When people expect you to talk like "Harro, wercome, to china, you want fly llie?"

When we talk about racism, it's usually about black vs white people or latinos vs white. I have never heard of an argument about racism towards Asian people. I could be wrong but if it is out there, it's pretty rare. Asian people have feelings too, we may not be as vocal about the way we're being treated but it doesn't mean we're not dealing with it on a daily basis. Here's the kind of crap I deal with everyday, in 2008 to 2015 as an Asian woman with a traditional Chinese name on all my legal documents.

1. People slowing down their rate of speech when conversing in English with me for the first time

This tend to happen a lot when I meet someone new or when I receive telephone interviews. Potential employers assume my English is awful and would purposely slow down their speech. Yes we notice that little slowdown you did back there and also the little pause and shock on your face when we speak. I am so accustom to this I actually anticipate it.

When I attended my first lecture in California, one of my professor actually slowed down his speech so much I thought he was mentally challenge and responded in an equally slow rate. I later realize he was "normal" when he began his lectures.

2. Asian people are poor people from backward hillbilly countries.

Might be true 20 years ago, but not so much today. Again, there are way too many Asian people out there to assume "ALL" of them are poor. Just like any other race, there are rich, middle class, and poor people.

I have people who are shock that I can afford an education in California and couldn't pronounce "Malaysia" and didn't even know where it is. One of my former housemates thought everyone in Malaysia live in mud huts and hunt for food. "Wow, you have that in your country?" " So they ACTUALLY teach you English?" "Wait, so you have cable in your country and you watch American Idol?" I have receive a variation of those and it has become "normal" in a very weird and ignorant way.

3. The "blank" look they give you when you don't sound "asian"

There is a 50% chance every time I meet someone new they give me a blank stare after I introduce myself. What proceeds is them trying to "place" me. I have received this so many times in Australia I can literally tell when they give me the "I-don't-know-why-you-don't-have-an-asian-accent-and-I-don't-know-where-you-are-from-so-I-am-freaking-out" look.

I never get this crap in America even when I don't have an American accent. People treat me like people. Chill, I am not an alien, just because I dont tark rike dis doesn't mean I am not people. Me people too, me brood led.

4. "I bet they eat that in China.."

I bet they use to eat people in Europe you ignorant shit. What if they do? Not all of us are from China and not all of us are Chinese. It's like thinking that all white people are British. Just because you don't eat something doesn't mean you have to make fun of what other people eat. I don't make fun of American people eating McDonalds and looking like a burger, nor do I make fun of the Scottish for eating Haggis.

Yes we eat a lot of things that other people don't but you guys eat a lot of stuff we don't use to eat either like cheese, milk, pudding, donuts, pizza, and the list goes on. We do now because of globalization. You think your food is more "acceptable" simply because we eat it, well honey it still doesn't make that comment any less racist to imply that Chinese people eat all sort of shit in a derogatory manner.  

5. "I am not being racist or anything..."

Just shut up. Anything that comes after that comment is nothing good. If you need to say that before you say something, it's racist and you know it. I have people who start their sentence with this and tell me how all Asian people get into other people's faces and talk really close to their face. Uh don't know what kind of Asian you met, but never heard of that.

Or how Asian people can't drive, well go to Hong Kong ignorant twat, see if you can survive the traffic.

6. Pulling your eyes side ways to explain to me how different Asians have different eyes

I don't even know where to begin. So if your eyes are side ways you are Chinese, if they are slightly slanted you're Korean, and if it is really small you're Japanese. Please, can I slap you?

7. You know what Christmas is? And you celebrate it?

Yes we do. We may celebrate it differently without the turkey and cranberry sauce but rest assured we know what Christmas is and what Santa Claus is. We also give gifts during Christmas.

8. Addressing me "Ni Hao" instead of my name or saying hi

So the other day when I was on my way home, there were these two ignorant teens who decided to call me "ni hao" not as a way to say hello but as a way of addressing "a Chinese person" more like "that ni hao over there". I was so mad, I turn around and said "what is your problem you racist piece of shit?". Yeah they immediately gave me the look I mention in #3.

What I glean from my experience in Australia so far is that teenagers and children are very racist towards Asian people. I have had kids who threw things at me in K-Mart for being Asian. At least in America, they only think I live in a mud hut and make fun of the way I pronounce things.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am sure I didn't get all of them but that's the common ones that I have to deal with on a daily basis. Instead of pretending to be a ninja or know Kung Fu, if you don't know anything, just ask.