnicity and cultural identity! Hmmph.
"Really?" he retorted. OK, honestly, at that point, it was getting funny. Why wouldn't he believe me? Better question would be why would I lie?
“You look like you’re a Spanish mix,” he continued. I grabbed my scratch n’ lose ticket, smiled at the clerk, and went on my way.
Now, that conversation was new territory for me. I’ve been called a Hawaiian, Singaporean, South Pacific Islander, Japanese, Native Canadian, “maybe Thai”, and even “Mediterranean-ish”…but never Spanish-mix.
Even more interesting, my ethnicity apparently changes depending on the part of the world I’m in and who I’m with.
· While in Hawaii, I was considered to be “like Hawaiian”. OK, this I can understand because Hawaiians have the same origins as the Chinese. Along with my tanned skin and my summer beach wear, I can absolutely understand why people made this assumption. They could have left China by boat since the Chinese empire was vast and covered much of the Asian continent, including the South.
· In New Zealand, I reminded someone of a South Pacific Islander. OK, once again, South Pacific Islanders is understandable because in general, they have a larger build and darker skin, characteristics that do apply to me. They too could have left China by boat, same explanation as Hawaiian.
· In Northern Australia, someone thought I looked “kind of Singaporean”. Fair enough, once again, at least we’re still in the Orient. Plus, proximity to Singapore.
· An elderly man I met had lived in Canada and thought I resembled the Native Canadians he had seen on TV. I’m figuring that Native Canadians came over on the ice bridge so once did share origins with the Orient because the Chinese empire did reach up to Mongolia. Native Canadians took the ice bridge while Hawaiians and South Pacific Islanders went by boat. Same difference.
· While in Japan, when mute, people couldn’t tell I was a foreigner. And since I was able to adopt the Japanese accent with the limited Japanese I learned, even if I spoke a simple sentence, people assumed I was Japanese thereafter and would continue an entire conversation with me in Japanese. On a daily basis, I had to interrupt and say “Sumimasen, watashi Kanada-jin desu.” (“Excuse me, I’m Canadian”). OK, although I can tell the difference between Japanese and Chinese, it is easily forgivable how others outside of the culture cannot distinguish the two. It’s like confusing the Spanish and Portuguese – will never make that mistake again! But this is also understandable because long time ago, Japan used to be a part of the Chinese empire (but don’t go around mentioning this point though!)
· Leaving the Orient and Oceania, while on vacation with my girlfriend, who is Spanish and Italian, for some reason, people thought I was “Mediterranean-ish”. Did her ethnicity travel to me through osmosis? Maybe it was my hair, make-up and skin complexion at that moment….but that’s why the convenient store clerk’s comments about being mixed-Spanish was so interesting to me.
· Back to the orient…on my vacation in Phuket, I confused the heck out of the girls at the hostel. Clearly, they knew I wasn’t local. But in combination with my Canadian Passport, my reservation made from Japan, my Chinese last name…they didn’t know what to make of me. They said I looked “maybe Thai” but not quite, but there was something more than just Chinese there.
That’s the general consensus of what I am. I’m something Oriental, perhaps a blend of a few. Maybe there were some torrid affairs among my ancestors generations ago…I’ve even asked my mother if she met some ‘foreigner’ hottie! But no such luck. In the end, there’s no explanation of why people don’t think I look 100% Chinese. Now, as for the question of what a Chinese person looks like? That’ll be my next blog. This one is already too long.
posted by glor at 5:15 p.m.
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