As a third-generation Vietnamese girl born and raised in America, I am the victim of various Asian stereotypes as are many other Asians. Thus, it can be difficult to live in a world where everyone thinks you should act, speak or dress a certain way. Yet, in actuality, each individual is unique in his or her own way regardless of his or her ethnicity, but people fail to comprehend this. Instead, they push these stereotypes on us that are meant to degrade our culture for those outsiders looking in. With that said, here are some stereotypes that are often associated with the Vietnamese community.

1. "Do your parents own a chicken farm or a nail salon?"

To a certain extent, many Vietnamese families own a chicken farm, run a nail salon or do both. However, not all Vietnamese people fall under this category. It is insensitive to generalize an entire race due to a handful of people’s career choice. There are plenty of Vietnamese people who do nails and work on chicken farms, but there are just as many that are doctors, pharmacists, business owners, nurses, chefs and so forth.

2. "Wow, your English is so good."

No duh. I was born here in America. I can speak and write properly in English. That is to say, even some of those who are native English speakers are incapable of performing at the same literacy level as a Vietnamese person. On the flip side, Asians should be applauded because we can speak at least two languages and that is more than some can say.

3. "You all look alike. You must be related."

We are not all related and we for sure do not all look alike. It is true Vietnamese people share similar physical attributes, but that does not mean we all look alike or are related. It is like saying Ashley Benson and Reese Witherspoon are somehow related because they're both blonde-haired and blue-eyed, but that is not actually logical. Just like it is not logical to assume that the dark-haired and brown-eyed Asian in Aisle 7 of the Hong Kong Supermarket is my uncle.

4. "Did you really get your license on your first try?"

Vietnamese people are some of the safest drivers out there. In all honesty, if you think about it I am sure you have never heard of a Vietnamese person being at fault in a car accident. I surely have not. If you have, I stand corrected.

5. "I bet if I cut you, you would bleed rice."

I cannot deny that we eat a lot of rice, but we also have other dishes that do not include rice. Not to mention, we live in America, people. We do enjoy the occasional Big Mac and fries just like anyone else.

6. "Don't mess with her. She probably knows Kung Fu."

I can barely jump rope let alone kick my leg up four feet into the air. So I assure you not all Vietnamese people are experts in this field, but if we were, we probably still would not tell you.

7. "Hide your dogs, the Asians are here."

Where did you get this idea that we eat dogs? Trust me, dogs are not eaten in any Vietnamese households or restaurants. If anything, we should be known for our ridiculous amount of dogs we have as pets. In the voice of the shark, Bruce, from “Finding Nemo,” "[Dogs] are friends, not food."

In the end, I could go on and on with the endless amount of stereotypes. However, these stereotypes do not define the Vietnamese population. We are bigger than these assumptions. More so, do not allow these stereotypes to stunt your success in life. Instead, prove these people wrong. So thank you to society for placing these stereotypes on my culture, because you are setting us up for success and I can assure you, we are up for the challenge.