Comments on: Asian Americans and Mistaken Identity

By: osazuwa

osazuwa — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:25:40 +0000

Im a big black dude who has lived most of his adult life in Asia, so no problems for me in this arena… anymore. I remember first year of Catholic high school I would confuse these two Vietnamese girls. But I got past it pretty quick.

The only problem I have now is when I lose my Chinese wife in a crowd of Chinese people–everyone has the same freaking hair color. Good thing is my wife has this particular waddle when she walks, easy to spot in a crowd.

Lisa Ling, one of my childhood crush, is way hotter than Lucy Liu. Way hotter.

By: JD

JD — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:52:22 +0000

This happens to all races… I was visiting Daytona FL and stopped into the NASCAR museum at the raceway. That year Jeff Gordon won the Nextel Cup and as I was getting my picture made by my wife in front of his car that year, Asian tourists wanted their picture with me. I tried to tell them that I was not Jeff Gordon (although I was wearing his hat), but they did not speak english and ignored my plea. I stood there for fifteen minutes taking pictures and signing autographs as Jeff Gordon until my wife got pissed and we left. I was very surprised that I was not arrested for imitating him.

By: Charles

Charles — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 05:47:47 +0000

There are regularly pairs of people that I–a white guy–mix up, usually in one direction. Whenever I call the wrong person by the wrong name and they happen to be a person of color, I’m always afraid they’ll think it’s because I think all x people look alike. Sometimes I get a look from them that implies that’s exactly what they thought. What they don’t realize is that it also happens to me with white folks, and at least as frequently. I’m just crappy with names.

By: 8Asians.com » Popular Posts from 8Asians in the Past 30 Days

8Asians.com » Popular Posts from 8Asians in the Past 30 Days — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:02:47 +0000

[...] Asian Americans and Mistaken Identity: White folks think we all look the same, but shh – we kinda think they all look alike too! [...]

By: Katiez

Katiez — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 22:52:14 +0000

When we were growing up, people routinely assumed my sister and I were twins – despite the fact that we are actually four years apart. I always thought it was strange and in my youthful snarkiness was always very blunt with how ridiculous I thought the idea was.

As we are both half Asian and half Caucasian I can’t say I’ve ever been mistaken for a celebrity though.

By: Chandra

Chandra — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 23:11:31 +0000

My boyfriend has been mistaken for Jet Li more than 4 times. Everytime this has happened, it has been in Atlantic City. I do not see much of a resemblance, but a couple of people have asked to take a picture with him, although they knew it wasn’t Jet Li, they were going to tell their friends that anyways. When he mentions being Vietnamese, not Chinese, their eyes just sort of glaze over. Although I once overheard some guy at a bar say: “Jet Li has a hot girlfriend!” That was flattering.

By: Kim

Kim — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 02:20:40 +0000

Same experience here, Josh, Being a white guy in any large inland city that isn’t cosmopolitan still draws stares from the overwhelmingly Han population. I also, can go days without seeing other whites in some cities.

10 years ago, taking daughter # 1 back for the PRC 50th. anniversary—to a packed Tiananmen Square—even in Beijing—constant shock and pointing at the whites with a Han child..

By: Josh Chau

Josh Chau — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 04:44:45 +0000

It’s interesting that no one has yet mentioned the percentages of ethnic diversity in both China and the US.

The US is very diverse ethnically and Americans by virtue are exposed to many more ethnicities than those in China. I’m unsure of the percentages of ethnic diversity in major metropolitan areas of China but if my own time in Xiamen was any indicator I would say that it is at significantly less than %1 non-Asian. I went for days without seeing non-Asians i knew weren’t just visiting.

In the US Asians are about %5 of the population. In major metropolitan areas the number is significantly higher. While it’s understandable to mistake identity between those of a similar ethnicity it’s important to say that perhaps the exposure of non-white ethnicities may not be wide spread enough such that most Americans can make a distinction.

This leads back to my gripe about Asians and the media that I will not go on again.

By: Bo

Bo — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 03:59:33 +0000

And remember during the Beijing Olympics everyone thought any tall white dude was Michael Phelps.

By: Jen

Jen — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 03:48:48 +0000

a drunk frat guy once thought i was sandra oh. a waitress thought i was devon aoki.

odd since i don’t think i look anything like sandra or devon!