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Post by toyomansi on Jun 23, 2009 13:56:49 GMT -5
Well, when I said 'of course', I was speaking for myself rather than EAs in the UK. I feel the way you do. People here expect me to behave like an Englishman, and when I prefer Asian food, listen to Chinese music and feel more comfortable with Asian friends, I'm treated like I've betrayed my white side (with most people not know that I have 'another side'). Of course, I'm just behaving in a way that I am comfortable with, and I don't feel guilty about it! Cool, it's nice to know that there are others like me out there ;D I was pondering about this issue some days ago, because I had taken a silly test on Facebook called "What's your ethnicity, REALLY?" and gotten asian as result. Then a norwegian friend responded with the "but aren't you just as much european as asian??" I replied that this test was just for fun, testing what someone is according to their interests, food preferences, movies etc. He then gave me a long explanation as to why looks doesn't matter to him when it comes to national identity, that all people who are adopted/born & raised in norway are norwegian in his eyes, and the definition of the word "ethnicity" from the encyclopedia... I didn't know how I could make him understand that this is just the way I am. The only way he finally understood me a little, was when I tried to explain about my upbringing etc. And I reaally don't want to tell my life story to everyone who thinks like him... -_- Any idea how to handle these people? |
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Post by Subuatai on Jun 23, 2009 16:58:55 GMT -5
I never see myself as EA. I always refer myself as half English or Half Malay. Yeah me too, though I always simply refer to myself as Mongol. To me the term "Eurasian" is still a label others pin on me, so it's not my identity. Heh, reminds me of my mates who tell me that no matter who I call myself these days, I'll always be an Aussie. Meh, Mongstralian is a perfect identity in that case. |
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Post by TeeHee on Jun 23, 2009 17:12:35 GMT -5
He then gave me a long explanation as to why looks doesn't matter to him when it comes to national identity, that all people who are adopted/born & raised in norway are norwegian in his eyes, and the definition of the word "ethnicity" from the encyclopedia... I didn't know how I could make him understand that this is just the way I am. The only way he finally understood me a little, was when I tried to explain about my upbringing etc. And I reaally don't want to tell my life story to everyone who thinks like him... -_- Any idea how to handle these people? If you're talking about national identity, and you've lived all/most your life in Norway, then what he says makes sense. I actually wish I'd meet more people like him. It makes me happy for the times I come across folks who simply take my word and accept me for the New Orleanian/American that I am, instead of expecting me to claim national identity with countries that I've never step foot in. With people who realize this, I almost never have to further explain my life story with them. I mean, sure my ethnic genetic identity may be EA, but my national identity is American. That's what it says on my birth certificate and passport, and legally, I'd be a foreigner in the countries of my ethnic origins. |
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Post by Subuatai on Jun 23, 2009 17:34:02 GMT -5
^ Hahaha yeah, and when trying to prove my ethnic makeup, I have my Australian birth certificate, Australian citizenship, Australian latin alphabets on my Mongol name.
I'm a foreigner to my motherland, trying to claim otherwise is futile.
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Post by toyomansi on Jun 24, 2009 10:39:29 GMT -5
TeeHee: I agree that where a person is born and/or raised makes up their national identity, but put into context my friend wanted to once again hint to me that I should assimilate... He never liked that I acted asian, am into asian pop culture, eat asian food, hang around mostly with the asians in our group etc. even though that's just the way I am and feel most comfortable with.
I think that people should be able to be themselves without having to justify themselves or explain their life story. You should also be free to be who you feel you are, regardless of what someone says you should be regarding national identity, ethnicity, culture etc.
I don't think I mind if for example asian adoptees feel and behave european, or if a european raised in asia would feel and behave asian, just as long as they are what feels the most comfortable to them.
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Post by Paddy on Jun 24, 2009 17:24:25 GMT -5
^(^) Yup, citizenship choices, cultural choices and racial categories can all be mutually exclusive these days. Sure, trends abound as they always have, but traditional views of how these three phenomena relate are being heavily undermined by global migration (ironically subverted by economic pursuits).
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Post by TeeHee on Jun 24, 2009 17:35:40 GMT -5
TeeHee: I agree that where a person is born and/or raised makes up their national identity, but put into context my friend wanted to once again hint to me that I should assimilate... He never liked that I acted asian, am into asian pop culture, eat asian food, hang around mostly with the asians in our group etc. even though that's just the way I am and feel most comfortable with. I think that people should be able to be themselves without having to justify themselves or explain their life story. You should also be free to be who you feel you are, regardless of what someone says you should be regarding national identity, ethnicity, culture etc. I don't think I mind if for example asian adoptees feel and behave european, or if a european raised in asia would feel and behave asian, just as long as they are what feels the most comfortable to them. Ah ok, gotcha. Put in that context, I can understand your annoyance. I have had similar instances being that I'm multi-lingual and like exploring different cultures in addition to my own. They couldn't understand why I, an American who clearly identifies myself nationally as such, would be using a non-English language or learning about other cultures. While I believe it'd be in one's best interests to have a decent command of English on the mainstream American level(if you're living in the US), I believe people should be free to practice whatever other language(s) they so choose in addition to English; I see no harm in that. I generally avoid people who can't get that. Unless I absolutely have to interact with such people, dealing with them would be just more waste of my valuable time and energy. I've lost some "friends" this way, but as I came to see, they weren't worth it to me anyhow. I've got more worthwhile things to worry about and would rather just focus on those; makes life a lot easier that way.  |
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Shock
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Post by Shock on Jul 9, 2009 12:47:55 GMT -5
Can someone tell me why that rule is still around in the 21st century? -_-' Coz it's simpler for idiots to live in a world without biracials. Many people in this world consider race mixing as wrong and perverted. Not just by racists, but also by most mixed african americans.. usually they consider themselves black. Every single mixed black/white celebrity is known to the media as black, as well as identifying themselves openly as black. Halle berry.. first black femal oscar winner.. barrack obama.. first black president.. Not every mulatto considers himself black neither every american considers them black. It's the TV that creates this image of America as the land of one drop rule. Perhaps this is just a career move though. A century ago they would have identified as white, if they could. It was just more marketable. I think I read once that Halle Berry did not have much contact or a good relationship with her black father and was raised almost exclusively by her white mother. Similar story with Barack Obama. Therefore I have a hard time believing they identify only with their black heritage, no matter what their public personas might be. I have a hard time believing they identify w/ only their black heritage aswell...espacially Obama. I mean Halle Berry could probably say that she hung out w/ the black kids at school or w/e...but Obama was raised in Hawaii...don't think too many black ppl go school there. also,he was basically the only person w/ any African heitage in his household (i believe his father wasn't around), so i don't get how he would identify only w/ being black.  Maybe because he has gone to a black supremacist church for over 25 years, doesn't he? I never see myself as EA. I always refer myself as half English or Half Malay. Which is the same! |
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Shock
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Post by Shock on Jul 9, 2009 12:49:18 GMT -5
People who have rejected their identity coz of society or parents, don't need to feel ashamed. I never feel ashamed for something I am not responsible for.
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Post by laidbacksonic74 on Jul 9, 2009 18:46:51 GMT -5
^wow that avatar of yours is ..... awesome dude!! I am proud for what I am  |
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furbob
Full Member
Can I has?
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Post by furbob on Jul 15, 2009 19:31:02 GMT -5
I just saw myself as a white girl when I was younger,
recently I think I'm becoming more asian (in interests and appearance) so now I'm seeing myself as EA
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quiapo
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Post by quiapo on Jul 28, 2009 20:51:56 GMT -5
I look Asian so I rarely have had to acknowldge my European side; however, my first language is Spanish and I and to think in that language. It has probably been easier for me to have universal acceptance of my Asian side.
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Post by Groink on Jul 29, 2009 0:26:11 GMT -5
Out of curiosity, what do all of your birth certificates list you as? I know different countries and states have their own rules and whatnot as to what goes on your birth certificate, so not everyone may have a "race" field.
As for me, mine says "white". It's a bit amusing if I think about it long and hard enough.
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Post by milkman's baby on Jul 29, 2009 1:53:48 GMT -5
^My North Carolina birth certificate has two boxes, one for info on the mother and one for the father. It has "Race of mother ____" and "Race of father _____" instead of declaring the baby's race. My guess is they started doing that specifically because of biracial births. It would be more interesting to see what race they list on a Eurasian's death certificate. When I die, can you look on my certificate and tell me what race they put? If they just put one race, I'll be pissed.
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Post by jefe on Jul 29, 2009 6:21:59 GMT -5
My Washington, DC birth Certificate lists my mother, my Chinese-American father and me as white. I think what they did was simply look at the mother and mark everyone the same.
Should I go back and change my birth certificate?
Their marriage certificate does list them as different races.
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