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Post by eanpavel on Jan 17, 2012 12:01:02 GMT -5
In white communities I’ve been mistaken for Asian mostly – Chinese, Korean... ...or Tatar, which isn’t bad, cause they are Eurasians too  I guess it depends on how chubby my face is at a given situation lol It seems since I’ve lost weight there were less ppl thinking I’m full Asian  In China people think I am either a Korean, Japanese, overseas Chinese or just Chinese (mostly in the Northen China, ppl used to ask me for directions as if I was local). I used to hear “你长得很像中国人” („You look very Chinese”) many times >.< ...Just wonder if they use the term “Chinese” in the narrow or in the broader sense (in that sense Uyghurs are Chinese too). One Hui Chinese in one of Xi’an mosques thought I was from Turkey or Iran (it was the most unusual thing I heard about my ethnicity ) In HK many Mainlanders thought I was one of them (oh please...). Whereas locals speak to me in English most of the time. Noone believes me when I say that I’m part Vietnamese...Well my dad doesn’t actually look Vietnamese himself – Once in Vietnam he was mistaken for Korean too! |
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Post by toyomansi on Jan 17, 2012 22:13:20 GMT -5
^ I can relate to many of the things you said, especially people in China saying: "你很像中国人!", after I tell them my background. And a lot of them say that my mom must be part Chinese. Also, most people don't think I look South East Asian at all, so even Filipinos think I'm East Asian. But I like feeling included in Asia, and I feel less and less European the more time I spend in Asia.
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Joi
Full Member
Go eat some humble pie
Posts: 347
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Post by Joi on Jan 23, 2012 5:42:42 GMT -5
Yes, my most recent experience was dreadful.. person accused me of lying said, "Bull sh*t you're Asian." Very horrible encounter..
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Post by eanpavel on Jan 23, 2012 14:51:17 GMT -5
I find this “you look very Chinese/Asian” very irritating, especially when it comes from Asians, honestly I don’t feel Asian at all and don’t want to be included there. I just would like to be treated like any other foreigner from Europe. Maybe it could be funny for some ppl, but whenever I’ve spotted whites in Asian crowd I was always like “oh, my ppl!”, and never had the same feeling after seeing Asian in Europe... Yes, this is kind of ppl I hate the most, each time they start arguing and questioning what I just said abt my ethnicity, accusing me of lying, I feel like punching them in the face...Luckily for them, I still can contol my emotions |
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Post by jefe on Feb 6, 2012 12:34:28 GMT -5
In HK many Mainlanders thought I was one of them (oh please...). Whereas locals speak to me in English most of the time. I think Mainland Chinese speak Mandarin to everyone they suspect might be able to understand as they don't know how to speak anything else. HK people are used to seeing non-Chinese Asians and overseas born Ethnic Chinese (who speak to them in English), so, unless they sense you are a HK person or Mainlander, they might speak to you in English even if you are Asian looking. I really think it should not be too big an issue. For example, some Singaporean and Malaysian Chinese have told me that many locals insist that they are Malay and couldn't possibly be Chinese. What people assume you are may not have much bearing on what you really are. But, I admit it does feel scary to me when a cantonese-speaking HK person addresses me first in Mandarin, and then in English (when I can understand them perfectly fine in Cantonese). |
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Post by bipoar on Feb 12, 2012 8:37:00 GMT -5
Funny story from attending a seminar on some new methods/machines:
German salesperson, German technical assistants, and some German scientists. I walk into the room and suddenly it is decided that we would have this seminar in English. At that time I had been working in the place for a year or so but I was toooo shy and too embarrassed to say that we could actually have it in German. So there we were, around 10 German native speakers holding a seminar in English. I did feel very awkward then, now I just laugh about it. I'm sure many others working in an 'international environment' can relate.
The only thing that confuses me is when talking to someone in German (in my case) and being replied to in English??? I then switch to English too because those situations are clearly beyond my social competence/confidence, haha.
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Post by toyomansi on Feb 14, 2012 10:47:22 GMT -5
HK people are used to seeing non-Chinese Asians and overseas born Ethnic Chinese (who speak to them in English), so, unless they sense you are a HK person or Mainlander, they might speak to you in English even if you are Asian looking. When I was last in HK a few weeks ago, I seemed to always get approached by people doing some kind of survey/promotion/sale etc. talking to me for several minutes in Cantonese before I got the chance to tell them that I didn't understand, lol... But I really wanna learn Cantonese now, I've already picked up some, and already knowing Mandarin really helps. But, I admit it does feel scary to me when a cantonese-speaking HK person addresses me first in Mandarin, and then in English (when I can understand them perfectly fine in Cantonese). Why does it feel scary? |
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hypeforlife91
Full Member
fashionEAsta!
Crazy for Dots.
Posts: 464
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Post by hypeforlife91 on Mar 17, 2012 3:41:35 GMT -5
^ I can relate to many of the things you said, especially people in China saying: "你很像中国人!", after I tell them my background. And a lot of them say that my mom must be part Chinese. Also, most people don't think I look South East Asian at all, so even Filipinos think I'm East Asian. But I like feeling included in Asia, and I feel less and less European the more time I spend in Asia. Whao this board is still alive! Anyways, on the flip side, I am part Chinese and no one believes me! I always get things like Filipino or Thai (SE Asian). I also get things like Latina, Mexican, or Native American. Well I don't blame them, I kinda do think I look more like a SE Asian than your typical Chinese. |
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Post by admin on Mar 17, 2012 12:36:28 GMT -5
^ I can relate to many of the things you said, especially people in China saying: "你很像中国人!", after I tell them my background. And a lot of them say that my mom must be part Chinese. Also, most people don't think I look South East Asian at all, so even Filipinos think I'm East Asian. But I like feeling included in Asia, and I feel less and less European the more time I spend in Asia. Whao this board is still alive! Anyways, on the flip side, I am part Chinese and no one believes me! I always get things like Filipino or Thai (SE Asian). I also get things like Latina, Mexican, or Native American. Well I don't blame them, I kinda do think I look more like a SE Asian than your typical Chinese. Did you move to Vega$ after all? |
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Post by taiping on Jun 30, 2012 12:17:36 GMT -5
When I lived in Europe, I was mistaken for a Russian.
When I visited America I was mistaken for a Mexican.
When I came to live in China I was mistaken for an Uyghur (Muslim Chinese ethnic race)
When I went to Xinjiang (Chinese province where the Uyghur live), everyone smiled to me and spoke to me in Turkish....
I guess. after all these years of confusion, I could pass for an ethnic Uyghur ^_^
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aliceinplunderland
New Member
I love myself so much I can't live if something happens to me
Posts: 9
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Post by aliceinplunderland on Jun 30, 2012 19:29:40 GMT -5
When I lived in Europe, I was mistaken for a Russian. When I visited America I was mistaken for a Mexican. When I came to live in China I was mistaken for an Uyghur (Muslim Chinese ethnic race) When I went to Xinjiang (Chinese province where the Uyghur live), everyone smiled to me and spoke to me in Turkish.... I guess. after all these years of confusion, I could pass for an ethnic Uyghur ^_^ ahahaaaa i m also exotic for Turkey so ppl sometimes think i m east asian lol lets change places? |
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I guess it depends on how chubby my face is at a given situation lol It seems since I’ve lost weight there were less ppl thinking I’m full Asian 
