Are you Chinese?

spencer99 SG

Hi,

I am a singaporean chinese currently working in the US. California. There are a lot of ethic chinese living and working here....

There are ABCs, Taiwanese, Singaporeans etc etc and the mainland chinese....

I worked here for 6 months. mostly socialize with those that i worked or those people that i know.

But i was asked this same question twice :"Are you Chinese?"

Thefirst time i was shocked... ISN"T it OBVIOUS that I am CHINESE!

i was alone and this guy kind just ask me that... i said "yes!". We talked and talked then after 10 mins then i realized that the guy thought I am from China!

The 2nd time i was sitting around a table with all chinese, two hongkies, one taiwanese, two mainland chinese, one ABC and me.... and this guy kind sat down..a nd then suddenly just asked "are you all chinese?"

I didn't answer... but one of the honkies said, "isn't it obvious we are all chinese?".

Again this blur f uck after a while then realized we are from all over the place.... and not just from china.

Why mainland chinese assumed that everyone is from China?

Don't they understand that Chinese is both an ethnic group and nationality???

[email protected] SG

oh that tends to happen. Its not just them PRCs. Whites tend to have this assumption too. If someone asks if I’m chinese, I’d say yes. Altho I’m actually slightly of mixed blood (mostly chinese, a bit thai) If they ask if im from China, I say no. Simple.

spencer99 SG

someone ask me if I am "chinese"? I will just say I am from Singapore.

I am 100% chinese, not mix and I look chinese, unless they mistaken me for a korean or jap.

StMichael SG

Heh…it happens to me too, here in Shanghai. Some of the western teachers who’re not so exposed to the world always thought that we’re local teachers when we’re actually expatriate teachers getting the same benefits as them!

ShutterBug SG

Oh those mainlanders from China have been living in a shell for so long, that now when they venture out to the world, they think every chinese-looking person are probably from China!

Gordonator SG

to the ang mo. Chinese, Japanese, Korean all look the same, they can't tell them apart. Laughing

icYwATeR SG

Laughing

NT2 SG

i’m singaporean.

elindra SG

I think this is so common

The PRCs always assume that they are the only Chinese on earth; or should I say the 'real' Chinese and the Caucasians will always assume that all Chinese are from China Laughing

littlestream SG

Actually, it is not just the mainlanders who asked this question. The ang mohs also because they can't tell us apart from Korean or Japanese.

In fact, I was asked this question too, that was like so long ago, like 1990, here in Toronto. When I replied that I am Chinese, one HongKonger retorted "no, you ARE NOT chinese, you ARE Singaporean!!!".

Laughing

edit to add : to the world, Chinese means from China (HKG included) Razz

elindra SG

Actually I was talking to this PRC in the pub when I was in Penang. He has been based in HK for 10 years and now based in Penang Laughing and the first thing he asked me was," Are you from Hong Kong?"

littlestream SG

Piangz Laughing

elindra SG

I've been asked
"Are you from HongKong?"
"Are you Malaysian?"
"Are you from China?"
"You're not local aren't you? Where are you from?"

This has only made me strive to improve on my Singlish Laughing

FireIce SG

say u are singaporean chinese lah

to them, chinese is china chinese

kiss_my (_i_) SG

WHO IS ABC?

dinky1409 SG

Wah mixed blood.. Chinese Thai some more.. You must be helluva of a looker eh? Mr. Green

gohkatkat SG

if its mentioned once or twice......its okay.......still acceptable.....if its more.....maybe you ought to see yourself......do you retain too strong chinese looks.....features.......

i am too pure chinese.......so much so that the anglos.....look and stare at me all the time........well.......i had a chance to reverse this kind of behaviour to them in singapore.....and they didn't liked it the least to say........

darknessfall SG

because they think that all chinese are from china.. They even thought singapore is part of china..thats y.. Mr. Green

Hidden^OnE SG

I have been mistaken for being Japanese before. Hoo!

FireIce SG

i have been mistaken for jipoonese, da lu mei, taiwanese, russian-chinese and malay..................