Anonymous asked: I was born in South Korea but raised in America by American parents, so absolutely no accent... I get "What are you?" quite a bit... Also when I get a pedicure, the ladies ask me if I'm Chinese, I tell them no, then they say "so sorry". Are they sorry I'm not Chinese or sorry for guessing wrong? One more thing... At least once a week I get asked if I'm someone else (an Asian) they know... Really??? Do we all look that much alike?!?!
(Transnational Adoptee Solidarity) Whenever anyone says, “What are you?” tell them you’re just a sack of cells covered in flesh -Gorgeous flesh.
I find that whenever people “misguess” and then apologise it’s due to a sense of embarrassment on their part because they’ve just displayed their -usually unintentional- ignorance. Sort of like when you’re at a dinner party (or a bowling alley…) and you mispronounce a word that someone then corrects you on.
If people can’t tell you apart from someone else THAT THEY KNOW than you just have to pity them. Hard. Pat them on the head and tell them to always carry money so that they can continue to make “friends.”
TweetAnonymous asked: Hey! I'm really looking forward to reading more on your blog. I'm a Chinese Born Canadian journalist from Toronto, and I get that shit all the time. Like, "Your English is very good! When did you come to Canada?" "Um. I was born in Toronto, asswipe."
Sometimes when people ask me that question I just put my fingers up to my eyes and pull time tight so that they’re ‘extra chinky’; the look of confusion on their faces makes me feel like I addressed their question in the most fitting manner possible.
Thanks for digging it!
TweetAnonymous asked: Video is very fun, and probably sadly true. In all likeliness, you are in good company with other women of all races and locations that have to deal with ignorance and stereotypes. As an adult Asian male, I still get this nonsense in the workplace when HR is trying to figure out whether I am eligible to work in the US. You want to make them feel stupid by asking, "I was hired because I have a Top Secret Security clearance: what do you think?" That being said, best not to make enemies.
You should casually take a pair of chopsticks out of your pants whenever they ask you that question, or stroke your (what I’m assuming is) imaginary fu-man-chu mustache. Let their ignorance hang in the air like a bad fart.
Tweetcatarang asked: My friend showed me your video. I'm a white dude and she's Asian. I never say this stuff but she says it to me all of the time -- it cracks her up. Anyway, I dig your video and your comics are interesting!
Know that you don’t ‘suffer’ alone - my white guy friends also bear the brunt of my race-tinged humour. Winter is the best time, as that’s when you kids are the palest.
Thanks so much for the appreciation!
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