All Asians Look Chinese

Be honest.

We all look Chinese to you, don’t we.

You probably went to our About Us page, saw our photos, and said, “Great, just what I need – another Chinese blogging couple.”

But I don’t blame you. Shit, I’d say the same thing. Aren’t there enough Chinese people in this world already? Do we really need another Chinese couple to make more Chinese babies? Why are Chinese men so bad at pulling out? Don’t Chinese women believe in birth control?

Here’s the thing: I am not Chinese.

Is it racist of me to hate that most people assume that?

Look, to the Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, etc. – I get it. We all look the same. Who cares if someone’s Vietnamese or Japanese. It’s all the same shit to you. Y’all got untrained eyes. That’s fine.

It’s when my fellow Koreans and other Chinese people think I’m Chinese that I get bothered.

When I step into a Korean restaurant, they’ll start speaking to me in English. In their minds, they say, “Psh, I gotta speak Engrish to this Chinese motherfucker.”

The other day, I was at the market when an old Chinese lady came up to me. No hello, no excuse me, no asking if I was Chinese; she just started speaking to me in what appeared to be Mandarin. Granny might as well have been speaking in Dothraki – I didn’t understand a damn thing. Luckily, Emily came to the rescue and helped her with her questions.

This is my existence: while most non-Asians think we’re all Chinese, even the Asians think I’m Chinese too.

I’m right about at that point in life where I’m done correcting people.

Am I Chinese? Yes.

Am I American-born Chinese? Sure.

Am I half-Asian, half-white? How’d you know?

You must be good at math, huh? Look at my face.

And if anyone asks me, what are you? My response – Can’t you tell I’m black?

 

– Chris.