Random Thought Theater

[surimi]

1 hour ago, ralucutzagy said:

I find this question "what are you", to be another form of racism. And very rude. Why is so important to know if one is japanese, chinese or from another planet! All of them are people! Discrimination in any form makes me sick. 

 

I think the context matters a lot here, and of how the question is worded... I find it annoying when people automatically presume and stereotype. I encounter that a lot. But among the 'where are you from?' bunch, there are people who are really just curious, perhaps because they don't meet many foreign folk where they live, or just because they're just that sociable. I myself often wonder about where some folk might come from, but I'm supershy and never ask. I think it would be a sad and paranoid world where an innocent question is automatically read as racist or mean. JMO.

[Murieleirum]

7 hours ago, kitsune said:

Part 2 of questions that I am tired of hearing :
Yesterday person A asked "Do you speak Japanese?"
Today person B asked "Are you Japanese?"
I really want to hear different questions of this when they know me. Am I asking for something very difficult? 

 

I always get asked the same questions, in this order:
"Oh, wow! Muriel! That's a strange name, are you a foreigner?"
"Nope, I'm italian."
"Oh, you don't look italian though! You look Asian, has anyone ever told you that?"
"YUP, EVERY FUCKING TIME" 

 

[Puniyo]

Being half Chinese and half Portuguese, I kind of got used to these identity questions. 

 

When I was in Portugal, the talk would be

Person A: 'Wow, you don't look Portuguese.'

Me: 'I am.'

Person A: 'Are you sure you're not Asian?'

Me: ...

 

Now that I moved:

Person B: 'Wow, you don't look Chinese.'

Me: 'I am.'

Person B: 'Are you sure you're not a Westerner?'

Me: ...

 

[Puniyo]

12 hours ago, Bonesfan said:

 

When my daughter was a baby, white folks would say "oh she looks completely Asian". One woman even asked her Dad "where did you get her from?" meaning where in Asia was she adopted from. My asian friends would say "oh, she definitely looks white- look at her nose!".

Oh this reminds me of one time when I went with my mom to a local market in her hometown and people were pinpointing out our differences - 'she looks pretty white'... 'look at her eyes, so big', and some ignorants even when to the point of asking my mom if I was her biological daughter (which was so rude in my opinion). My mom just answered, 'No, she just fell from the sky this morning.'   

[Hydroblade]

The dance number from japanese school was uploaded to youtube WHY, I MESSED UP WHY UPLOAD IT FOR THE WORLD TO SEE GAAAH

[Emzie]

4 hours ago, Hydroblade said:

The dance number from japanese school was uploaded to youtube WHY, I MESSED UP WHY UPLOAD IT FOR THE WORLD TO SEE GAAAH

You know, we want to see it...

[dreamelena]

Onto a more lighter side of.. random thought.

This happens quite often.. I'd get asked what grade I'm in.. (happened most when I was in uni)

that or if I'm still studying at uni/college.

I mean.. not necessarily a bad thing and it's not like it upsets me but after a while it got a bit annoying though it is rather funny. Considering (especially now) I'm way past the (normal) school/college age.

But I've come to terms that it can be a nice thing and that I should be grateful. It still makes me self-conscious though, whenever I'm outside in public. Oh and it doesn't help that I'm short.

 

I think this thread is nice I'd like to post more random stuff but ofc most probably only on weekend (and only if I don't have any work/schedule). This is actually my first free Saturday (weekend) after a while..

 

 

[Neenah]

17 minutes ago, dreamelena said:

Onto a more lighter side of.. random thought.

This happens quite often.. I'd get asked what grade I'm in.. (happened most when I was in uni)

that or if I'm still studying at uni/college.

I mean.. not necessarily a bad thing and it's not like it upsets me but after a while it got a bit annoying though it is rather funny. Considering (especially now) I'm way past the (normal) school/college age.

But I've come to terms that it can be a nice thing and that I should be grateful. It still makes me self-conscious though, whenever I'm outside in public. Oh and it doesn't help that I'm short.

 

I think this thread is nice I'd like to post more random stuff but ofc most probably only on weekend (and only if I don't have any work/schedule). This is actually my first free Saturday (weekend) after a while..

 

 

I have the opposite problem, people always think I am older than my actual age. I am quite tall and for some reason they relate height to age, and it is kind of annoying.

Funny thing, I am now studying in the UK and the average height of woman here is way above the average in my country, so my height is normal here. Last month I asked my friends to guess my age and they all thought I was younger than my real age. 

[dreamelena]

13 minutes ago, Neenah said:

I have the opposite problem, people always think I am older than my actual age. I am quite tall and for some reason they relate height to age, and it is kind of annoying.

Funny thing, I am now studying in the UK and the average height of woman here is way above the average in my country, so my height is normal here. Last month I asked my friends to guess my age and they all thought I was younger than my real age. 

 

 

I see.. that way can be annoying too. If you don't mind me asking, are you from an Asian country? I'm asking because I think, based on my experience at least, other people consider Asians have a youthful look. Added with the tiny/small built.. people would think them younger than they actually are. I know it's not always the case but I think I can safely assume it happens to plenty.

 

I studied abroad too and I remember during my master degree last time the very first day of the semester before we entered the class, I knew no one, so we were pretty much just staring awkwardly.. later on, I figured that some of my classmates thought I was probably in the wrong class

[Hydroblade]

1 hour ago, dreamelena said:

Onto a more lighter side of.. random thought.

This happens quite often.. I'd get asked what grade I'm in.. (happened most when I was in uni)

that or if I'm still studying at uni/college.

I mean.. not necessarily a bad thing and it's not like it upsets me but after a while it got a bit annoying though it is rather funny. Considering (especially now) I'm way past the (normal) school/college age.

But I've come to terms that it can be a nice thing and that I should be grateful. It still makes me self-conscious though, whenever I'm outside in public. Oh and it doesn't help that I'm short.

 

I think this thread is nice I'd like to post more random stuff but ofc most probably only on weekend (and only if I don't have any work/schedule). This is actually my first free Saturday (weekend) after a while..

 

 

I get asked if i'm still in middle school or high school.

The other day a 13 yo tried to flirt with me because he thought i was 15.

I'm 25.

[Neenah]

23 minutes ago, dreamelena said:

 

I see.. that way can be annoying too. If you don't mind me asking, are you from an Asian country? I'm asking because I think, based on my experience at least, other people consider Asians have a youthful look. Added with the tiny/small built.. people would think them younger than they actually are. I know it's not always the case but I think I can safely assume it happens to plenty.

 

I studied abroad too and I remember during my master degree last time the very first day of the semester before we entered the class, I knew no one, so we were pretty much just staring awkwardly.. later on, I figured that some of my classmates thought I was probably in the wrong class

I am from the middle east, but I think the problem is that we all have our way of judging age based on the people we know so it makes sense that we will be confused with people who are different from us. Although I have to admit that I am horrible at guessing people's ages, I never get it right  

[Puniyo]

1 hour ago, Neenah said:

I am from the middle east, but I think the problem is that we all have our way of judging age based on the people we know so it makes sense that we will be confused with people who are different from us. Although I have to admit that I am horrible at guessing people's ages, I never get it right  

Me too! That's why I hate when people ask me to guess their age. I really don't want to offend or hurt their feelings. 

 

@Hydroblade I'm the same age as you but, on the opposite, people think I'm much older. I have a brother who's four years older than I am and people always think that I'm the elder sister  

[dreamelena]

1 hour ago, Hydroblade said:

I get asked if i'm still in middle school or high school.

The other day a 13 yo tried to flirt with me because he thought i was 15.

I'm 25.

 

 

so you understand how it feels.. 

but wow a 13 yo who flirted... when I was 13 I didn't know what flirting is.

 

1 hour ago, Neenah said:

I am from the middle east, but I think the problem is that we all have our way of judging age based on the people we know so it makes sense that we will be confused with people who are different from us. Although I have to admit that I am horrible at guessing people's ages, I never get it right  

 

 

I see.. yes you're right. I mean it's so easy to assume and it's not that it's bad, it's just how it is. 

Understandable. If you ask me, I think a lot young kids these days look older than they are.. sometimes it trips me up seeing someone turned out to be a high school student yet they look so mature.

[surimi]

 

22 hours ago, Bonesfan said:

 

Well as an Asian-American, I've been asked when living in a white community. People were flabbergasted that I could speak English so well.  You get asked enough times and it starts feeling discriminatory. Especially because when I would turn the question around, they would look very surprised and mildly offended, as if, why are you questioning me and my rights to be here in America?  Yes do I take it as an opportunity to educate people.

 

If you are actually interested in where someone is from, I assume it is because you want to have a friendly relationship, and in that case such information would come out in normal conversation..

 

I don't consider such questions racist or mean - but I do think it stems from a sense of entitlement, at least in the US of those of Caucasian background. Funny but Latino and African-Americans never ask me where I'm from.

 

I'm sorry you had so many negative experiences. I guess I am blessed to live in a country where people are generally laid-back and wonder about one's origin just out of curiosity. But I'd never even consider asking where someone is from if they spoke my native tongue flawlessly - because is that not an obvious clue in itself?

[Pamigena]

1 hour ago, Puniyo said:

Me too! That's why I hate when people ask me to guess their age. I really don't want to offend or hurt their feelings. 

 

@Hydroblade I'm the same age as you but, on the opposite, people think I'm much older. I have a brother who's four years older than I am and people always think that I'm the elder sister  

 

One time someone asked me: "Is that your sister?"

Me: "No that's my mother. But I assume that was a compliment for her and not an insult to me."

 

Another time someone asked me: "You aren't her mother, are you?"

Me: "No I'm her older sister, but thanks for not assuming that I'm old enough to be her mother."