How come no one ask's me, "What kind of American are you?". It could seem odd right? We like to naturally generalize Americans as light haired, bright eyes, defined facial features, the majority.
I remember when a costumer once asked me, "So what part of China are you from?" during my shift at work (I work in a Chinese take-out restaurant). I replied, "I don't come from China, I come from Brooklyn." The customer then replies, "No, I mean, what - is - your - na-tion-al-i-ty." I then answered, "American." He then laughed and said, "But you can't be American, you don't look it." This is the part where I hand him the food and told him I come from southern China. Satisfied with that replied, he took his food and left. It's sad to see people so blind that they already have a set image of what "American" looks like. In fact, so unwilling to accept the answer that I don't come from stereotypical China and that I do speak English "bery well". There is a sense of ego and pride within that.
However I am not disappointed in my ethnicity, I take pride in my elongated eyes and my flat facial features. I take pride in that my skin is a different color than the majority in America. I also take pride in the fact that, I too, am American.
I feel that as a society, we try too hard to erase these racial boundaries to connect together like there is no difference between who we are. These differences create individuality between people and creates that person that we are. So instead of trying to deny that fact that we are different from our neighbors, why not embrace each other.
I remember when a costumer once asked me, "So what part of China are you from?" during my shift at work (I work in a Chinese take-out restaurant). I replied, "I don't come from China, I come from Brooklyn." The customer then replies, "No, I mean, what - is - your - na-tion-al-i-ty." I then answered, "American." He then laughed and said, "But you can't be American, you don't look it." This is the part where I hand him the food and told him I come from southern China. Satisfied with that replied, he took his food and left. It's sad to see people so blind that they already have a set image of what "American" looks like. In fact, so unwilling to accept the answer that I don't come from stereotypical China and that I do speak English "bery well". There is a sense of ego and pride within that.
However I am not disappointed in my ethnicity, I take pride in my elongated eyes and my flat facial features. I take pride in that my skin is a different color than the majority in America. I also take pride in the fact that, I too, am American.
I feel that as a society, we try too hard to erase these racial boundaries to connect together like there is no difference between who we are. These differences create individuality between people and creates that person that we are. So instead of trying to deny that fact that we are different from our neighbors, why not embrace each other.
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