The Reality of Americans in Asia

[Strawberry Embrace]

I'm sure that has happened to many of us.
I tell someone I was raised in Asia and I almost always hear "You're so lucky!!"

People dream of going to Japan or China or Taiwan and yes, it is beautiful country and so much to learn and do. But what people don't realize is that just by showing up you lose every right as an American.

There are signs that literally say "NO AMERICANS" on buildings.

There are people who will instantly not like yoy just because they know you are American.

Yes, I have Japanese-Korean blood in me. But it is obvious I am American. People will not rent a apartment to someone they know is from the US. If you are getting mugged people will just walk by and not do anything ((this happened to my mom)).

Many peope think that Japan is one huge Anime' store.
That really irritates me, because there is so much more to it than that.

Basically what I'm looking to discuss is this:

*If you are from America, have you been able to visit the place of your heritage? If so, were your expectations right or wrong? Did you find it difficult at all being an American in Asia?

*If you are not from the US, what annoys you most about tourists? What is the best thing you feel about living where you do?

*What would you say to someone who had fantasy fan-girl ((or boy)) dreams about travelling to Asia?



 

[Chocolate marshmallow gum]

*If you are from America, have you been able to visit the place of your heritage? If so, were your expectations right or wrong? Did you find it difficult at all being an American in Asia?

I was born in Philadelphia, but I have gone back to China many times. I've also been to other places in Asia, like Japan and Chengdu, and it wasn't that difficult. I speak mandarin fluently, and i'm purely chinese. i don't look anything like an american, except for the way i dress, since i come from north america. no one would guess that i live in pennsylvania, or that i know how to speak english.

*What would you say to someone who had fantasy fan-girl ((or boy)) dreams about traveling to Asia?

I would say that it's not all that great going to China. well i didn't enjoy it that much, since i go there every year. back and forth all the time. it's not as fun as everyone thinks it is. a lot of people think that asia would be a great place to explore, and yeah, i guess it is in some ways, but the pollution is really bad, there are beggers everywhere. literally. subways, streets, the poor and homeless just lie there. it's really sad.

 

[SDES]

I'm 3/4 Vietnamese, 1/4 Chinese.
I've gone to Vietnam once.
I think people distinguished me as an outsider by the amount I spent at their shops. I bought a lot of bootlegged games and DVDs.
To a lower degree, it might have also been due to this white hat I would wear all the time.
Without having the thought of them overcharging me for the goods I bought, just because I live overseas from them, they weren't racist at all. They acted normally.

Japan is probably the most xenophobic and racist country ever. Any weeaboo who goes there should only spend their time amongst their own kind. They wont care if you're Asian or white, they just care that weeaboos won't stick to their own culture. It seems like Japan likes blacks though, with Ernesto Hoost etc.
Unless you do some sort of good to their society, they'll probably just view you as another little s**t leeching off their stuff.
Watch anime from home, go to Chinatown, if the only thing attracting you to Japan is food and media. Porn torrents are abundant, no need for a physical copy straight from Japan.

If you want a more 'open' Asian country, maybe try Hong Kong. They were under British rule from ages ago until recently, so (I assume) not everybody is a racist c**t.  

[[F]lavor.of.[L]ife]

If you are from America, have you been able to visit the place of your heritage? If so, were your expectations right or wrong? Did you find it difficult at all being an American in Asia?

I've been to Thailand, and to be honest, it was above my expectations. I had so much fun. I honestly don't think the people there thought I was American until they heard the way I spoke, because my grammer was somewhat off when I spoke Thai back then. But then again, Thailand is full of tourists from all around the world. I saw caucasians almost everywhere I went, so I think Thailand is used to the tourism.

I do agree with what you're saying though. Right now, a lot of people don't like the US. For what reason, who knows?

 

[Azn Fcuk]

Really? When I went to China with my school, everyone tries hassling you to buy something. It never occured to me that Chinese people hate Americans. (I'm from Canada, similar enough in the sense that we're foreign in China) They don't care as long as they can get your money.  

[Jose Rizal Mercado]

It's actually the reverse here in the Philippines. There are "Americans/Europeans only areas" scattered across the country usually found in military bases, red light districts or exclusive resorts.

I have even witnessed what I suspect to be an American ***** victimizing poor but cute and innocent little street girls by offering them a meal "But only if they make him happy."

And this problem is not only prevalent here other countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Macau and Vietnam are also experiencing their versions of this emerging inequality were the impoverished local populations strive to prostrate themselves before the superior money-wielding bright eyed masters tourists.


Haven't you noticed the popularity of Eurasian models and Caucasian looking beauties as the ideal in Asia? (*cough Anime)

I even see an emerging racist caste-system in Asia similar to what happened in India during the Indo-Aryan invasion and in Latin America during the Portuguese and Spanish invasion. Where the rich Aryan/Europeans are at the top and everyone wants to be mixed.

Overall this does not bode well for those of us who struggle to preserve the great heritage -_-  

[Strawberry Embrace]

Jose Rizal Mercado

It's actually the reverse here in the Philippines. There are "Americans/Europeans only areas" scattered across the country usually found in military bases, red light districts or exclusive resorts.

I have even witnessed what I suspect to be an American ***** victimizing poor but cute and innocent little street girls by offering them a meal "But only if they make him happy."

And this problem is not only prevalent here other countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Macau and Vietnam are also experiencing their versions of this emerging inequality were the impoverished local populations strive to prostrate themselves before the superior money-wielding bright eyed masters tourists.


Haven't you noticed the popularity of Eurasian models and Caucasian looking beauties as the ideal in Asia? (*cough Anime)

I even see an emerging racist caste-system in Asia similar to what happened in India during the Indo-Aryan invasion and in Latin America during the Portuguese and Spanish invasion. Where the rich Aryan/Europeans are at the top and everyone wants to be mixed.

Overall this does not bode well for those of us who struggle to preserve the great heritage -_-

That's very true, but I still saw aLOT of "No Americans" signs in Japan. I guess it depends. If they know you're a naive tourist then they try to get your money. But if your not spending, they don't want you.

Okay, I just made no sense whatsoever... XD  

[Rabid Bagel Cow Thing]

Countries love tourists...(=
It provides many shopkeepers with profit.
If they were too mean to tourists, they'd lose money and wouldn't be able to support their families.  

[[purple banana]]

im chinese, born and raised in america.
and when i went to china a few years back.
i was surprised how plain it was, the part i was at didnt even have a road, completely different from what i thought.
i thought everywhere in china was populated.
and that proved me wrong :3  

[Kuroi Kohhi]

I lived in tokyo for 6 months when i was 16 but like i did get some haters but then i made 2 friends whome i talk to to this day, i mean given your right and it urgs me that they are like that but the US does the same if you look close enough and don't like have tunnel vision.

the world is full of negativity but if you can see past that and remain positive it will make life so much more fun and easy

but yea i mean the US did like drop those a bombs there so i guess its understandable that it is still like that  

[~[TheMagicBirdy]~]

No Americans? Ahaha I guess the Japanese have realized the onslaught of Weaboos onto their culture and now fear they will take over. It disgusts me how people would just take another culture and make it their own, its tainting the system...  

[HotLaMon38]

I was born and raised in Philadelphia for 19 years (my entire life) but recently I've been wanting to go visit my "homeland". But contrary to what you've said; my mother tells me that our country loves Americans/tourists. It's the best way to make money she says. I think it because our country isn't all that advanced and at a risk of sounding crude; "poor".

SDES

I'm 3/4 Vietnamese, 1/4 Chinese.

On an offt-topic note:
It really annoys me when people do this. It's a petpeeve of mine... If you are mostly Vietnamese then just say it. There is no point in saying you are a quarter Chinese. Do you think people are going to think of you differently now that you mentioned you are a quarter Chinese or 1/6 Korean? I hear Asian girls say this more than Asian guys. Here's how I look at it: If you can't speak/understand all the language or the cultures you claim to be apart of, then don't mention them when people ask you what kind of Asian you are. Why do I say this, you ask? Well if you really can speak both languages that means your parents spoke to you in both languages are a child. And when I say speak/undertstand, I don't mean how to say "Hello" or basic sentences. I mean a full conversation with your parents.

I know this Cambodian girl that when I asked her for her ethnicity, she said "Oh... Wow... I'm.. Uhh... Like 5/8 Cambodian, 1/8 Chinese and 2/8 Vietnamese. Which language does she speak you ask? Khmer (Cambodian) that is all...  

[SDES]

HotLaMon14

I was born and raised in Philadelphia for 19 years (my entire life) but recently I've been wanting to go visit my "homeland". But contrary to what you've said; my mother tells me that our country loves Americans/tourists. It's the best way to make money she says. I think it because our country isn't all that advanced and at a risk of sounding crude; "poor".

SDES

I'm 3/4 Vietnamese, 1/4 Chinese.

On an offt-topic note:
It really annoys me when people do this. It's a petpeeve of mine... If you are mostly Vietnamese then just say it. There is no point in saying you are a quarter Chinese. Do you think people are going to think of you differently now that you mentioned you are a quarter Chinese or 1/6 Korean? I hear Asian girls say this more than Asian guys. Here's how I look at it: If you can't speak/understand all the language or the cultures you claim to be apart of, then don't mention them when people ask you what kind of Asian you are. Why do I say this, you ask? Well if you really can speak both languages that means your parents spoke to you in both languages are a child. And when I say speak/undertstand, I don't mean how to say "Hello" or basic sentences. I mean a full conversation with your parents.

I know this Cambodian girl that when I asked her for her ethnicity, she said "Oh... Wow... I'm.. Uhh... Like 5/8 Cambodian, 1/8 Chinese and 2/8 Vietnamese. Which language does she speak you ask? Khmer (Cambodian) that is all...

It's only there for the people who'd like to know, as a simple identifier, or don't find mixes of nationalities (under certain conditions) annoying.

Had somebody asked me in real-life, I'd say I'm Vietnamese. Aside from liking Chinese movies/songs and having family that speaks some dialect of a Chinese language, I don't know much about China or its languages.
If they wanted anymore detail of my blood, I'd tell them with no fuss at all.

If you see somebody flattering themself by saying they're of a bunch of ethnic cultures, then it's something to get pissed off about.
If you see someone saying such without basking in its glory, then I dunno - jump to all the conclusions you want to make.

To kinda relate it to the thread topic:

What if you're 50% Chinese and 25% Japanese and 25% African, born in some Asian country, yet do not embrace any Asian culture, and only know how to speak and write in American-English?
Of course, by many, you'd be called an American-Asian, but you'd most certainly not look like one. So by your standard, without annoying you, they are neutral/nothing.  

[Sesshomaruka]

We'll im half filipino.
i've been the the philippines once, i don't really like it ><
i'd rarth be an american asian, the be full, cauz i can barley live in the philippines .__.

but if i were chinese(actually i have some chinese in me xD), jap, or korean, i think i would like their ways of living better then the way of living in the philippines.

 

[Sgt Peace]

well i'm from cali and i travel alot between europe and asia. Taiwan is actually very friendly to foreigners; u can find a bunch of them in the upper taipei area.

France is sorta similar to japan's treatment of foreigners. if u can't speak their language, or if you try to speak their language but ur bad at it, they'll stop u and speak to you in english. then they will treat u rudely for the rest of ur stay.