The Long Road

04/12/2004 Archived Entry: "Happy Easter!"

(Even though you don't celebrate it)

I don't know what it is about other people pointing out cultural and racial differences but it really annoys me. Not to the point of anger but more like mild irritation (sometimes bordering on wild irritation). No, Easter (and X-Mas) has no spiritual importance in my household; I don't get offended if you wish me Happy Easter but I do get offended if you make some kind of assumption (right or wrong) based on my being Chinese.

I'm lucky enough to have never had any racism thrown my way (well, just once...SORT OF) but I do find everyday cultural ignorance to be just as exasperating. It can be very small things that someone says or does, and especially the tone in which they do it, that sometimes makes me think "wait, IS this weird?".

If anyone watched the Joan Rivers pre-oscar show they would have seen her ask Ken Watanabe if he spoke any english, followed by "how much?". If I were asked that, I would label the asker as an idiot and walk away. It was once assumed loudly that I "probably" wouldn't be able to play a game based on particulars of the English language and while I've long learnt to dismiss "ignorant white people", it is surprising to hear it from people I'd never expect to say such a thing.

It's often the case that these types of comments come from people that I know or am close enough to, to colour things a bit. It isn't always the person saying things that angers me, after all, the first rule always applies (people are stupid), but the fact that it makes me question if I should change what I'm doing to avoid the moronic statements, even if it's just for a split second.

So we drink a lot of tea at home, it's a Chinese thing, do you have to tell everyone you meet how weird that is? Don't be stupid, the answer's no.

Replies: 9 comments

Firstly, I think it's there's a global agreement that Joan Rivers is an idiot, and you should walk away from her if at all possible.

Secondly, if you're offended by people thinking you drink a lot of tea, you may have other problems to worry about. It's not just a Chinese thing, you know. Plenty of cultures enjoy drinking tea. Isn't Canada all about celebrating our differences?

Finally, it is difficult to seriously read your thoughs about cultural ignorance after this:
http://rayne.woot.net/archives/00000327.shtml

Posted by ian @ 04/12/2004 03:57 PM EST

Meh, people in power like her enough to give her her own pre-oscar tv show year in, year out.

I am not offended by people who think I drink lots of tea. I'm offended when they tell me that it is weird and when they feel the need to tell everyone they meet that it is weird. There's no celebration of cultural diversity in that. (and this is just one SMALL example).

The last paragraph of The Golden Path was supposed to be very tongue in cheek... seriously.

Posted by Rayne @ 04/12/2004 05:24 PM EST

Canada is "supposed" to be about celebrating differences, but its not always so picturesque. I am impressed though by our ability to live together, in contrast to what goes on in many other parts of the world (but there are numerous reasons for this).

Thai, as for "stupid comments", does my hockey stick one at Pub Italia count?

Posted by dAN @ 04/12/2004 08:05 PM EST

can i ask ignorant white people questions if i don't do it in a condescending tone? that's the point, right?

b/c otherwise, how are we to learn about other cultures ... knowledge is learned, not inherited ... or something like that

Posted by melpie @ 04/13/2004 10:09 AM EST

The thing about other cultures, or other Canadianized cultures, is that you know nothing, or not much, about them, until you encounter them.
A lot of white people are ignorant about the habits of Chinese or Canadian-Chinese people because they don't know any. And in the Canadian-Chinese population, you'll encounter people from anywhere to completely Americanized to completely rejecting of the values & language of the country they're in.
S'yeah, I guess the thing is not to expect anything, right? ..not always easy though.

One thing that bugs me to no end is the, ah, stupid anglophones (:D) who think that all French people come from frickin' Quebec! FYI, I was born in Manitoba. Yeh, there's not loads of French people elsewhere in Canada, but there are some, and don't assume I come from Quebec. Damn you. (There's also French schools in Toronto. Imagine that.)

Yeee! :D

Posted by Arshwana @ 04/13/2004 10:27 AM EST

Ah, so I think we've finally come to the two seperate points of this article:

First, Thai being offended and being seen as 'weird'.

I think many of us can sympathize with this in one way or another. People can be mean, cruel, bitter, etc.

My advice would be to screw everybody and do whatever it is you do, and not worry so much about what other people think. Others obviously think that they're always correct and it is their duty to inform others when in the middle of a faux-pas. Thai brings it to his blog instead, where others can comment and discuss further.

Secondly: Stereotypes, and why they suck.

Ken Watanabe probably didn't like the fact that Joan Rivers thinks all foreigners don't speak any English.

Thai may or may not like the fact that others think his culture always drinks Tea.

Arsh wants people to know that there are French people outside of Quebec.

And I want people to stop dismissing me as just another "ignorant white person".

Yup, stereotypes suck. However, I believe this talk is best left for another discussion (or at least another post).

Posted by ian @ 04/13/2004 12:17 PM EST

Nah, the hockey stick thing didn't register at all. I'm not super sensitive or anything, I know when a joke's a joke. At least it had better have been a joke...

Cultural discussions are fine, of course. It is absolutely the tone that matters...like...being made to seem like a novelty is the wrong way to have at it.

French people are in Manitoba because of the Louis Riel thing right? *remembers gr.8 history*

Ian, I refer you to this entry where I discuss stereotypes.

Posted by Rayne @ 04/13/2004 03:26 PM EST

uhm.. Louis Riel was a product of the French being in Manitoba, more like. He was a Metis, you know (of course you knew that). Born of, I think.. a native woman and a French man?

eh, I don't see all people as ignorant, and I don't assume that they are, until they make assumptions that they shouldn't.
I think my problem is more that I expect people in general to be more enlightened, brighter, than they are.

Posted by Arshwana @ 04/14/2004 09:51 AM EST

See, that's where you go wrong. Just assume everyone's dumb and you'll never be dissapointed.

*reads up on canadian history*

Posted by Rayne @ 04/17/2004 12:09 PM EST