Back in the Bay Area, my high school lacked the diverse student body large universities tend to have. Being Asian meant I was a part of the majority. Ever since I came UC Merced, that has no longer been the case. In my experience this first semester, I've often been one of the only few Asians in my classes. Of course, being the only individual in my class different from others makes people want to reaffirm stereotypes about being Asian. Here are a couple of things that you'll deal with if you're the only Asian person in your class.

People asking "where you're really from:"

Given our large student body, it's common to meet new people every single day. Typically people ask about the other's hometown or birthplace, but with Asians, people often ask, "Where are you really from?" as a way of asking "What kind of Asian are you?" Stop doing that. We're over it.

Attributing your academic success to "being Asian:"

After studying for many hours for multiple days, I sometimes receive an incredible grade on my midterms. Upon getting the grades back, it's customary for people to be curious and ask what you got. When I tell them I got a near perfect score, all my classmates can do is roll their eyes and say, "Of course, he's Asian." That's not how it works.

Asking you to speak "your native language" then mocking it:

It's nearly impossible for an Asian student to go through high school or college without somebody making fun of Asian languages. Nothing else makes me cringe more than having somebody ask you to teach them some words in Chinese, then try to repeat it in a horrible Asian accent.

Being the first one people go to help for assignments:

Even though a wildly untrue stereotype, don't be surprised if your fellow classmates expect you to help them whenever they don't understand concepts in class. This is especially true for math and sciences. Don't ask us. Sometimes we don't pay attention either.

Being confused for other Asians:

Nothing is more annoying than being called another person's name, especially if you aren't related to them. No, being Asian doesn't mean we all look the same, nor does it mean we all know each other.

Even if you aren't the lone Asian student in your class you still probably have experienced all of these happenings some time. For everyone else, just don't overuse these jokes and we won't get frustrated with you. It's funny at first, but then it just gets downright annoying. We've all heard these things before, so you don't have to keep reiterating these overused jokes.