Do You Know Kung-Fu? : Some Misconceptions About Asians
91All throughout my life I’ve been stereotyped, albeit, in a positive manner, but stereotyped nonetheless for being Asian. Much of it has to do with given a backhanded compliment, which is a form of subtle racism if you ask me. Heck, in some instances, I was stereotyped by other Asians! One example of this is when meeting some folks for the first time (usually Caucasian Americans) who’ll say something to the effect of, “Oh! Your English is perfect!” In my mind, I’m thinking, It better be. My parents’ taxes paid my teachers’ salaries to make damn sure I spoke proper English…Unlike my parents’ English. For the record, English is my second language, by the way. I came to America at a very young age. Another question I’ll get is, “Do you know Kung-Fu?” or “Do you know Karate?” My answer used to be, “No,” which was the truth, but nowadays and after hearing the same question so many times, my answer now is, “Do you want to find out?” At this point, I’d give the inquirer the squinty-eyed look (not difficult to do) and tighten my jaw muscles. It works every time.
So back to the reason why I wrote this hub: I think that every race could do without being stereotyped, including the Asiatic race. We’re tired of the Bruce Lee and Mister Miyagi impressions, of “Wax on, wax off.” I mean, the shit is getting old! We’re tired of people asking us if we know Shaolin Kung Fu or Karate. I mean, I don’t go around asking white people if they play hockey! So c’mon people, let’s quell this thing once and for all! Let’s get rid of the Asian stereotyping. I’m sure my Lao counterpart, mayhmong would agree. And how is it that we eradicate a stereotype? The answer is through education, my friend, and that’s exactly what I’ve set out to do by sharing this hub with you, mainly based on my own personal experiences. With that said, I’d like to end this introduction with a retro Asian infomercial I remember: “NO MONEY DOWN!!! YOU CALL NOW TO ORDER!!! WELCOME TO MY SEMINAR! AHHHH!!!” GONG!!! So grab your chopsticks and enjoy!
-ODP
Asians Know Martial Arts
I did take up Kung Fu with my brother once when we were
kids, but after about two weeks he and I were tired of dancing around like a
couple of butterflies with our teacher.
It was very metrosexual for two brothers to be doing so. It was during the time of “Drive-In Theater”
and at the height of Kung-Fu awareness and (what used to be) the World Wrestling
Federation in the mid-1980’s. My brother
walked up to our teacher and said, “Teacher? When
can me and my little brother start beating the crap out of each other?” Our teacher laughed. “No.
You must first learn form (a.k.a. dancing like a butterfly) and then I
will teach you how to harness your Chi.” Well, after that, my brother and I
decided to call it quits and so decided instead to take up Judo after school—the
two of us were just too impatient to learn Kung-Fu. Judo was a lot of fun, as we got to beat
each other up as many times as possible, without kicking or punching mind you. It's not like we're automatically black belts as soon as we hatch.
"I Know Kung-Fu."
Asians Suck at Driving
Speaking of my dad, he drives insanely faster than me and he’s now in his early seventies. I picked up a lot just from watching my dad over the years, including how to maneuver around traffic, but more importantly, how to drive defensively. And what my dad didn’t teach me, my eldest brother taught me the rest (I have two older brothers and sisters by the way and I haven't had an accident since I was sixteen). Speeding is a vice of mine that I’m still trying to rid myself of, but it’s not easy. However, a couple of speeding tickets should cure this particular problem. Keep in mind too that if you think Asians are bad drivers, that the Japanese invented drifting, which is arguably the most difficult thing to do whilst inside of a car!
Asians Are Good at Math
I remember a time at work where a statistical analysis had to be performed for the previous quarter of the perennial year. The stuff was pretty intense. Three of white shirt and tie lackeys were mulling over a similar report and couldn’t make out what the heck they were looking at, as the supervisor was out for the day. All six eyes turned to me while I was minding my own business, as if to say: “Hey! You’re Asian…Figure this thing out!” I gave them once over and shook my head. “Forget it!” I said. “I barely passed my math requirements to graduate from college!” For this reason, I’m a poor representation of a stereotypical Asian. I'm just glad that I enjoyed English and Politics while at school. So, if the math curve at your school or college was a bit screwed or skewed, don’t look at me. I was right there with you sweating bullets at crunch time! My dad stinks at math as well (unlike my mom), so thanks dad for the genes and for saving me from becoming a stereotype.
Let's take a look at some businesses some stereotypical Asians are likely to own:
I find that fruit stands tend to have better deals on produce than huge mega-chain supermarkets. No wonder they're popular.
I still remember my pal Yi from the take-out: "Hello? Number One, may I take odor?"
A pretty important business to have in every crux of every town. My eldest brother ALMOST opened one!
Rayna once asked me,"Do the people at those nail salons talk behind your back?" Honestly? "No. They talk shit right to your face, only not in English."
Asians are Rich
Again, in accordance with my own experiences during my college years when I was practically kidnapped and brought to a strip joint (a.k.a a skin store) by my suite mates on my birthday, the "representatives" there flocked over to me more frequently than usual and inquired if I wanted a lap dance or not. One of my suite mates then asked me,
"Why the hell do all of these girls make a beeline to you?" I smiled.
"I don't know...Maybe because I'm cute?" Laughter was heard.
"Bullshit," another one of my suite mates said. "It's because you're Asian. They think you're loaded."
Mind you, I was in upstate New York, in Plattsburgh and near the Canadian border and most of the clients at said strip joint were college students with disposable incomes. Okay, so maybe my cohorts had a point, but I went there with no money, yet got service with a smile. This misconception can be traced to the fact that in general, Asians are very careful with their money as for the most part Asian immigrants like most immigrants that come to America after having been raised impoverished. And if you think I'm rich, you must be hitting the Sake pretty hard. I make about 14 cents an hour through Google Adsense while writing for HubPages (I figured this out using the abacus you saw above).
Asians Are Really Smart
Okay, so if you know me and have been "following" me at HubPages, you know for a fact that this isn't true! If I was so damn smart, I'd be making a heck of a lot more money than I am (see my 14 cent per hour wage per Google). A few people over the years have asked me if this was indeed factual and I only responded with the fact that like in many cases, it's due to the upbringing of any family that will help or hinder the academic successes of each individual, not just Asian individuals. Typically, Asians are brought up to believe that honor must be bestowed upon the family and that family is king. Each given family has a reputation to protect and excelling in business and academics is crucial to each. The expectations are just that much higher, so with that said, many Asians are "expected" to become successful and so in essence must try harder to overcome any and all obstacles.
Asians Love to Gamble
There might be some truth to this (and sadly, with all stereotypes) but don't make a generalization about it. While driving to and from home, I'll occasionally see the Chinese-owned coach buses that make daily round trips from Chinatown in New York City and Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun Casino. Gee, I wonder why? The truth is that gambling is indeed a part of many Asians cultures and was and is a part of their upbringing, but a vice no less. And there is a reason why every casino has a separate section for Asian inspired gaming. The smartest Asians know not to gamble, just like with most people, as the house consequently always wins. I wrote a little tidbit on gambling in my Viva Las Vegas Vacation hub, so please have a look.
All Asians Are Buddhists
Although I wish this were the case, this stereotype on Asians just isn't true. There are many Asians out there in the world as China and India make up two-thirds of the world's population. There may be many Asians in the world and many Buddhists in the world, but consequently, there really isn't that many Asian Buddhists. Christianity and Islam is actually the world's largest religions so in other words, the majority of the world's population is monotheistic. In addition to this, Asians are not all pacifists either. Indians are thought to be a peaceful race, yet have nuclear capabilities in defense of their nation. The Bhagavad Gita is also a pro-war Hindu scripture and is by far one of the most popular writings in all the world. By the way, just about every country East of the Mediterranean is in fact Asian, despite what many may think!
Asian/Pacific Islander? Check!
More often than not, many people will ask me where Laos is after I tell them that I'm from Laos. My response? "It's between Vietnam and Thailand." And if they they then go further to ask me where those countries are, I throw up my hands and walk away (which has only happened once). When I saw the episode of King of the Hill where the Hills' next door neighbors move in for the first time, I was absolutely floored. Please watch the clip as it's really funny.
So, in reference to the long running syndicate, "King of the Hill," I'll sometimes say the following:
"Do you know that show, 'King of the Hill?'"
"Yeah, what about it?"
"Their neighbors...I'm from the same country."
Are You Chinese or Japanese?!
Yes, We Do Like Rice, Captain Obvious...
Thanks For Reading...
Well, I hope that you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. It's my wish that you leave here with a better understanding of the Asian culture and that I dispelled some of the myths an misconceptions behind it. As with all myths and stereotypes, I think that yes, there is some truth that lies within each, but I don't believe that any of us should make any broad generalizations about any and all of them. To do so would be irresponsible on our part.
Thanks as always!
-ODP
P.S. I also wrote a book review on Dr. Seuss' "The Sneetches" which has a segment on racism as well. Please have a look!
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Great read. It's unfortunate that people are judged by appearance or where their from, and in my case, even the way we talk.
I've read quite a few of your hubs and enjoy your writing. Keep on hubbing!
Very informative hub. I know where all the Asian countries are located, but what I didn't know was all those personal life events you wrote about and I agree with you about stereotypes. Much of the article had me laughing. I don't care for the term Afro-American. I like to think we are all just Americans. After all, all our ancestors came from some other country. All cultures seem to enjoy seeing the picture of a beautiful woman, like Miss Asian America for instance.
Thanks, Shari! I'm glad that you enjoyed reading this! I thought it a fun idea to write and so hearing such a positive response is enlightening for the most part. I thought that the middle pictures would be a nice touch after so much text. I hope you have a wonderful New Year, my friend!
@Mit Kroy-Thanks for the comment. I agree with you. What others may think is not offensive may be to others from different cultures. Being diplomatic and having good intentions is always a good start.
@Pamela99-Thanks for reading this Pamela! More of us should realize that this country was built by immigrants and for immigrants. It comes down to really, who got here first. With each new race to step foot onto U.S. soil, the same harsh treatment is again repeated unfortunately, albeit in a different fashion. I'm glad that I made you laugh!
You've pretty much summed up the stereotypes I knew! In my high school the top two students were Asian. It was my mission to beat them academically (I came third) but I enjoyed the challenge. They were motivation for me. Another positive stereotype was another that you mentioned - family is king. Unfortunately you see broken families and failed relationships more and more in society. I guess it's why you tend to see a lot more caucasian men marry asian women. (Another stereotype?) While it isn't always fair, people will stereotype. It's up to each individual to then break the myth... or live up to it! I have a personal stereotype: all of Dohn121's hubs are good :) Happy new year mate.
LOL very entertaining. Just like asking a Canadian if they know how to build an igloo. I still get that.
Congrats on AEvans best New Hubbers list. You are definitely one of my faves and all the ones I voted for made it to the list so I know good writers (patting myself on the back LOL). You're one of the best! Great way to start out the New Year eh!
This was fun to read, Dohn. I chuckled out loud at the mathematics stereotype and all six eyes looking at you for the solution. LOL! And the Judo preference of you and your brother so you could beat each other up, was funny too, though I think dancing like butterflies is cool! :)
At least your sterotypes are positive; I am Colombian, so I get the drugs joke. I don't sell it, as my being a Hubpages writer and making a few cents should suggest, or take drugs and neither does my family. hehe.
Have a Happy New Year and thanks for the chuckles.
Do you by chance have a Rickshaw?
A super Hub, as usual. I'm a southerner so I must be a hick but I love your Hubs. Thanks for the read.
Donh, good one and very funny. Had me nodding my head and laughing--being Asian--I had my share of stereotypes thrown at me. For one, they look surprise when I tell them I write--"you, no write English"--they're probably thinking , seeing that English is my 2nd langugage (on top of that, I've a Singaporean accent). As a matter of fact, I speak Mandarin, Teochew, Hokkien and some Cantonese.
Good observations and thanks for the interesting read.
@marcofratelli-Hey, Marco. Did those two Asian kids happen to be Lao? Ha ha, that would be really funny if they were. I really just gathered up some of the commonalities about Asians that I thought dominated all stereotypes, male anatomy not withstanding :D There is something about Asian women, isn't there? My Amy Chanthaphavong and Kay Sivilay Hubs are getting A LOT of traffic! Thanks so much for that comment! That's very kind of you to say! I really appreciate it. I hope you have a wonderful New Year!
@Tammy Lochmann-Oh, Tammy. Thank you so much! Hearing so many wonderful comments is so reassuring, not to mention encouraging to me. I admit, I do put a lot into my hubs (about as much as I can stand, lol). I love to write and I hope that it shows. Thank you so much! I hope you have a great New Year!
@VioletSun-Thanks for that, VioletSun! I did want to make this a fun hub to read and hope that many share in my frivolity. If we can all laugh about it, it really makes it that much better, don't you think? Drugs? What about drugs? You guys grow the best coffee from what I understand :D Dancing butterflies are overrated! I hope you have a wonderful New Year!
@ralwus-Ha! Rickshaw? Yeah, I got one! It's rice-powered :D Get it??? Happy New Year, sport!
@suziecat7-I don't care if you're a hick or not as long as you like my hubs :) Thanks for reading this!
@anginwu-Wow, you sure speak a lot of languages! I'm still trying to learn Thai and French. It's going to come in handy when I travel the world! Don't you just love it when people are surprised to learn how well you read and write English? It's great to get your vote of confidence. Subtle racism must be quelled for sure. Thanks for reading me. I hope you have a wonderful New Year!
You made excellent points in a very humorous way.
You MUST be good at math...figuring out the 14 cents per hour. Ha! I just got my very first check and I calculated that I made about 33 cents per day. Seems I have more to learn!
I also add my congratulations for being nominated as one of the best new hubpage writers. You've got my vote!
Dohn - I loved this hub. Don't put yourself down though at 14 cents an hour you are a genius. The King of the Hill clip was brilliant. Thank you both for the insights and the info. Wishing you all the best for 2010.
Happy New Year, Dohn! Great read and well written. It doesn't really compare, but reminds me of when I was pregnant - being in a public place and having perfect strangers think it's okay to come up and touch my belly or insist I was having twins (because my belly was huge - I'm 5', what do you want?) when I knew for a fact I was not. It was very annoying. I hope your hub here helps educate many!
Thanks Dohn for taking the initiative to break up the misconceptions.I wonder why don't they ask about asian girls :)
LOL, the world is really full of stereotypes - those who stereotype and those who are stereotyped. Even here, whenever some kids see a white man walking, they will always call out "hey joe", even thought the guy may not be from the U. S. And having lots of money? We'll that's how we see Americans who come and live here LOL. 14 cents an hour? Really? Is that how much we're paid? Got to get out and get a good writing job then. j/k. I know you love writing in HP and the 14 cents per hour doesn't matter to you, right? Right?????
As always a great, fun read. Love the layout too dohn.It's amazing how silly (dare I say ignorant) people can be when making stereotypical comments. They actually think they're looking intelligent and paying you a compliment at the same time. LOL.
Congrats on your best Hubber win too! My whole family voted for you!
From a pizza, spaghetti, mandolino and mafia man, very good hub. Imagine that sometimes I even respect queues and wait for the green light to cross roads. But as you said all stereotypes have some truth in them. It might be that beside being an Italian I have some English ancestors in my genes.
So are you Chinese or Japanese? I loved the King of the Hill clip too, and I never really thought some of those as stereotypes until you brought them up.
I have lived in Texas for large portions of my life and my best friend there was Asian. I have to say that show brilliantly flauts stereotypes all of the time. It is one of my favorites.
As usual you have written with humor, intelligence, and passion and taught me something along the way. Thanks!
Hiya Dohn, hehehe, of course we are fast drivers, we are smart, rich, and all (just kidding), by the way I own a wok haha. And I like Hunk Hill LOL..
Thank you, you made me smile (ten times) and I will let my friends here read this one, Happy New year Dohn, Best, Maita
This was really good. I decided to come over and explore your hubs today and am very glad I did. I agree with you on the stereotype, it is something we can do without, although some funnies do come out of it sometimes. Anyway, great hub and look forward to reading more. Consider me your fan. BTW, really, where is LAOS? .. (Shoe flying I know!!) LOL Great work here.
This was a fascinating hub and full of lots of things to consider. I appreciate it. True confessions, my son took Kung Fu from a wonderful Chinese man who was part of a long dynasty of Kung Fu teachers. One day his teacher told me he was going to Norway to visit his ancestral home. I laughed and said, "Yes, that is a good one, Sigung." Seriously, Sigung looked like Confucious. I thought he was teasing me, as I am full blooded Norwegian. But no, he did in fact have Norwegian blood and he was somewhat offended that I thought he was making a joke. My apologies to all Asians for this. I learned my lesson that day; I did honor and respect Sigung enough to be mortified. I stopped judging Asians through this experience. I appreciate the additional insights you have shared here. Perhaps some find it funny, but I cannot, due to my experience above. Ignorance is not a virtue! Happy New Year.
This was fun to read! I have another stereotype to add ... Asians are brilliant musicians :) When I used to play piano competetively, I was told that if an Asian kid is competing you might as well give up on winning. If that's not pointless generalization, I don't know what is!
Wow, this is interesting and educative too. I'm glad I read it. I think I do stereotype but not meaning it in a bad way. Example, if I meet Asian/Chinese and we are making conversation. If we got talking about movies, I know I would ask if they liked Bruce lee. (I'm thinking I'm being friendly, they're probably rolling their eyes back) lol.
This is an excellent Hub for me as I meet people from different parts of the world. Sometimes, we think because we've met 2 or 3 indians; We know all about Indians - but that shouldn't be the case.
It was fun to read. Cheers Dohn.
Brilliant hub as always. I have really enjoy the reading. The video and the photos are great. Thanks for the info and for the good fun.:) Have a lovely weekend my dear good friend Dohn.:D
@Peggy W-Thanks, Peggy W! Correction...I just checked: I'm now making 15 cents an hour (woo hoo!) I think I'm going to work 8 more hours now so I can afford an egg roll :D I'm one of the best hubbers? I hope they didn't use an abacus to tally all the votes (abacuses are overrated), lol. Thanks again!
@Peter Dickinson-Thank you for that Peter! I never worked so hard for so little, haha. But I enjoy making such a paltry ransom as I'm having such for doing it. I always like hearing from you, Peter. Thank you.
@Lily Rose-Happy New Year to you too! May I rub your tummy next time? I'd like to make a wish too! I think it rude for any stranger to come up to you and touch you--what the heck? Next time, charge them ;) Thanks so much, Lily Rose. I hope you enjoy you New Year.
@Andromida-Hmm...A very good question! I guess the women are supposed to stay home and cook while the men are out practicing Kung-Fu? Woah, I better be careful! Thanks so much my friend!
@Emievil-Ha! I don't do it for the money, heck no. Yes, I love what I do here and wish that it could pay the bills. But why would life be that easy? Thanks so much, Emie. I hope you had a wonderful New Years. That's so funny about "Joe." I bet if you did that in the States, no one would "get it."
@Green Lotus-Your whole family??? I can't even get one of those lazy bums to read my hubs! The thing is, I suspect their illiterate. My eight year old niece is the only one in my family other than me that likes to read :( I can't thank you enough, my friend. I hope you have a fabulous New Year!
@hypnodude-Thank you, hypnodude. I don't think any of us are really 100% of anything. I'm actually one-eighth French! I think we'd all be pretty boring if you ask me (if we were all 100% of one race). I appreciate the comment.
@wannabwestern-Ha! I'm really happy that I was able to find that clip from YouTube as I only saw that episode once when it aired. Thanks so much for that, wannabwestern. You know that I love to hear from you. I hope that you have a wonderful New Year: To you and your family.
@prettydarkhorse-I'm glad that you enjoyed this one, Maita. I think that if we can just laugh about all our unique qualities, this world has a good shot of becoming an ideal place to live. Asians rock! LOL. Thanks as always
This was great! I laughed more than once during your piece. I wish I had something witty and memorable to say here, but all I can say is awesome article!
Thanks Dave! Your comment says it all! I guess I did my job ;)
Dohn,
I enjoy reading this article. Well written.
Thank you, Sean Leong. I'm glad you did!
Hi Dohn,
I really enjoyed this! I was laughing all the way and I remembered all the stereotype ideas I had to contend with when I studied for a year there in the USA. I had some fun too playing along with some of those ideas. One idea is that we Asians know some dark magic. So during our International Night celebration, my Filipino friend and I(there were 2 of us in the dorm) decided to perform some "black magic". This is really a kind of parlor game that we usually play but it turned out that not one of our dorm mates know how to play this game, so we really had fun because everyone believed that we indeed could do "black magic". We also let on our "magic" to two other friends who played along with us. So the "power of our magic" became even more believable! Ha ha ha!!
Wow, great story, jill of alltrades! One of the coolest things that happened when I was in middle school is that I met a half-Japanese/half-Caucasian kid who I befriended. He and I were the best of friend for the better part of 3 years. We hung out all the time, had sleep overs, and even vacationed together. Safe to say, he and I were the best of friends. I remember once he told me that he felt "strong" whenever we were hanging out, because we were both Asians in a predominantly affluent town. However, he and I drifted apart and over the years, lost touch with one another. Just hearing your story brought that back :)
I wonder if those around you "believed" in the Black Magic? LOL. Great stuff.
All are true hehehe... but some don't apply to me though like being a gambler and smart hehehe... By the way using calculator you are earning $3.36 a day wow, thats good dohn... :D
Great hub Dohn, you made some excellent points. I have had long discussions with friends about race as it is talked about by comedians.I have always said to my friends who didn't necessarily agree, that I don't mind comedians that make fun of different races, if they go after everyone. but many times they pick what they think are safe targets. They pick on Asians and Polish people within there jokes. I believe they do this because if they singled out other races they would be called racist and people might not think it's funny. For years American Indians were made fun of, with out a thought of it being mean spirited, or racist. Now most commedians would not joke about American Indians. I think at times being politically correct can go overboard also. But if the same couple of races are the ones that it's always safe to joke about. Then I think people have lost track of what treating people equally really means.
Lol deff one of yer best hubs to date, I had to say that in case ya squinted yer eyes and did some kung fu on me. I know what its like to be stereotyped being from Ireland we are all terrorists. Years ago on a trip to England during the Troubles this guy asked during a riot did anyone ever lie in my garden to shoot at the soldiers so like you I spun him a story, worse thing is he believed it.
Btw I never thing of you as anything else but being Dohn, as I say one of yer best hubs moi friend, loved it, wax on, wax off lol ; )
@GeneralHowitzer-Ha! No, I don't make NEARLY that much (you must be calculating 14 cents x 24 hours which would then give me $3.36/day). I calculated the 14 cents x number of hours it takes me to write a hub :P Sad huh?! Here's a tissue! My goal is to make about $35/day however and I think that I'm getting the hang of it...I'll let you know ;) Thanks GH!
@Truth From Truth-You made some great points yourself, my friend. The thing is, it's easy for any comedian or otherwise to pick on certain races (especially their own) and other races that are not unified. For instance, if a comedian were to pick on African Americans, I'm sure that the NAACP would crack down on them faster than you can scream out "Racist!" The more power one race has, the more risk is involved when chastising a race whether or not in good or bad taste. Thanks so much for reading this!
@TattoGuy-Thank you so very much for that my friend. You know, this is the first time I'm hearing of Irish as potential terrorist (I can see that, however, due to the notoriety of the IRA). I had no idea such a stereotype existed and was prevalent. That guy was some bugger wasn't he? Some people are very gullible like that. Hahaha! You never fail to make me laugh, Captain ;) Thanks as always :D
Happened a lot Dohn, during the bombing by the IRA in England a lot of English hated all Irish, I recall on holiday in Spain an English couple walking away from the bar as soon as they heard our accent.
Look forward to more of yer hubs !!
Great read. Verry good posting
@TattoGuy-It really stinks to be stereotyped, as it's been going on since the dawn of human civilization (I don't want to go into a rant here). I don't think any race is free or new to being stereotyped. I think that you should write a hub about the IRA. Whaddaya think?
@articleposter-Thanks for reading! I appreciate the comment.
When i was in high school i had to get a physical for sports. I was a big kids and the doctor asked me if was going to play football. I said no, waterpolo. OMG i was so mad. How come people have to ask such questions. How dare they take an interest in what i am doing where i am from and my goals ect. You can tell they are just searching for some common bond, to chat about, how dare they.
Everyone is sterotyped and discriminated against.I hate it as much as the next guy all we can do is to make sure we don't do it and try to raise our kids better than that. I am Italian and my wonderful named our restaurant "The Mob" we thought we would just have fun with it and so far it has been fun I just hope no mob really comes here.
i wouldn't call stereotypes the same as racism, but this was definitely a great read. I should write a hub about Black stereotypes. i imagine it would be just as entertaining.
This is a great blog. It pains me at how ignorant some people are about other nationalities.
@Captain Drywall-Stereotyping is certainly not limited to race. I think that ignorant people in general just assume way too much, is what it comes down to. Thank you for sharing your story and thanks for reading.
@mpurcell10-I really like the name of your restaurant as it's a very catchy one: Q: "Where we going out to eat, hon?" A: "Ha! Let's try that new place...The Mob." It's got added notoriety which spells curiosity. I hope that it's doing well :D Thanks for that.
@wesleyacarter-I really think that you should write a hub on Black stereotypes. I'm sure that it'll garner much interest. Thanks for sharing that.
@Pamela N Red-Thanks for that, Pamela. Like I said, education is certainly the key. I loved that seen in the movie, "Remember the Titans" when the black and white students are forced to get to know one another to build camaraderie! Classic.
I didn't know Asians Love to Gamble ;)
Good to stop stereotypes.
You didn't know??? I BET you did! LMAO. Thanks, Drew!
For a good example of drifting by asian drivers, check out the movie Initial D. It's in cantonese but some versions has english subtitles.
Actually, the hollywood movie "Tokyo Drift" has drifting (it depicts a westerner trying to learn how to drift)
Thank you for sharing that with me, Ling. Yes! I'm VERY familiar with those movies and own both of them. I'm thinking about doing a hub/article of Drifting itself. I just have a problem with the massive amounts of competing articles written on the subject of drifting...I guess I'll doing one just so I can share it--I probably won't make any money off of it :(
That picture of the Asian man with all the muscles. Though most Asians I know are not especially large people, I know that they are healthier than most Americans and under their shirts they look like musclemen. Now, I know that's an incorrect illusion. But I have a healthy respect for someone shorter than me. I wouldn't dare lay a hand on them, because they do know Judo or something I could not even begin to cope with. Nice Hub, dohn. Don White
Thanks, Don! The funny thing is that in China, if you are obese, you're stereotyped as someone who is affluent immediately. Yes, for the most part, many Asians are healthier than Americans, but not necessarily because of their diets, but because of their levels of stress. Americans actually work more hours than any other culture, believe it or not.
I would never lay a hand on you either, Don, unless if it was to shake your hand ;) Thanks again!
I guess I'd realize all that when I spend considerable time in a foreign, non-Asian country. But then again, I've seen enough movies to agree with what you said. And so true about "oh you speak good English?!" haha and sometimes I think, yeah even better - with grammar that's beyond reproach!
Ha! Great stuff. A few times, I've corrected some "Americans" on their grammar and they got pretty pissed (I am after all an English major). They get even more steamed when I tell them that English is my second language, lol. But then they wonder why I'm not and Engineer or a Doctor :P
I love how you've taken such a serious (and often sensitive) issue and written it with your usual wit and flare. And yet, the truth hits home despite the humor! Amazingly done! Wishing you a wonderful new year...may you keep writing such great hubs! always x
It's wonderful to hear from you, myonwnworld. Thank you so much for commenting and for complimenting :D I had a lot of fun writing this one...The points you made were EXACTLY the goals I'd set forward when writing this. It's great to hear that you liked it! Happy New Year!!!
all I knows about Kung Fu is dat song. dat abacus looks delicious. hee hee dis is a gweat hub! I give it two paws up.
Yes! I know that song too :D Do you think I should add it here? Thanks, SquigglesMcBeeBee! *high fives*
Dohn. thanks for clearing a lot of stereo type I have heard many times about Asians people. I am glad to hear from someone very sincere as you. Thanks for sharing your story.
Thanks, Leop! No problem. I'm sure that many people out there have not only stereotypes about Asians but also of other races as well. If we don't meet the actual person in question, we learn about that person from an outside source. I was hoping to clear at least some of the misconceptions by writing this hub. I'm glad that you liked it!
hey Dohn, you need to write some more, I read everything already hehe, and hey I am inviting you for the showdown to dance, show me your moves, Good day, Maita
Yes, I will have more hubs! Gosh, you're sooo demanding, lol. You and me, babe, we'll set the dance floor on fire :O All in good time! Talk to you soon ;)
Wow Dohn! Here i am, the first of your many hubs, and this is so good i was smiling through it all while reading it!
I find similar stereotypical things said to me about things you have mentioned above! Especially 'you speak perfect English' one nearly all the time.
Excellent, fun to read hub!
It's my belief that laughter is the best medicine to calm our feelings of hatred and indifference. This is the best way I know how to extinguish some of the prevalent stereotypes about Asians and so had a lot of fun writing this. It's wonderful to hear that you enjoyed this and to know that you're keeping true to your word. Here's a first "Thank You" to what will be many more ;)
I saw a remark you had made on another's HUB and I clicked on your face..hahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
I am sitting here screaming with laughter at this Hub! soooooooooo funnneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
Stereotypes are strange, sometimes they may have a tidbit of some truth but people just 'assume.' hahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaa sorry but this whole hub just crackin me up!
Thanks for great laughs!
Love, The white girl who loves rice, drives really really fast, can't do math, can karate kick you down to the ground in a second and just knows that them girls in the nail shop ARE talking smack right infront of my face!
Now, this is one of the best hubs I have come across here. I have known quite a few asian people and the misconceptions have affected them as well. It is true about their driving... never once have I been in any accidents while riding with them. lol.
@Ghoster Whisperer 77-I may have made you laugh by writing this hub, but you've certainly made me laugh by leaving your comment. I'm glad that I was able to do so. I had a lot of fun writing this one. There's just way too much hatred in this world. Thanks for reading me!
@bat115-Wow, thank you so much for that comment. I'm glad that you've escaped Asian driving unscathed...Just don't accept any rides from my sisters :D
This was a great hub :) I married into a predominantly Chinese family and learned very quickly not to ask any of them for help with maths problems! I'll admit that my wife is better at maths than I am, but 1. that's not hard and 2. her talent comes from her dad's side of the family - AKA the white side!
I have always been fascinated by the sheer diversity in Asian cultures. Unfortunately my father doesn't agree that there is anything beautiful about any culture other than AMERICAN and he would kill me if he found out I married a half-Chinese girl (And did not do it just because she is cute)
I don't know about everyone but one thing is true in my wife's family - Family rules their lives. My mother in law is none too happy with the fact that my dad doesn't know they are Chinese and she believes that if my dad didn't approve, then I should have waited to get married until he was used to the idea. But then again, she doesn't hold it against me too much, because she married a white man against her mother's wishes, and her younger sister married into a Japanese family.
Thanks for this personal piece of writing. "Orientalism" in U.S., hopefully is slowly disappearing no thanks to Hollywood and Charlie Chan.
@Suiiki-Wow. You certainly are learning first hand the Chinese culture. I'm happy to hear that you're a fast learner, lol. Yes, Asian culture certainly does place family first and foremost. Everything else is pretty much irrelevant. I really do hope that you tell your father soon! Thank you for taking the time to share your story!
@juneakid-Yes, I wholeheartedly agree that much of the stereotypes that are prevalent can be blamed on Hollywood. And with all things that are geared to create excitement and curiosity (mystique) facts do get compromised. I'm glad you like this one.
first, congratulations on being on the list that AEvans put so much work into. Recognition from your peers must help with a "warm fuzzy feeling" when that 15 cents/hr doesn't cover the cost of heat, I hope! Maybe you should check your Abacus - is it broken?
second, loved the hub because it is so true, we all do it, for everyone who is different than us. And by the way, I LOVE Bruce Lee movies but I promise not to ask you about him. I know, I'm just so "70's"
Did your parents get any vids of you and your brother doing the butterfly dance? That would have been a great addition to your hub!
Thank you, Duchess! I really didn't think that I'd be up there with the rest of the pack. AEvans sure did have her work cut out for her! I wish I had a fraction of her organizational skills! As far as that 15 cents/hr deal, I'm okay with it for now :D I think heat's overrated (brrrrrr). That abacus does tend to be inaccurate at times, especially when the guy using it gets confused himself!
Bruce Lee was like a god to my brothers and I. We admired greatly and my brother used to practice with nun-chucks just like him at blazing speed. When trying to emulate him, my other brother and I usually walked away with some sort of injury.
Oh my gosh, no! My parents did not catch us on tape while practicing! I'd pay a king's ransom to make sure such evidence does not incriminate me OR my brother! Thank goodness for small favors!
Thanks so much, Duchess! I'm happy to hear that you liked this hub!
Dohn, I love this hub. You were very blunt about stereotyping. I would like you the same as I do now if you were a blue monkey with no toes! You know I love your writing as well as you are a GREAT friend!
Thanks as always UK! I almost now wish that I WAS a blue monkey with no toes :D You're the best, thank you. It's great to hear that you enjoyed it :D
WOW! NICE J0B!
Thanks, callmesplash7. I had a great time writing this one ;)
Dohn
Interesting take on this subject and very well articulated.
As for the Kung Fu or martial arts issue, isn't it more like everone thinking that all Americans play and know about baseball?
The popularity of martial arts in the US was made that way through Asian produced movies in the 1960s and made popular by Bruce Lee. This spawned American made movies and a whole host of American Martial Artists from Chuch Norris to ?? now.
Thanks for the interesting hub.
Hey, OpinionDuck. Good question. From my experience, Asians and Asian-Americans just find hockey fascinating as an American sport. It just comes up in conversation more than anything else, including baseball. I'm just reporting the facts :D
One of my hubber friends made mention that Charlie Chan and Bruce Lee as much of the cause of all the stereotyping, unfortunately. The Karate Kid movie didn't help either ;)
I appreciate your comment!
Oh, Dohn! You have me laughing so hard, my eyes are tearing up!!! I can relate to every one of your statements, as I've (and am) living through each of them all the time on the receiving end. My daughter was given a statement at her high school the other day by another visible minority student: "You must love rice and eat a lot of it because you're Asian". Well, she didn't take that too well, since she actually prefers potatoes.
On the more serious note, you are absolutely correct that education is the only way to erradicate racism. You've done a wonderful tongue-in-cheek of teaching everyone who reads your great hub. Only you could write this so well. Thanks, Dohn.
Thank you so much Beth for reading this. I had a lot of fun writing this one and am now thinking about writing a follow-up to this hub, but will need to work finding more material, so right now, I'm kind of 50/50 on whether or not I'll publish it.
Sorry about your daughter. In time, she grow some thick skin. I just hope she doesn't get into any fights like I did :(
Yes, ignorance is everywhere, whether you're in the inner city or the rural country. I'll admit that at one time, when I was a kid, my uncle once told me that all Jews were doctors and that all doctors were Jews. Well, I'm almost got my butt kicked after school when I started stereotyping my peers as about 25% of them were Jewish! Thanks, Uncle!
I'm so happy you read this and enjoyed this. Thank you again, Beth!
Awesome hub! I hear ya on the "where are you from?" question. I don't get it anymore, but when I was younger, it'd be like...filipino? what's that? Now, I get snubbed with looks of disgust when I was at work, when dealing with mostly older hispanics who ASSUME I speak spanish. I always loved responding to the "didn't your parents teach you spanish?" with- NO. Were they suppose to? lol! Really enjoyed reading this. LMAO at the nail salon bit. But seriously, the stereotypical remarks and insiuations do get old. Unless your at a comedy show where everybody's game...it's all good. =)
Thank you so much for commenting, Cheryl. Like I said before, I had a lot of fun writing this hub. It's my belief that some people are contented to be ignorant and have just "settled in" and so choose not to learn about other people's cultures. Thanks for sharing your experience as well. Don't you hate it when people just assume things about you? Like I said, there are positive and negative stereotypes out there but they are stereotypes nevertheless. Thanks so much for reading this!
"Do you want to find out?" - the best answer to do you know Kung Fu?
I've had the privilege of being part of a teacher/cultural exchange program in Seoul, S. Korea starting in 2003. And I have to say the idiot Americans in my group were astoundingly ignorant - it was ethnocentrism at its best or worst - actually. So-called educators in the group felt they'd save Seoul (?????) by sharing their intelligence and wisdom in a developing country (huh????) - here we were in a country that is number 2 in the world in technology (America claims to be 16th, and the techno junk we are getting in the US - well S. Korea had 10 years ago - they never did stupid dial-up service), S. Korea has a 97 percent literacy rate (the last time the US reported its literacy rate to the UN it was around 67 percent and so since we were condemned for it well, we just no longer reveal literacy statistics).
When some moron in my group talked about Guttenberg inventing movable type - a Korean museum revealed proof that movable type existed 200 years before Guttenberg with China responding by saying they had movable type before Koreans. It's important to note now that in teaching, our US curriculum is more often required to qualify their facts with "...in the West." Because the East and Africa has been functioning for how many tens of thousands of years? - with Mali proving it had the first university on earth which no nation has disputed.
I've lived and traveled all over Asia including China, Singapore (which is always number 1 in education), Malaysia, Thailand, etc. And I have to tell you, coming back home to the US a few years back from S. Korea- it was culture shock of the worst kind.
I can write forever about the high standard of living in Seoul, and how Korean money overwhelmingly stays in the country - for Korean people. Unlike in America where money is used for conflicts all over the world making just a few people rich. As a teacher in Seoul, if I was to become pregnant I would have a 3 month paid maternity leave - my own country expects me to take a vow of abject poverty to have a baby. The quality of food is superior. Wal-mart had to leave because the Korean people did not want its junk - and inferior foods they had the audacity to sell - I can go on and on and on.
The greatest pleasure when traveling the world is that the racist stereotypes I live with here (the cheapest way to divide and conquer - and it continues to work), in a country where I've been for hundreds of years, do not exist in the rest of the world. Stereotyping reveals brainwashing and an inferior imperialistic educational system created to teach ethnocentrism - we should be embarrassed on the global stage - but brainwashing has taught Americans not to be embarrassed by their serious lack of world knowledge and knowledge of their own continent's history where The First People have lived at least for 20,000 years, documented. Thus the (bad) joke "The US creates wars all over the world because this is how Americans learn geography."
Stupidity...is so old! But we've turned it into reality TV. Isn't that an oxymoron?
Great hub!
Haha! Thanks so much, BkCreative! The U.S. has certainly taken a step back from the other progressive nations of the world, but all is certainly not lost. It's my belief that the entire public school system needs to be revamped and parents need to be more accountable for their children's actions at home. Everything begins at home, especially structure. I've been taught at a very young age that family is King (as I've mentioned in this hub!) and nothing has changed for me as an adult. I hold those words in much higher regard and understanding than I once did.
I really do appreciate your insight into matters. I had no idea about S. Korea! Thank you so much, my friend. It's wonderful to hear from you!
Dohn
P.S. You certainly said it best by saying,"Stereotyping reveals brainwashing." Perfect!!!
I about fell out of my chair laughing from reading this! This is sooooo true! We both have dealt with the same stereotype idiots out there. But heck, I'm proud to be an Asian.
Ha! I wondered if I'd ever get you to read this! I definitely had you in mind while writing this hub and really did hope that you'd like it. You could certainly relate to this one :D And yes, I'm proud to be Asian as well! Thanks, May!
Love the King of the Hill line!
Ha! Thanks, habee!
AND THEN!!!!!!!!
Asian people have chinky eyes! This is another myth that a lot of westerners believe.
da nayinde mone...nannai va..all the very best..
kung fu is a good art iam to get a chance to learn it amazing art
Thanks and I'm filipino!! When I was in Middle School, my first year in US, people asked me those question. It's really cool how you point all the stereostypes about Asians!! I would probably call myself average in math but good at Social Studies. Im a senior
In high school, and im glad that I dont get those stereostypes that much anymore!
FUNNIEST ARTICLE EVER!
Thank you all for reading and commenting! I enjoyed some of the feedback and even laughed at a couple of them as they really are funny in their own right!
wavegirl22 Level 4 Commenter 2 years ago
oh my friend. . how I enjoy all the places you take me. . and oh how i laughed along the way . . and isnt it the best cause laughing is sooo good . . add my compliments to you on your layout. . it flowed in such a way that I was hoping it wasnt going to end. . dohn i truly loved this one. . wishing you the happiest and healthiest new year and may it be sweet...
much ? & light, shari