chinese waitresses that don't speak much english [Archive]

SunWuKong

09-02-2002, 12:46 PM

ok, they're not really waitresses, they're the runners that take the food from the kitchen to the buffet line.

so i was at one of those east coast style american chinese restaurants. there was this big slab of meat that was about to be put on the buffet line. this big black guy saw it and he kept asking these fobby runners walking by whether the meat was prime rib or roast beef.

i didn't know who to feel sorry for. the guy who was being rudely ignored or the runners who obviously had no idea what the hell he was talking about and didn't know how to answer him.

deez nuts

09-02-2002, 01:00 PM

Don't fell sorry for either of them. So long as you can get your grub on it's all good. :lol:

kimpossible

09-02-2002, 01:05 PM

Maybe because I'm always the outsider but I fault myself for not having good enough Chinese and not the other person's English ability.

SunWuKong

09-02-2002, 01:18 PM

Originally posted by Hello_Hapa@Sep 2 2002, 03:05 PM
Maybe because I'm always the outsider but I fault myself for not having good enough Chinese and not the other person's English ability.
actually that's understandable because the fact of the matter is that you really are not an outsider.

kimpossible

09-02-2002, 04:09 PM

Mmmm... I dunno about that. I may be Chen tai-tai but I don't think that makes me Chinese. Most people refer to me as a foreigner and are pretty shocked to see a Chinese guy with a white skinned girl - especially when I dye my hair red and wear colored contacts.

I inherently understand a lot Chinese things because I'm part Asian but it's not always seamless. However, I'm currently being assimilated so talk to me again in 20 years. The conversion has already begun because I think I'm actually starting to believe that Chinese are the greatest. What's up with that?

deez nuts

09-02-2002, 04:27 PM

Originally posted by Hello_Hapa@Sep 2 2002, 06:09 PM
Mmmm... I dunno about that. I may be Chen tai-tai but I don't think that makes me Chinese. Most people refer to me as a foreigner and are pretty shocked to see a Chinese guy with a white skinned girl - especially when I dye my hair red and wear colored contacts.

I inherently understand a lot Chinese things because I'm part Asian but it's not always seamless. However, I'm currently being assimilated so talk to me again in 20 years. The conversion has already begun because I think I'm actually starting to believe that Chinese are the greatest. What's up with that?
Because we are! <cackle>

And when i read chen tai-tai. I was like mom? :lol:

I think its the older generation that might still view you as an outsider HH. People of our generation and generations to come. won't view it as too much of a big deal.

Chris

09-02-2002, 04:29 PM

but i rather call hapa. Chen xiao jei. She rather young to be call tai tai IMHO. LOL

deez nuts

09-02-2002, 04:32 PM

Originally posted by Chris@Sep 2 2002, 06:29 PM
but i rather call hapa. Chen xiao jei. She rather young to be call tai tai IMHO. LOL
Yah Chen xiao jei is better. Stop invoking images of my mom damnit!

SunWuKong

09-02-2002, 05:33 PM

Originally posted by Hello_Hapa@Sep 2 2002, 06:09 PM
Mmmm... I dunno about that. I may be Chen tai-tai but I don't think that makes me Chinese. Most people refer to me as a foreigner and are pretty shocked to see a Chinese guy with a white skinned girl - especially when I dye my hair red and wear colored contacts.

I inherently understand a lot Chinese things because I'm part Asian but it's not always seamless. However, I'm currently being assimilated so talk to me again in 20 years. The conversion has already begun because I think I'm actually starting to believe that Chinese are the greatest. What's up with that?
ok you need to know that how much chinese people accept others as one of their own depends on those people's lifestyle and chinese language abilities. chinese people have alot of respect and acceptance for people who can speak their language. so keep practicing your mandarin!

you already speak chinese, you cook numerous chinese dishes, and you're married to a chinese family. shit you are more chinese than alot of genetically chinese people.

kimpossible

09-02-2002, 05:41 PM

yeah, I know. Most people I know don't treat me any differently. I'm not Chinese to them but they just tend to forget that I'm not Chinese... make sense?

Makes me a bit of a celebrity/show pony. All my friends geek out that I look the way I do but feel Chinese. I'm okay not being 100% accepted, monkey. Trust me when I say that it is the only way I know to not fit in with a single culture.

On the other hand, if I nail down some awesome Mandarin at Taiwan Normal University some day, I'm going to be hell on wheels doing business with Chinese. Using my English maiden name and acting like a dumbass foreigner - they would totally underestimate me. B)

deez nuts

09-02-2002, 05:47 PM

Originally posted by Hello_Hapa@Sep 2 2002, 07:41 PM

On the other hand, if I nail down some awesome Mandarin at Taiwan Normal University some day, I'm going to be hell on wheels doing business with Chinese. Using my English maiden name and acting like a dumbass foreigner - they would totally underestimate me. B)
And phase 1 of world domination will be complete.

Please make me your underling, HH.

kimpossible

09-02-2002, 06:11 PM

Call me mama first.

SunWuKong

09-02-2002, 06:16 PM

Originally posted by Hello_Hapa@Sep 2 2002, 07:41 PM
yeah, I know. Most people I know don't treat me any differently. I'm not Chinese to them but they just tend to forget that I'm not Chinese... make sense?

yeah i know exactly what you mean. there are british people and indian people in HK who grew up there and speak fluent cantonese. they are pretty much more accepted than some overseas chinese who actually don't speak cantonese as well as they do. i know a brit ex-colleague who read the chinese newspaper everyday.

artsfartsyjanet

09-02-2002, 06:23 PM

If I witnessed that incident, I would probably continue piling food on my plate. =)

angel nympho

09-02-2002, 06:31 PM

Originally posted by SunWuKung@Sep 3 2002, 12:33 AM
you already speak chinese, you cook numerous chinese dishes, and you're married to a chinese family. shit you are more chinese than alot of genetically chinese people.
So... does that mean you have to earn your status as "Chinese"?

I always thought... ethnicity is something that you are. You're born that way.. you can't change that. You just are Chinese or Korean or British or Mongolian or whatever.

I will be Korean regardless of whether or not I speak Korean, cook Korean food, and marry a Korean guy. I don't know if I will ever be into tradition, but I will always be Korean.

SunWuKong

09-02-2002, 07:26 PM

Originally posted by angel nympho@Sep 2 2002, 08:31 PM
Originally posted by SunWuKung@Sep 3 2002, 12:33 AM
you already speak chinese, you cook numerous chinese dishes, and you're married to a chinese family. shit you are more chinese than alot of genetically chinese people.
So... does that mean you have to earn your status as "Chinese"?

I always thought... ethnicity is something that you are. You're born that way.. you can't change that. You just are Chinese or Korean or British or Mongolian or whatever.

I will be Korean regardless of whether or not I speak Korean, cook Korean food, and marry a Korean guy. I don't know if I will ever be into tradition, but I will always be Korean.
chinese people place more emphasis on language and lifestyle. i don't know if it would be accurate to say that you earn your chineseness. it's more like how accustomed you are to chinese language and society. of course, this is not to say that chinese people will have 100% acceptance for a white person simply because he speaks fluent chinese, but he sure as hell would have the utmost respect of just about every chinese person he meets just because of that ability. chinese people will be more accepting of, say, a white person who has lived in china for about 10 years and is fluent in chinese, than an overseas chinese who can barely speak chinese. and if a non-chinese east asian can speak chinese with fluency, it would be even easier for him/her to be accepted into chinese society. on the other hand, if you are an overseas chinese who doesn't know the language, doesn't eat the food, and have no interest in anything chinese, you will hardly be perceived as chinese at all. alot of people will go as far to say that this person is not chinese at all.

china has a long history of assimilating other cultures into chinese culture. this explains how chinese people accept others on this sort of basis. it was always historically believed that any non-chinese can be sinophied. inside mainland china, there are 50+ ethnic minorities. there is even ethnic and dialectic division amongst han chinese.

angel nympho

09-02-2002, 07:37 PM

Originally posted by SunWuKung@Sep 3 2002, 02:26 AM
Originally posted by angel nympho@Sep 2 2002, 08:31 PM
Originally posted by SunWuKung@Sep 3 2002, 12:33 AM
you already speak chinese, you cook numerous chinese dishes, and you're married to a chinese family. shit you are more chinese than alot of genetically chinese people.
So... does that mean you have to earn your status as "Chinese"?

I always thought... ethnicity is something that you are. You're born that way.. you can't change that. You just are Chinese or Korean or British or Mongolian or whatever.

I will be Korean regardless of whether or not I speak Korean, cook Korean food, and marry a Korean guy. I don't know if I will ever be into tradition, but I will always be Korean.
chinese people place more emphasis on language and lifestyle. i don't know if it would be accurate to say that you earn your chineseness. it's more like how accustomed you are to chinese language and society. of course, this is not to say that chinese people will have 100% acceptance for a white person simply because he speaks fluent chinese, but he sure as hell would have the utmost respect of just about every chinese person he meets just because of that ability. chinese people will be more accepting of, say, a white person who has lived in china for about 10 years and is fluent in chinese, than an overseas chinese who can barely speak chinese. and if a non-chinese east asian can speak chinese with fluency, it would be even easier for him/her to be accepted into chinese society. on the other hand, if you are an overseas chinese who doesn't know the language, doesn't eat the food, and have no interest in anything chinese, you will hardly be perceived as chinese at all. alot of people will go as far to say that this person is not chinese at all.

china has a long history of assimilating other cultures into chinese culture. this explains how chinese people accept others on this sort of basis. it was always historically believed that any non-chinese can be sinophied. inside mainland china, there are 50+ ethnic minorities. there is even ethnic and dialectic division amongst han chinese.
I guess that sorf of makes sense, but at the same time it doesn't seem fair to those who are born Chinese but aren't considered Chinese. Does that mean a white person who is born and raised in China and speaks the language and is fully assimilated into society can say that he or she is Chinese instead of, like, Dutch or whatever? Come to think of it, I have heard a friend of mine say that she's Thai, but she has Chinese blood. Something like, her family was raised Thai, but they were originally Chinese... So now they're just Thai.

SunWuKong

09-02-2002, 08:01 PM

Originally posted by angel nympho@Sep 2 2002, 09:37 PM
I guess that sorf of makes sense, but at the same time it doesn't seem fair to those who are born Chinese but aren't considered Chinese. Does that mean a white person who is born and raised in China and speaks the language and is fully assimilated into society can say that he or she is Chinese instead of, like, Dutch or whatever? Come to think of it, I have heard a friend of mine say that she's Thai, but she has Chinese blood. Something like, her family was raised Thai, but they were originally Chinese... So now they're just Thai.
i am not saying that a white person who is born and raised in china and speaks fluent chinese will immediately have absolute 100% acceptance by chinese people. after all, racism and ignorance knows no cultural boundaries and he is certain to encounter stupid people who would seek to make him feel like an outsider. but i am pretty sure that a person like this will be treated by his friends as if he really were chinese. and i can speak from personal experience when i say that. :)

but what's not fair about not being considered chinese simply because you are genetically chinese? if you don't speak the language, don't eat the food, and more importantly have no interest in it, how chinese are you? blood alone does not a chinese make. the difference between a person like this and a foreigner is simply skin-deep. there is no substance underneath that makes the person chinese. this is pretty much how chinese people in asia feel.

chinese people in thailand is a pretty special case actually. this is really a different topic altogether, one concerning overseas chinese societies. thailand has historically had the most complete assimilationist attitude concerning its overseas chinese population. it is more accepting of chinese people into its society than any southeast asian society (and historically probaby more accepting than any society in the world). chinese people have even historically been granted titles of royalty by the siamese court, and encouraged to intermarry with thai nobility.

kimpossible

09-02-2002, 08:05 PM

Originally posted by angel nympho@Sep 2 2002, 06:37 PM

I guess that sorf of makes sense, but at the same time it doesn't seem fair to those who are born Chinese but aren't considered Chinese. Does that mean a white person who is born and raised in China and speaks the language and is fully assimilated into society can say that he or she is Chinese instead of, like, Dutch or whatever? Come to think of it, I have heard a friend of mine say that she's Thai, but she has Chinese blood. Something like, her family was raised Thai, but they were originally Chinese... So now they're just Thai.
It's not what I would term fair but it does seem to be the way things work. There's foreigners and then there's Foreigners. I don't know if MK will know what I mean. Any ethnic Chinese overseas can be considered a foreigner. I know many Chinese that have been called 'foreigner' in Chinese by other Chinese just because they were raised in Thailand, etc.

Foreigners, as in whitey foreigners, *can* get a lot of respect but this isn't always the case. I guess I'm mainly talking about males in this instance. But it is _highly_ dependent on their attitude. If they're humble and know how to speak, understand some of the classics and enough customs to not be a burden, or an ass, they will be worthy of respect. Education is a big factor too. However, if they come off like a know it all, or worse, act like they are Chinese, then no one really wants anything to do with them other than any advantages they offer.

I think the thing to remember is never forget that you are a foreigner, no matter how 'Chinese' people treat you.

SunWuKong

09-02-2002, 08:10 PM

Originally posted by Hello_Hapa@Sep 2 2002, 10:05 PM
Originally posted by angel nympho@Sep 2 2002, 06:37 PM

I guess that sorf of makes sense, but at the same time it doesn't seem fair to those who are born Chinese but aren't considered Chinese.  Does that mean a white person who is born and raised in China and speaks the language and is fully assimilated into society can say that he or she is Chinese instead of, like, Dutch or whatever?  Come to think of it, I have heard a friend of mine say that she's Thai, but she has Chinese blood.  Something like, her family was raised Thai, but they were originally Chinese... So now they're just Thai.
It's not what I would term fair but it does seem to be the way things work. There's foreigners and then there's Foreigners. I don't know if MK will know what I mean. Any ethnic Chinese overseas can be considered a foreigner. I know many Chinese that have been called 'foreigner' in Chinese by other Chinese just because they were raised in Thailand, etc.

Foreigners, as in whitey foreigners, *can* get a lot of respect but this isn't always the case. I guess I'm mainly talking about males in this instance. But it is _highly_ dependent on their attitude. If they're humble and know how to speak, understand some of the classics and enough customs to not be a burden, or an ass, they will be worthy of respect. Education is a big factor too. However, if they come off like a know it all, or worse, act like they are Chinese, then no one really wants anything to do with them other than any advantages they offer.

I think the thing to remember is never forget that you are a foreigner, no matter how 'Chinese' people treat you.
yes, very good points. :)

i once saw this white teenager in HK asking an old chinese lady in completely fluent cantonese whether or not the old lady speaks mandarin. my jaw dropped. :blink:

deez nuts

09-02-2002, 08:11 PM

Well if it makes you feel any better. I am considered a foreigner. I was born, read, speak and write mandarin fluently etc etc. Heck, my own uncle considers me a foreigner.

SunWuKong

09-02-2002, 08:13 PM

Originally posted by Chasiubao_Boy@Sep 2 2002, 10:11 PM
Well if it makes you feel any better. I am considered a foreigner. I was born, read, speak and write mandarin fluently etc etc. Heck, my own uncle considers me a foreigner.
i think you are probably considered an ABC more so than a "foreigner", right?

deez nuts

09-02-2002, 08:18 PM

No, he calls me a foreigner.

But others call me ABC.

Honestly, I don't know what I am either.

I mean I went to school in Taiwan for a good portion of my elementary year before we came to the US. I mean basically I was starting Junior HS when I came here. I wasn't naturalized till senior year in high school.

I wouldn't take it to personally HH, I just think it's nothing personal. Just how some people define "foreigner."

I guess I'm MIT cross-over ABC?

angel nympho

09-02-2002, 08:27 PM

Originally posted by SunWuKung@Sep 3 2002, 03:01 AM
but what's not fair about not being considered chinese simply because you are genetically chinese?  if you don't speak the language, don't eat the food, and more importantly have no interest in it, how chinese are you?  blood alone does not a chinese make.  the difference between a person like this and a foreigner is simply skin-deep.  there is no substance underneath that makes the person chinese.  this is pretty much how chinese people in asia feel.
But if you are born Chinese, and maybe perhaps raised in a way that didn't give you as much of the same opportunity to learn the language, learn to cook the food, etc... And you aren't considered Chinese... what are you, then?

Perhaps culturally, you aren't exactly orthodox, but to say that this person isn't Chinese would be a lie. I mean.... their culture may be foreign to them, but it's still their culture.

[EDIT] What I mean is... what would this person do when he had to fill out a little survey that said "Check which pertains: __Chinese; ___ Japanese; ___ Vietnamese, etc" See where I'm going with this? I can see how this person may not be fully accepted, but I can't see how this person can't call himself Chinese.

deez nuts

09-02-2002, 08:33 PM

I am more confused than ever at this point.

I mean you have the clearly defined ABC's

But where do I fit in? When you're "half and half" sort of speak.

Edit: never really gave much thought to this till now. <_<

SunWuKong

09-02-2002, 09:31 PM

Originally posted by angel nympho@Sep 2 2002, 10:27 PM
But if you are born Chinese, and maybe perhaps raised in a way that didn't give you as much of the same opportunity to learn the language, learn to cook the food, etc... And you aren't considered Chinese... what are you, then?  

Perhaps culturally, you aren't exactly orthodox, but to say that this person isn't Chinese would be a lie.  I mean.... their culture may be foreign to them, but it's still their culture.

[EDIT]  What I mean is... what would this person do when he had to fill out a little survey that said "Check which pertains: __Chinese; ___ Japanese; ___ Vietnamese, etc"  See where I'm going with this?  I can see how this person may not be fully accepted, but I can't see how this person can't call himself Chinese.
Well mostly you are still considered Chinese by Chinese people in Asia, but only barely. You would be considered more of an American rather than a Chinese. And yes, some people in China will go as far as to say that you are not Chinese at all, since you know nothing of its language and culture.

I mean you can consider yourself whatever you want, but I've only been talking about the prevalent attitude of Chinese people in Asia. They place their acceptance on how much a person knows the Chinese language and how "Chinese" the person's lifestyle is. There are of course notable differences in what Overseas Chinese think of this. And I am not familiar enough with other Asian attitudes to comment on how they perceive their overseas people.

Culture is the way you live your life. If you don't live it, and actually have no interest to live it, then it's not your culture. Face it, and this is coming from a person who has lived in Asia as an adult, in this country, unless you're actually a FOB, then you're white-washed anyway. You can try to live as much of the culture as you are able, you'll most likely be alot more American than you are Asian, unless you live in Chinatown or Koreatown, etc, and never leave the area.

SunWuKong

09-02-2002, 09:38 PM

Originally posted by Chasiubao_Boy@Sep 2 2002, 10:33 PM
I am more confused than ever at this point.

I mean you have the clearly defined ABC's

But where do I fit in? When you're "half and half" sort of speak.

Edit: never really gave much thought to this till now. <_<
you are of course a part of the infamous group of 1.5 generation asian americans. :)

i'm one also. not sure who else on this board is. i know kasia's father is.

it was quite an awkward age to move to the states, huh? at least that's how i feel about it.

kimpossible

09-02-2002, 09:51 PM

Originally posted by Chasiubao_Boy@Sep 2 2002, 07:18 PM
I wouldn't take it to personally HH, I just think it's nothing personal. Just how some people define "foreigner."
CSB> no worries. i take no offense in being a foreigner. whatever i am to the outside world, American or Chinese, i am a Chen and i am family. i'm comfortable with my position as a Chinese wife even if i have to deal with the foreigner label the rest of my life. remember too i have my own Asian American identity outside of Mr. HH. the issue for me is that the Chinese identity is very strong and difficult to not be swallowed up by.

i'm not one of those foreigners who demands to be Chinese. i just have to hang with them often and call them family. :D

SunWuKong

09-02-2002, 11:28 PM

Originally posted by Hello_Hapa@Sep 2 2002, 11:51 PM
the issue for me is that the Chinese identity is very strong and difficult to not be swallowed up by.
I'm turning Chinese
I think I'm turning Chinese
I really think so
Turning Chinese
I think I'm turning Chinese
I really think so
I'm turning Chinese
I think I'm turning Chinese
I really think so
Turning Chinese
I think I'm turning Chinese
I really think so

artsfartsyjanet

09-02-2002, 11:32 PM

Originally posted by SunWuKung@Sep 3 2002, 01:28 AM
Originally posted by Hello_Hapa@Sep 2 2002, 11:51 PM
the issue for me is that the Chinese identity is very strong and difficult to not be swallowed up by.
I'm turning Chinese
I think I'm turning Chinese
I really think so
Turning Chinese
I think I'm turning Chinese
I really think so
I'm turning Chinese
I think I'm turning Chinese
I really think so
Turning Chinese
I think I'm turning Chinese
I really think so
okaaaaay..... ? ;) :blink:

SunWuKong

09-02-2002, 11:41 PM

Originally posted by artsfartsyjanet@Sep 3 2002, 01:32 AM
Originally posted by SunWuKung@Sep 3 2002, 01:28 AM
Originally posted by Hello_Hapa@Sep 2 2002, 11:51 PM
the issue for me is that the Chinese identity is very strong and difficult to not be swallowed up by.
I'm turning Chinese
I think I'm turning Chinese
I really think so
Turning Chinese
I think I'm turning Chinese
I really think so
I'm turning Chinese
I think I'm turning Chinese
I really think so
Turning Chinese
I think I'm turning Chinese
I really think so
okaaaaay..... ? ;) :blink:
too young to know that song by the Vapors i guess? :unsure:

now i feel really old...

artsfartsyjanet

09-02-2002, 11:42 PM

Originally posted by SunWuKung@Sep 3 2002, 01:41 AM
Originally posted by artsfartsyjanet@Sep 3 2002, 01:32 AM
Originally posted by SunWuKung@Sep 3 2002, 01:28 AM
Originally posted by Hello_Hapa@Sep 2 2002, 11:51 PM
the issue for me is that the Chinese identity is very strong and difficult to not be swallowed up by.
I'm turning Chinese
I think I'm turning Chinese
I really think so
Turning Chinese
I think I'm turning Chinese
I really think so
I'm turning Chinese
I think I'm turning Chinese
I really think so
Turning Chinese
I think I'm turning Chinese
I really think so
okaaaaay..... ? ;) :blink:
too young to know that song by the Vapors i guess? :unsure:

now i feel really old...
I'm not THAT much younger than you, am I? 23 yrs young here. :blink:

SunWuKong

09-02-2002, 11:47 PM

http://hem.passagen.se/pareng/vapors.htm

i'm not a fan or anything. i just remember the song.

deez nuts

09-03-2002, 05:36 AM

Originally posted by SunWuKung@Sep 2 2002, 11:38 PM

it was quite an awkward age to move to the states, huh? at least that's how i feel about it.
Yah tell me about it.

amietron

09-03-2002, 07:58 AM

Originally posted by SunWuKung@Sep 2 2002, 08:38 PM
you are of course a part of the infamous group of 1.5 generation asian americans. :)

Can you please explain the whole generation thing?

SunWuKong

09-03-2002, 09:50 AM

Originally posted by amietron@Sep 3 2002, 09:58 AM
Originally posted by SunWuKung@Sep 2 2002, 08:38 PM
you are of course a part of the infamous group of 1.5 generation asian americans.  :)

Can you please explain the whole generation thing?
it's sort of an implication that you're something between a 1st generation asian american, in other words those who are fobby immigrants, and 2nd generation asian americans, the children of these immigrants. there are those of us who had spent our childhoods in asia and then moved to the states before or during our teenage years. we've lost the fobbiness but still remember what life was like in asia.

kimpossible

09-03-2002, 09:58 AM

I have my own version...

I think I'm turning Han Chinese

and

I think I'm turning Taiwanese

Faithless

06-08-2003, 01:57 PM

Originally posted by SunWuKung@Sep 2 2002, 10:46 AM
ok, they're not really waitresses, they're the runners that take the food from the kitchen to the buffet line.

so i was at one of those east coast style american chinese restaurants. there was this big slab of meat that was about to be put on the buffet line. this big black guy saw it and he kept asking these fobby runners walking by whether the meat was prime rib or roast beef.

i didn't know who to feel sorry for. the guy who was being rudely ignored or the runners who obviously had no idea what the hell he was talking about and didn't know how to answer him.
It probably would have been nice of the runner to find someone in the restaurant who did understand English better.

Chances are, she was probably thinking, "Ha Gue" (or something like that). :frown:

Uncle Tat

06-09-2003, 06:17 PM

Why should you feel bad for the black guy?

Why doesn't he learn some fucking Chinese instead of expecting the worker to learn English?

Or he can stay the fuck away from a Chinese restaraunt.

kimpossible

06-09-2003, 06:21 PM

Tat in a rage. This is awesome.

Tao

06-09-2003, 08:36 PM

Originally posted by SunWuKung@Sep 3 2002, 11:50 AM
Originally posted by amietron@Sep 3 2002, 09:58 AM
Originally posted by SunWuKung@Sep 2 2002, 08:38 PM
you are of course a part of the infamous group of 1.5 generation asian americans. :)

Can you please explain the whole generation thing?
it's sort of an implication that you're something between a 1st generation asian american, in other words those who are fobby immigrants, and 2nd generation asian americans, the children of these immigrants. there are those of us who had spent our childhoods in asia and then moved to the states before or during our teenage years. we've lost the fobbiness but still remember what life was like in asia.
hmm....so I guess that makes me part of the 1.7 generation? I came here when I was 5, and can carry on a dialogue in mandarin, but can't read or write.

deez nuts

06-09-2003, 08:52 PM

Originally posted by Tao@Jun 9 2003, 09:36 PM
Originally posted by SunWuKung@Sep 3 2002, 11:50 AM
Originally posted by amietron@Sep 3 2002, 09:58 AM
Originally posted by SunWuKung@Sep 2 2002, 08:38 PM
you are of course a part of the infamous group of 1.5 generation asian americans. :)

Can you please explain the whole generation thing?
it's sort of an implication that you're something between a 1st generation asian american, in other words those who are fobby immigrants, and 2nd generation asian americans, the children of these immigrants. there are those of us who had spent our childhoods in asia and then moved to the states before or during our teenage years. we've lost the fobbiness but still remember what life was like in asia.
hmm....so I guess that makes me part of the 1.7 generation? I came here when I was 5, and can carry on a dialogue in mandarin, but can't read or write.
i'm 1.26751 generation.