It's fair to say, most of us have befriended, if not at least met one asian person in our lifetime. We may or may not have said the following remarks (perhaps innocently, with no intention of conveying racism), but these common blunders may prove to be offensive and/ or insulting to anyone of Asian descent.
1. "ALL Asian people look alike."
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"All asians look alike." There is huge misconception that saying something this careless is not offensive. It's extremely offensive and you should be ashamed of yourself for allowing those words to come out of your mouth. Do all Caucasian people look the same? Do all people of Spanish Descent look the same? Do all African Americans look the same? Of course not. Any person with sound mind or judgement knows every individual has their own characteristics/ qualities which makes them unique, so to remark something as foolish as "all asians look alike" speaks a mindset of ignorance far beyond the lapse of common sense.
2. "If you are of Asian descent, it is surprising that you would speak flawless English."
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They say "never judge a book by its cover." Suffice to say, when it comes to my physical attributes and Asian qualities, that metaphor is thrown out the window and completely disregarded. On more than numerous occasions, I have been told I speak "perfect English" and have been asked "what country am I from?" [although there is no indication that I have an accent of any sort] and I blatantly return a blank stare and respond insulted, "thanks... I'm from this country! Texas specifically..." (while proceeding to roll my eyes). Get a clue. Not all Asian people have an accent or a birthplace which descents from another country. In fact, there is a plethora of Asian Americans born and raised in the United States, proving to be the fastest growing ethnic group, expanding 72% between 2000-2015 (from 11.9 million- 20.4 million).
3. "Chinese and Japanese must be the only Asian Cultures in the World."
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You should probably think twice next time you ask an Asian person if they are "Chinese or Japanese" or better be absolutely certain (based on their distinctive features or some other distinctive means of evident character traits) that they are one or the other. Don't be that fool that assumes Japanese and Chinese must be the only Asian cultures in the entire world, and if someone is of Asian descent, they must in fact be one or the other. To make such assumptions only creates embaressment for yourself and proves your utter lack of diversity and respect for other cultures. There is a vast amount of Asian countries that create a Pan Asian collective, do yourself a favor and learn some of them.
4. "If an Asian person has a name that sounds too American or “normal”, it must be a fake name."
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If you feel the need to ask any Asian person whether their name is real, you are already out of line with your presumptuous and narrowminded thoughts. Yes, Asians can have American names and most of us do ( especially the ones who are native to the United States). So, when we tell you our name is April, Jennifer, John, Ken, or anything else that sounds remotely American, 90% of the time we are probably telling you our real name, so don't follow up with something so ignorant as "that can't be your real name. That's not Asian enough." (Yes, this was based on a real conversation) [facepalm-eye roll].
5. 'The terms “Asian” and “Oriental” are interchangeable.'
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Don't even get me started on this common blunder. Labeling a person as oriental is not only deragotaory, but extremely inappropriate. The term oriental should only be used in reference towards describing an object, like a rug, or a food dish, even a pack of Ramen noodles. So, we ask respectfully that you use appropriate judgment, refraining from such derogatory and misguided labels.
6. “Asians are all smart and/ or really good at math.”
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Although this sterotype is not conducive to anything negative, it is very much a falsity. Not every Asian person has the intellectual capacity of Einstein and we are neither all prone to be naturally gifted at Mathmematics. My forte and passion has always been in writing, as evident by the D+ I acquired in my Macroeconomics class. If your expectations adhere to passing your math class in any level of your academic career by cheating from “the smart Asian," you're going to be in for a rude awakening when grades are posted at the end of the semester because you chose the “not so smart asian."
7. "All Asian People have eaten dogs or cats at some point in their life."
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Rule of thumb: If you ask a stupid question, you will surely be reciprocated with a stupid answer. While I understand the cultural association, asking me if I have eaten cats and/ or dogs is just as absurd as me asking you if you eat gerbils. Many people of Asian descent will find this question highly rude and presumptuous because most of us do not eat our family pets.
8. “If you are Asian, you must know Martial Arts.”
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This, by far, is the most ridiculous of all misconceptions. Just because I happen to be predisposed to Asian genetics coursing through my bloodline does not mean I have a black belt in martial arts or any belts for that matter. Maybe some of us are good in sports like CrossFit, basketball, tennis, or anything else that's not martial arts. We are not all Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan, so cease that thought out of your head existence right now.
Moral of the story: Be mindful of the things you say, as what you say is a mirrored reflection of your character and the moral judgement and compass by which you may live your life. And if you so nonchalantly engage in such unabashedly racist stereotypes, you are contributing to the ignorance that is alive and well in this nation.
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