I am Korean. Please bear that in mind as I continue my story. I was sitting in history class, listening to my teacher talking about stereotypes and prejudice. Then, he got into talking about this “Asian stereotype”: parents are baby boomers who own a convenience/variety/grocery store whose kids are multi-talented and smart and perfect. Yeah, that’s pretty much what he said. And my ignorant “friend” (See <a href=“http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=288796”>My Harry Potter Rant</a>) turned to me and said, “You Chinese people. You’re too smart.” And I was really confused because I’ve known this girl for about four and a half years now. So, I said, “I’m Korean…” She just rolled her eyes and replied, “Same thing.”
NO, Koreans and Chinese are NOT the same people. Our languages aren’t even alike!! Jesus Christ!! How culturally ignorant can you GET?!?!
I’m sorry if I’ve bothered anyone because I’m a teenage girl on a full-blown rant.
D’oh! The link for my HP thread didn’t work. If you’re really that bored, here it is again: [a href=“http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=288796”>Dare_Devil007_'s Rant on Ignorant Christians Who Say Harry Potter is Evil.[/a]
Yep, she’s an ignoramus, all right. 'Course, she’s a teenager. I didn’t know about the wide variety of cultural and linguistic differences between asian peoples when I was a teen. Ignorance isn’t a crime, per se. Willful ignorance on the other hand, should be punished severely by raining countless blows to the head and shoulders, which you will administer due to your proficiency in various martial arts.
Also, if you’re in America, tell her that “all you Canadians are the same”. See what she says.
On preview, maybe you should use the handy coding buttons…
My co-worker, reading this thread over my shoulder, says:
We’ll often be sitting at the front desk of the establishent we work at, and someone will come up and start speaking to him in Chinese. He’s very patient about it every time. I say he should learn to say: “Fuck off! I’m Korean” in Cantonese AND Mandarin.
Hank Hill: So, are you Chinese or Japanese?
Kahn: I’m Laotian! You not even know how to tell Laos from China? Stupid redneck!!!
Hank: Well, are you Chinese or Japanese?
Kahn: :smack:
My linguistics professor was talking about how Mandarin is a tonal language, and she looked at this kid and said, “I can’t replicate the tones, could you do that for us?” And his face turned bright red and said, “…I’m Korean.” Heh. Poor kid.
Poor kid…I mean, random Chinese tourists sometimes come up to me and shove their cameras into my hands and point at the CN Tower (Yes, I am Torontonian ). But, they’re not being ignorant, unlike my student friend who knows I’m Korean. Sheesh… :rolleyes:
You have to humor us poor Americans. Half of us grew up with short white people playing Asians in the movies. Some different percentage of us think Joel Grey is a typical Korean because we saw Remo Williams the Adventure Begins.
Ok, I’m kidding, but I can’t tell the difference between honest, decent Swedes (I’m a 1/4 Swedish) and them fishy-breath Norveegians (The Devil’s Grandfather is 1/2 Norwegian) I’m not going to easily tell the difference between Vietnamese and Mungs. Koreans, oddly, I can usually pick out of an Asian crowd. No, I don’t know why I can distinguish that one group from the others.
Dare_Devil007_'s whole family can tell who’s Korean and who’s Chinese. Dare_Devil007_ sometimes cannot and is considered a disgrace to her family because she refuses to be a doctor and wants to be a crime scene investigator after university.
Hank: So are you Chinese or Japanese?
Kahn: I live in California last 20 year, but first come from Laos.
Hank: Huh?
Kahn: Laos. We Laotian.
Bill: The ocean? What ocean?
Kahn: We are Laotian. From Laos, Stupid. It’s a landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It’s between Vietnam and Thailand, okay? Population 4.7 million.
(blank stares from Hank, Dale, Boomhauer,and Bill)
Hank: So, are you Chinese or Japanese?
Kahn: Doh. (shakes head, digusted)
