AAs vs FOBs vs Asians

[BeTheReds]

In my experience:

Most AA's upon learning of my hapa origin still treat me as a white outsider, because the only thing that matters to them is looks.

Most FOBs however refer to me as the Korean gwailo or whatever other word they use to describe white people. If these people are chinese or japanese then I am the representation of all things Korean, that is, if they don't hang with Koreans very much. I am rarely ever asked about white people stuff, because I am not really all that knowledgable about it.

Most Japanese however think that no matter how Asian my mind or habits may be, I am still more white, because of my face The exception is the students, who ask me about both countries when they want to know stuff.

Koreans, both in Korea and in Japan who upon meeting me seem to generally accept me as one of their own, while at the same time giving me the benefit of the doubt for not acting korean in certain situations. It may just be the fact that all the Koreans who I know are intelligent people with some kind of international experience, so that might be the reason.

Chinese: never been to china, so I have only met ABC's and FOBs

[YuheiCarreau]

For me it's been like this: FOBs - almost all Japanese. The ones in my childhood were confused by me (didn't know how to treat me) or they hated me, probably because I represented the American kids that mocked them in American school. The ones I went to art school with saw me as American, not Japanese (although they treated me more like a JA than a White guy). AAs - I think almost all Chinese, but I really don't know that many. For the most part they accept me without comment, but most of them come from all-White areas. To most Japanese - I'm a novelty. To the ones that know my family, I'm legit, albeit still not quite Japanese in the same way a JA is.

[angel nympho]

Everybody treats me the same. At least to my face.

Either way, I don't really know. I can't pick out the AAs from the Fobs from the Asians.

[BeTheReds]

How can you not pick them out?

Just talk to them for 5 minutes and you will know instantly!

[angel nympho]

Originally posted by BeTheReds@Jan 28 2003, 12:18 AM
How can you not pick them out?

Just talk to them for 5 minutes and you will know instantly!
Not really... I've met American-born Asians who were just as fobby as people who've been here for 3 days.

Ok, let's just leave it at this: No matter what kind of Asian they are, they generally don't care for me a whole lot unless I make some special effort for them... which is something that I don't hold exclusive to *types* of Asians. So really... it doesn't matter.

[BeTheReds]

just as fobby... as in not being able to speak english well? Or surrounded by real fobs? Which is it?

[angel nympho]

Originally posted by BeTheReds@Jan 28 2003, 12:24 AM
just as fobby... as in not being able to speak english well? Or surrounded by real fobs? Which is it?
Define fobby...? I mean that they went way the fuck out of their way to become carbon copies of the "fob" groups in school and shit.

[AltimaGTR]

I got no problem with that; I hang with the AAs and FOBs all the time. If I could classify myself, I would consider myself FOB, but then again I only came over here when I was 1 so I dunno if that counts... Maybe I'm a former FOB? :D

[thaite]

I don't have any problem with FOBs

I've been here over 20 years, so I ain't exactly so fresh anymore, ya know. My mom, who hass been here just as long as I have, is still pretty fobby -- and so are her friends.

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by angel nympho@Jan 27 2003, 07:34 PM
Define fobby...? I mean that they went way the fuck out of their way to become carbon copies of the "fob" groups in school and shit.
i think one characteristic of being fobby would be the inability to speak accentless english.

[ChairmanMah]

let's see this is a few things i've noticed intercting w/

Hapas: alot of the hapas i know show hints of hating their asianess.

cbcs: some more whitewashed than others. It's weird, i feel competitive against some other cbcs like me. maybe because i've only known a few and we've been through similar pains and struggles. Maybe it's just me. i'm weird about this stuff.

fobs: i don't feel like i relate very well to them. I think almost everyone is a fob. I know a few cbcs, we don't hang out. I didn't grow up w/ many

[thaite]

I dunno 'bout that, SWK. I've seen plenty of Asians who have been here for years still speak with an accent. Sometimes it just never goes away.

[BeTheReds]

Originally posted by angel nympho@Jan 28 2003, 12:34 AM
Define fobby...? I mean that they went way the fuck out of their way to become carbon copies of the "fob" groups in school and shit.
Trying to be fob and being fob is completly different.


I define fob as someone who spent the majority of their childhood in Asia who's second (or third) language is English.

You stop being a fob when 3 of the following things are true.
1. Your English becomes just as good or better than your first language.
2. Your first language education deteriorates with misuse.
3. You can go more than one day or two eating only American food.
4. Your friend base consists mostly of people other than fobs
5. You like watching American tv.

[Napoleon Chynamite]

Arguably some or many FOB's adore watching American TV.

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by FrozenPizza@Jan 27 2003, 10:38 PM
Arguably some or many FOB's adore watching American TV.
yeah i think the true test comes in enjoying watching sitcoms.

x-files is really popular in HK.

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by ChairmanMah@Jan 27 2003, 09:07 PM
let's see this is a few things i've noticed intercting w/

Hapas: alot of the hapas i know show hints of hating their asianess.

cbcs: some more whitewashed than others. It's weird, i feel competitive against some other cbcs like me. maybe because i've only known a few and we've been through similar pains and struggles. Maybe it's just me. i'm weird about this stuff.

fobs: i don't feel like i relate very well to them. I think almost everyone is a fob. I know a few cbcs, we don't hang out. I didn't grow up w/ many
right
fobs and cbcs just don't hang out
and most of the cbcs i know are very white washed. they think canada is the greatest place on earth and never want to leave.

[Hiroshi2]

Since this is in the HH forum, I thought it was directed to hapas, but whatever. My experience.

Have only met one FOB girl (from China) who knew I was half-japanese. She thought it was interesting cause there were no other asians at the school at the time. So I was like the closest thing to another asian kid there (that felt strange saying that, lol)

I know some ABA's, don't know if they know, but if they do apparently they don't care.

[kimpossible]

I think I've said this a few times already so I won't waste too much space or people's time but my experience is similar to a lot of the mixed Asians here. I'm tighter with fobs than I am ABAs. Most ABAs don't give a damn. Not like they should for any reason, I'm just noting differences.

[YuheiCarreau]

Originally posted by Hello_Hapa@Jan 27 2003, 11:23 PM
I think I've said this a few times already so I won't waste too much space or people's time but my experience is similar to a lot of the mixed Asians here. I'm tighter with fobs than I am ABAs. Most ABAs don't give a damn. Not like they should for any reason, I'm just noting differences.
I think, because most of the AAs I've met all grew up in White suburbs and have had little contact with other Asians, I've begun wondering if they hang out with one another more because they share the experience of being percieved as Asian than because they share common cultural bonds... I could be wrong though.

[Aznsixian]

as far as i can observe, from knowing korean fobs and noticing what american born koreans or fobs who've been around for a while, fobs generally get categorized mostly by style of dress and ability to speak english. korean fobs tend to have longer hair, for example, than koreans who've been here for a while, they also tend to have a problem finding the right word for things or speak english slowly or with a heavy accent. now that i think about it though, they're probably only maybe 10 fobs at our school but they do get dissed a lot despite their low numbers compared to the numbers of nonfobs around.

[BeTheReds]

Originally posted by SunWuKung@Jan 28 2003, 03:47 AM
yeah i think the true test comes in enjoying watching sitcoms.

x-files is really popular in HK.
Okay true, but what I meant...

Like, you watch American TV almost exclusively, without going to the videoshop to get what's hot in Asia right now, or 3 months ago.

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by BeTheReds@Jan 28 2003, 07:27 AM
Originally posted by SunWuKung@Jan 28 2003, 03:47 AM
yeah i think the true test comes in enjoying watching sitcoms.

x-files is really popular in HK.
Okay true, but what I meant...

Like, you watch American TV almost exclusively, without going to the videoshop to get what's hot in Asia right now, or 3 months ago.
yeah. i know what you mean.
and also pretty much putting down anything that's in popular media in asia. i mean that's probably just plain preference, but that in itself speaks volumes of how white-washed someone is.

[AliBabaIncorporated]

Originally posted by SunWuKung@Jan 28 2003, 03:04 PM
Originally posted by BeTheReds@Jan 28 2003, 07:27 AM
Originally posted by SunWuKung@Jan 28 2003, 03:47 AM
yeah i think the true test comes in enjoying watching sitcoms.

x-files is really popular in HK.
Okay true, but what I meant...

Like, you watch American TV almost exclusively, without going to the videoshop to get what's hot in Asia right now, or 3 months ago.
yeah. i know what you mean.
and also pretty much putting down anything that's in popular media in asia. i mean that's probably just plain preference, but that in itself speaks volumes of how white-washed someone is.
wait, are we talking about FOBs or CBCs now?

actually I get along really well with CBCs who hang out with FOBs.

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by AliBabaIncorporated@Jan 28 2003, 04:14 PM
Originally posted by SunWuKung@Jan 28 2003, 03:04 PM
Originally posted by BeTheReds@Jan 28 2003, 07:27 AM
Originally posted by SunWuKung@Jan 28 2003, 03:47 AM
yeah i think the true test comes in enjoying watching sitcoms.

x-files is really popular in HK.
Okay true, but what I meant...

Like, you watch American TV almost exclusively, without going to the videoshop to get what's hot in Asia right now, or 3 months ago.
yeah. i know what you mean.
and also pretty much putting down anything that's in popular media in asia. i mean that's probably just plain preference, but that in itself speaks volumes of how white-washed someone is.
wait, are we talking about FOBs or CBCs now?

actually I get along really well with CBCs who hang out with FOBs.
ABCs or CBCs
i get along with CBCs too. generally they got the friendly canadian demeaner to them. but damn are they white-washed.

[AliBabaIncorporated]

really? hmm I haven't been to Canada in a long time (though I'm probably gonna head to Toronto sometime in March), but all the Canadian Chinese I meet here and in HK, even the CBCs I meet here (and in HK), speak Chinese a lot better than their ABC counterparts. one CBC friend of mine even considers himself "ultra-whitewashed," but his Cantonese accent is better than mine ...

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by AliBabaIncorporated@Jan 28 2003, 07:25 PM
really? hmm I haven't been to Canada in a long time (though I'm probably gonna head to Toronto sometime in March), but all the Canadian Chinese I meet here and in HK, even the CBCs I meet here (and in HK), speak Chinese a lot better than their ABC counterparts. one CBC friend of mine even considers himself "ultra-whitewashed," but his Cantonese accent is better than mine ...
yeah well these CBCs also made a conscious decision to be in HK.
most of the ones i know just want to stay in toronto because they think it's the best place on earth.
and are you sure they aren't just FOBs who've decided to go back to HK like all canadian FOBs want to do?

[tapestrybabe]

ABA's... American Born Asians??
CBC's... Canadian Born Chinese??
Eh... just trying to get all these different lingos right...

[AliBabaIncorporated]

Originally posted by SunWuKung@Jan 28 2003, 08:22 PM
yeah well these CBCs also made a conscious decision to be in HK.
most of the ones i know just want to stay in toronto because they think it's the best place on earth.
and are you sure they aren't just FOBs who've decided to go back to HK like all canadian FOBs want to do?
yeah, we discussed it at some length; my CBC friends really are CBCs who made a conscious decision to hang out with FOBs, kinda like me. even among my CBC friends here in this little new england town which tries to pretend it's a city.

tapestrybabe: yeah, that's right.

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by tapestrybabe@Jan 28 2003, 08:32 PM
ABA's... American Born Asians??
CBC's... Canadian Born Chinese??
Eh... just trying to get all these different lingos right...
my favorite one is BOB :)
Back On the Boat

[Napoleon Chynamite]

SOB - still on the boat ^__^

[BeTheReds]

NYOB - Not Yet on Boat (Asian people in Asia obsessed with the USA)

[Napoleon Chynamite]

If I was born in Asia, I would be WTCTABDNKHTOB. Wanted-to-come-to-America-but-did-not-know-how-to-operate-boat.

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by FrozenPizza@Jan 28 2003, 09:58 PM
SOB - still on the boat ^__^
wait a minute. what makes someone a SOB? wouldn't he just be a FOB?

[Napoleon Chynamite]

Maybe someone who came here against his/her own will and is frantically holding on to his/her roots/culture? I dunno, haha, I heard it somewhere....

[BeTheReds]

No a sob would be someone who is on an airplane or boat on the way to the USA. One you step off, you are a FOB.

[AliBabaIncorporated]

nah, SOB it's referring to mental attitude. They may have gotten off the boat, but they still think of themselves as being back in the homeland and act accordingly.

[BeTheReds]

Originally posted by AliBabaIncorporated@Jan 29 2003, 06:29 AM
nah, SOB it's referring to mental attitude. They may have gotten off the boat, but they still think of themselves as being back in the homeland and act accordingly.
Right, well in that case then they are people who like to live in ethnic enclaves and complain that Americans only speak english, making life difficult for them. (Koreatown!)

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by AliBabaIncorporated@Jan 29 2003, 01:29 AM
nah, SOB it's referring to mental attitude. They may have gotten off the boat, but they still think of themselves as being back in the homeland and act accordingly.
that is kind of hard for me to imagine i guess. i think of getting off the boat as getting americanised. so in that sense they just wouldn't act like they're still back in the "homeland".

[igcognito]

what is a FOB, exactly . . . From other Beach . . . what is it ><. PLZ. I asked b4 and recieved no answer . . . wait let me guess, Fresh Off the Boat

[AliBabaIncorporated]

Originally posted by SunWuKung@Jan 29 2003, 03:15 AM
that is kind of hard for me to imagine i guess. i think of getting off the boat as getting americanised. so in that sense they just wouldn't act like they're still back in the "homeland".
yeah, you guessed correctly.

[achtungbaby]

Originally posted by BeTheReds@Jan 28 2003, 10:37 PM
Right, well in that case then they are people who like to live in ethnic enclaves and complain that Americans only speak english, making life difficult for them. (Koreatown!)
Hey now, balkanization can be good, baby. If Asians don't huddle up to help each other out, they have to endure all sorts of crap from others.

[BeTheReds]

Originally posted by achtungbaby@Jan 30 2003, 02:54 AM
Hey now, balkanization can be good, baby. If Asians don't huddle up to help each other out, they have to endure all sorts of crap from others.
There's a difference between helping each other out, and living in an ethnic ghetto, making no effort to learn basic English. I am certainly not saying that all Koreans in Ktown do this, but a large number of non-english speakers live there and plan to stay forever. I know English is not the official language of the nation, but I believe that it is essential that the public be able to converse with eachother, lest we get problems like Canada has with Quebec. When people speak different languages, they start to believe that they are different people.

[achtungbaby]

Originally posted by BeTheReds@Jan 29 2003, 07:50 PM
There's a difference between helping each other out, and living in an ethnic ghetto, making no effort to learn basic English. I am certainly not saying that all Koreans in Ktown do this, but a large number of non-english speakers live there and plan to stay forever. I know English is not the official language of the nation, but I believe that it is essential that the public be able to converse with eachother, lest we get problems like Canada has with Quebec. When people speak different languages, they start to believe that they are different people.
Actually, the majority of the people living in Ktown LA, for example, are not Korean, but anyway, I don't think having another language is the only thing that separates us. As a Korean who was born and raised here, I feel strongly about the English language and about people "doing their part" to be good citizens and all, but language was far from the first thing that separated us, I think. Blacks speak the same language as whites and it's not like they're going bowling every night.

[BeTheReds]

Of course it's not the only thing, however, I believe that everyone should make a basic effort to learn basic basic English at the very least.