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  • what are you?

    2010-02-26 16:07 / 标准博客 / 会员可以看
    22个评论

    so, was having a chat with some folks at the office today.  i thought it was interesting that in some countries, you are "from that country" regardless of race. 

    for instance, if you are born and grew up in america, you're "american".  doesn't matter if you're white, asian, black, etc.  the same is true (i think) in canada.

    while, in china.  if you're not racially chinese, then it's weird to refer to yourself as "chinese".  for example, if a white or black person was born in china, spent their whole life there, and could only speak chinese -- it would still seem strange for them to refer to themselves as "chinese".

    i was thinking that maybe it works for countries that are more racially diverse, and doesn't for the ones that are more homogeneous.  i asked olivier how it works in france and he said it's like america.  if a chinese person was born and grew up in france, then they would consider themselves "french".

    so that got me thinking, what countries does it work and what countries doesn't it?  let me know how it is in your country!

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博客评论 (22)

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  • ceceliaeve
    ceceliaeve
    留言於2011-06-08 1:24 [举报]
    I know, it's an old. In Germany you're german with your passport. If a person was born in Russia and grew up in Germany, he or her is german.
  • bleupluie
    bleupluie
    留言於2010-03-19 14:22 [举报]
    a geographical extension to Wildorchid's comment, since Malaysia has west (the peninsular) and east (the Borneo island), we sometimes refer ourselves as Sabahan (from Borneo Sabah), Sarawakian (from Borneo Sarawak), and refer to people from the west as West Malaysian.
  • sharleen2008
    sharleen2008
    留言於2010-03-15 11:57 [举报]
    Haha ...,can't agree with you more ....i wonder why chinese people like this ....
  • paulinec
    艺术家空间 Pauline C
    留言於2010-03-03 23:29 [举报]
    a Brit is a Brit!!!!! funny i always think about how amused cab drivers are in shanghai when they can't understand why i am from england as what they see with their eyes  i LOOK chinese.... i tell them i am.. but in disbelief when i say i am brit chinese.....ermm.... alien speak!
  • Wildorchid
    Wildorchid
    留言於2010-03-02 0:29 [举报]
    to non malaysian, i'm malaysian chinese; to other malaysian, i'm chinese..
  • markmoran
    艺术家空间 Mark Moran
    留言於2010-03-02 0:19 [举报]
    I remember writing a long blog about this very issue a few years ago while living in Shanghai ...

    Most likely you did not read it. ;-)
  • Lynn
    Lynn
    留言於2010-03-01 11:29 [举报]
    I'm guessing it's a matter of citizenship and race.... In Singapore it will be .... I'm Singaporean Chinese or Singaporean Eurasian or indian or Malay. Same goes for the neighbours across our causeway, which I think they will be Malaysian Chinese, Malay or Indian etc.
  • ThomasHalle
    艺术家空间 Thomas Halle
    留言於2010-02-28 4:13 [举报]
    Right, I noticed how ethnicity seemed a way bigger issue regarding nationality in a lot of places in Asia, while it seems to go the opposite way in the West. Although personally if I meet someone who's obviously not one of the 'typical Canadian ethnicity' I'm always curious to know where their roots are, even though I know some get offended by that.

    Funnily enough I was always shocked by what some people could get away with when I lived in Asia. Minority rights groups would be coming their way with pitchforks (but mostly lawyers I guess) if they said anything close to those kind of vaguely racists remarks here. Just as I was constantly referred to by quite a lot of my colleagues using a rather derogatory term because I was the only white guy in the office, I didn't mind it and saw it as just teasing, but I sure know I could never use those kind of words with colleagues in Montreal or I'd get HR on my back pretty fast.

    With that being said, I'm quite flattered when people refer to me as their French-Canadian friend, that extra detail is quite nice. Also that way I don't get some random dudes going 'Oh yeah, I have an uncle that runs a coffee shop in downtown Vancouver, maybe you heard of it?'. Er, no man, it's way, waaay too far for a walk from my apartment.
  • machiato
    machiato
    留言於2010-02-27 12:34 [举报]
    Well, for us down-under.....If you're born and bred in New Zealand....then you're considered a kiwi no matter what color or race you are! My parents are Chinese (from HK) but I was born in New Zealand...My blood is 100% Chinese but I'm still considered a New Zealander because I was born here and I grew up here...
    But I'm still Chinese! Some like to call it "NZ-born-Chinese" aka NZBC!  =D
  • jacishere
    jacishere
    留言於2010-02-27 7:08 [举报]
    I'm from Canada and it works like that here...except I add that I'm Chinese-Canadian to avoid that question from non-Asians, "Are you Korean-Canadian? Japanese Canadian?"  So I tell them before they have a chance to ask.  But b/c I have an accent when I speak English (how did this happen since I'm born here?!? O.o) then people often think I'm not Canadian and that I'm from either HK or TW.
  • lc
    lc
    留言於2010-02-27 4:54 [举报]
    canada it works!!
    but when i say i'm canadian they repeat themselves like I didn't understand their question...
    "no where were you born?"
    but i was born in Canada!!
    "no where are your parents from??"
    then I say "china"
    "Oh so you are Chinese then!"
    omg!! so annoying!

    and so on....
  • MissScarlett
    MissScarlett
    留言於2010-02-27 4:16 [举报]
    I have a friend who's an Italian/Greek (father's side) and French/Spanish (mother's side) Jew, born/grew up in Egypt but is now an American citizen AND practices Christianity =D
  • xibanyae
    xibanyae
    留言於2010-02-27 3:21 [举报]
    this should be simple:
    1) your nationality, aka, the country your passport is from. (Not necesarily where u were born)

    2) your genetic roots or ancestry. black, white, asian, etc (not dependent  of the nationality at all)

    3) then, the third element, the cultural surrounding you grew up or lived the majority of the time, even your home, that ultimate influenced your culture, personality, values, sense of humor, manners, etc.

    defining and combining the three elements can help to answer your discussion.

    your comment of being white or black and born in china, and yet not being called a "chinese". well, in this case, chinese is both a nationality and a race (han); so, the passport of this person may be chinese, but not his race. therefore he may be a chinese citizen but not a chinese person according to his genetic roots. people just need to qualify more what they mean when they say "chinese"

    best example, the descendents of chinese ancestry that moved to taiwan and do not like to be called "chinese" due to political and cultural reasons. this is totally understanbable, but, unless they are island aborigins, they are chinese in terms of race. (Just as chinese-americans are)
  • mellydurham
    艺术家空间  美麗
    留言於2010-02-27 0:58 [举报]
    LOL, it's funny you bring this up now.  My coworker just last night asked what I was... I was like, "American", she replied [duh].  I was like "white"? As to which she replied, [No, like your cultural heritage]  As to which I answered, "Fast food??"  My ancestry is from several different countries, so I really do consider myself "American", since I personally don't feel I can categorize myself into one past heritage (English, Swedish, French, Irish, German, Native American, etc).
  • Jack_Jack
    Jack_Jack
    留言於2010-02-26 23:57 [举报]
    On the other hand, if you're ethnically Chinese and you grew up in America, Chinese people will still consider you Chinese. The reason I is because the notion of Nationality and ethnithity are often undifferentiated in countries like China. I thnk it has to do with education.
  • MissScarlett
    MissScarlett
    留言於2010-02-26 23:25 [举报]
    Here, like you said, we're "American," but still there are Americans who like to pay homage to the nation where their family tree sinks it's roots. Pretty common to hear/read African-American, Chinese-American, Irish-American, etc. For me that's be just silly. My roots come from no less than six different nations!
  • mhough
    mhough
    留言於2010-02-26 23:05 [举报]
    In South Africa....I'm South African - although with European ancestors....
    But the problem is if I call myself African...I'd get a strange look....'cause I'm white!!!!!
  • Linghu_Chong
    Linghu_Chong
    留言於2010-02-26 22:47 [举报]
    Same as the US here in Belgium.
  • Flagday
    Flagday
    留言於2010-02-26 20:49 [举报]
    As you said in the USA a person born here is 'American' (a term which annoys the hell out of some Canadians because they are from the same continent).  But don't forget, as we learned in the last national election from the irrepressible Sarah Palin....if you are born in certain states in the US you are more American than others.  I think I live in a state where I am just technically American....and proud of it.  :wink:
  • radwynn
    radwynn
    留言於2010-02-26 19:57 [举报]
    I guess Japan is like China...
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