Comments on: On Being Chinese

By: Melting Pot

Melting Pot — Sat, 25 Dec 2004 01:05:00 +0000

Well, I am a Chinese and was born in Indonesia. I do look like Chinese but I do not speak the language. And I have lived in the USA which then I act more like American. To be honest, I am so proud with what I look like as a Chinese but I feel closer to American culture where I feel more accepted than where I was in Indonesia or even by Chinese people. I was discriminated in Indonesia being a Chinese descent and Chinese people think I am not a Chinese but Indonesian. Chinese-American people didn`t talk to me when they found I didn`t speak Chinese even though we could just simply speak English.Sometimes I wish I were born in the US. I like to look like a cute China doll and being adored by any race but I love America more than any other country in the world where I feel like home.

By: Emily

Emily — Sat, 20 Nov 2004 01:04:59 +0000

I’m Caucasian (I hate saying “white”. I am not white! I’m pale and freckly, but not white) and American, but I have tons of friends who are of different ethnicities. America is supposed to be a melting pot, and that’s what I like about it. However, culture clashes are constant here, and I’ve been brought up to be very open-minded. I’ve always wished I had more of an ethnicity, though. I’m just American and nothing more. I’ve always been secretly jealous of the fascinating cultures Asian people share. I wish I were Chinese. I think you are lucky, Becca.I think people should be proud of what who they are and where they came from. My only pet peeve is when people of one culture look down on people of another. People seem to forget that there are good and bad sides to every ethnicity. It’s human nature to want to look down on somebody else, though. I wish people would just think “outside the box” more. Sorry, I didn’t mean for this to be so long; I was just thinking out loud.

By: Tremendisimo

Tremendisimo — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 01:04:58 +0000

This issue is old and new. Up to about the 1500’s no one really cared. It was a case where you were born andor where you decided to identify. (If one was born in say… China, but moved to some other country, and lived there their entire life, then they would be known as being from that new country.). People were more intrested in how strong your sword arm was aka how much of a man you were. Nowadays, starting about from the 1500’s to now, race, heritage, ethnicity, color, creed (still no idea what that is?!?), are all big issues – political, cultural issues. Why? Many reasons. The term “Caucasian” didn’t exist before the 1500’s. Africa didn’t exist either since Leo Africanus didn’t discover it yet for Europe and get it named after him. Basically, a bunch of Western social scientists decided to label everyone. Western culture has now been exported and imported worldwide. In America you will never see Americans call each other and theirselves “American”. Everything is a hyphen. Funny thing is this: How far back should everyone trace back? To their parents? Great-Grand Parents? Then what about when the GG Parents were alive and THEY traced back to their GG Parents? Technically everyone is related. There is no such thing as all the labels – from a biological view. I have a friend who is Indonesian and married a Spanish woman. They moved to America and had kids. Are their Kids American? Indonesian? Spanish? OR Indonesian-Spanish-American? Back to the main subject… What are Chinese? They came from someplace. Han-Chinese. Hui-Chinese. Go back further before China existed back in the days of the Akkadian civilization. When the Akkadians romaed and wandered and formed China what did they call theirselves? Everyone comes from somewhere. All Europeans come from German stock. Germans are very mixed (Visigoth-German, plus 50 more types of Germans.). Germans come from Iraq, Iran, and Turkey. (They crossed the Caucasious Mountains.). What did they call theirselves before they crossed? And after? Just call yourself what you want, stay educated = learn about your parents background, and as many other backgrounds as possible, and flip the rest of the world and what they say.!!!

By: weenie

weenie — Sun, 07 Nov 2004 01:04:57 +0000

I was born in the UK, but my folks are from Hong Kong. I was brought up to speak Chinese at home, but was never pushed to learn to read or write in Chinese (something I regret in adult life). I’m Chinese but I’m also a Brit and I’m proud of both. I have more in common with British people because I have lived here all my life. My boyfriend is English and loves the fact I have dual-identity!

By: Richardson Sim

Richardson Sim — Thu, 04 Nov 2004 01:04:56 +0000

Hey everyone, nice knowing your thoughts, my girlfreind was the “writer” of this “thought” she is very frank and she says what she wants to say, which is good and bad in many ways. She was expressing herself in a way that “people” will be defensive and express their opinions aswell, she was stressed at that time, very, from her PC not functioning properly to writing an essay until 5 am, with this annoying “people” who happened to be exchange students in the Chinese University of Hong Kong, It was just her brain was quite clouded at that time. But personally think about it, as I’ve mentioned before everyone I MEAN YOU YOU! reading this have somekind of stereotype towards something or someone. After all she was just pissed and using Xanga as a tool to “burst” and to have people tell her what they think. Like what is happening NOW.Richardson

By: jos

jos — Wed, 03 Nov 2004 01:04:55 +0000

just stumbled upon this blog! love your navigation. i am an indonesian-chinese though I spent practically more than half of my life in singapore where i was taught english and chinese. but if anything, i’d love to be able to speak indonesian more than anything. i believe your nationality is more important than your race and i am planning to study indonesian throughly to make up!.

By: Salome

Salome — Wed, 03 Nov 2004 01:04:54 +0000

I think it’s impossible for stereotypers (:D)to keep their mouths shut so it would be best if we just ignored them.

By: Ann

Ann — Wed, 03 Nov 2004 01:04:53 +0000

I go to a very diverse school where there are people of every ethnicity and all sorts of heritages. So, Ive never really had to deal with anyone being so .. naive. Anyways, I agree about the being bilingual and it not being your fault, had my mom not spoken to me in both spanish and english as a child I dont think I would have the opportunities I do now however that in no way makes anyone inferior to the ones who do or lack pride in their heritage.Ibtw, I think highly of you for not linking her post. That is the correct thing to do, I can imagine a million people spamming her comments telling her how blindly egoistical she is when I think all she needs is to grow up and open her eyes to the real world.

By: psycho

psycho — Tue, 02 Nov 2004 01:04:52 +0000

Hm.. I like the last two paragraphs which you said! I’m Chinese, and I’m proud to be one

By: Iris

Iris — Tue, 02 Nov 2004 01:04:51 +0000

I don’t consider myself ALL-chinese or ALL-new zealander, I’m an inbetween.Saying that ALL overseas chinese are not proud of their heritage is just wrong, there isn’t an absolute. But I have seen Chinese people neglect or completely ignore the notion that they’re chinese. My little sister was born here in NZ, and we’re trying to raise her as bi-lingual, I just hope when she grows up, she accepts that she’s a kiwi-chinese and not try to act as if that part of her doesn’t exist.