If all Asians are given a checklist at birth on how to be a good, stereotypical Asian, I think I lost mine. I'm not quite sure where along the way I lost it, but I am awful at being who people expect me to be. Here are 10 common misconceptions about Asians that I fail to fit into because stereotypes aren't always right. And to be honest, I'm getting tired of them.
1. Having small eyes
As an Asian, I get comments on my eyes a lot. "Why don't you have small eyes? Your brother's eyes are average-sized, Asian eyes, but yours are... weird. And their shape isn't a side slant." Yes, I get it. My eyes aren't average Asian eyes, but there are lots of Asians with the "double lid" which makes them seem much larger. It's a real thing, I swear I'm not making this up. Asians can have big eyes too, just look at this cutie above!
2. Loving Math
I actually hate math. I don't know how many times people come up to me and ask for help on homework. Granted, I do well in all my classes, but that's not because I have natural inclination toward studies as opposed to say, sports or cooking. It's because I work much harder to get to where I want to go in life than people expect. It is absolutely insane how many people just assume I do well because I was born Asian. I know a few Asians who excel in literature or history, but struggle with math. It's completely natural and human. Asians are not calculators. Please stop assuming we are.
3. Being a bad driver
Where did this one even come from? Is it because people see Chinese traffic in movies? You do realize movies aren't real, right? I have my driver's license, and I have yet to get any tickets or warnings. Please stop with this one. It makes absolutely no sense.
4. Eating rice
I actually prefer pasta. Also, rice isn't predominately Asian. Hispanics, as well as other ethnicities, eat it too.
5. Having an accent
I don't have a noticeable accent. Please stop saying, "ChingChangChong." That actually makes you look really ignorant. Just, stop. Please. It's annoying and frustrating and hard to ignore.
6. Being able to read, write, and speak Chinese
Yes I speak it fluently. No, I can't write an essay in Chinese. Yes, I can read the basics. No, I can't tell you your Chinese name. You don't have one. Just like Chinese people in Mainland China don't have English names or Spanish names or French names or... I could go on.
7. Being Chinese
Not all Asians are Chinese. That's not how it works. Also, being Chinese doesn't mean I automatically speak Korean, Japanese, Indian, Turkish, Russian (Yes, Russia is Asian), and every Asian-identified language.
8. Being short
I am 5'8" Asian female, which is proof that Asians can be above average height. Also, Yao Ming is Asian. Look at how tall he is!
9. Being totally ninja
I'm really, really, really clumsy. I'd like to think that I'm totally "bad-a**" and can fight through a cave of angry lions, blindfolded, with one arm chained to the ground. But I would probably die, just like anyone else in that kind of situation. Not all Asians are ninja, though some seem to be: Jackie Chan, Jet Li... Worship them if you're going to worship Asians for being ninja. The rest of us don't deserve that title. We are not worthy.
10. Being musically-inclined
Okay, yes, I used to play piano and flute, but I quit both so your argument is invalid. Not all Asians are musical geniuses. Though quite a few are, don't assume all are.
You may be noticing a trend here. Many of the stereotypes involve Asians being freakishly good at everything, and we're not. Yes there are exceptions, but please stop assuming we know everything, can do everything and all fit into the cut-and-dried stereotypes that you set us up to be.
