Asian myths- why we all look the same to them?
By kai0224liu
@kai0224liu (321)
United States
July 19, 2012 3:59pm CST
I noticed that all the Asian look the same for the western like European, American and English, they have no idea where I come from, I can say I am from Japan, korea, or Thai, it's the same to them. I mean it's not like they don't care, it just seems like they dont have enough sense to know the Asian cultures are.
In hangover II the boy are missing in the story, and the three of them have to start an adventure journey, that boy is originally from Taiwan, not Thai. He is the director of Ang Lee, he is from Taiwan and he is very famous, he is the director of broke back mountain. In my new article, I share more pics and point out their cultures.
7 responses
@lampar (7584)
• United States
21 Jul 12
I don't know why it is so difficult for me to differentiate which one is from Taiwan, Thailand, China, Japan or here or there, they all have two eyes, two ears, one nose and a mouth visually speaking, no way i can tell which one is who or where. I also suffer from European Myths apart from Asian Myths, i just can't tell he/ she is from Germany, France, or even Russia by looking at them. They just look alike to each others in my eye. Like you said, i may be lacking of one or more senses inside me, i am totally lost at it. 
@kai0224liu (321)
• United States
22 Jul 12
Lol as long as next time as Asian try to introduce them where they from u will remember. That will work.
@lampar (7584)
• United States
22 Jul 12
You know with many decades of human migration that involve trans-nationals immigration and emigration, it is getting harder for me to know exactly the country of origin on a person, let alone guess accurately no matter it is Asian or European or American Myths. It is really not uncommon for someone to have bi- or even tri-nationality nowadays or for a child to have parent from two different country which made him a Chinese and also an American or A Thai and also a Japanese. 
@kai0224liu (321)
• United States
22 Jul 12
Yeah you mention a good point that in the future, each of us or our next generation will own two or three nationalities, cus we all live in a global village. It's getting easier to choose where u want to live on the earth, where u want to go. So we will be more and more internationally.
@jenyenh (205)
• Maldives
20 Jul 12
This is so true! When I lived in Europe people cant tell where I am from. They would guess one by one until they mention most of the countries in Asia Pacific. I find this funny though. Most westerners too think that Asian are Chinese. I agree that its the lack of information or education on the culture. thanks for sharing this.
@ShadowSky (221)
• Bulgaria
20 Jul 12
I can't help but disagree. I,for one,know a lot about Asian culture and I don't automatically assume when I see a person from Asia that they are Chinese but the fact that I know a lot about their culture doesn't mean that I can spot the VISUAL differences.But this isn't only an occurence that is valid for Asians.There are some Europeans who don't even have any visual differences to be distinguished by,I know,bacause I'm one of them.
@kai0224liu (321)
• United States
20 Jul 12
Yeap, see? A lot of people have the same experiences like me.
To shadowsky
I am sure u r not one of them, but only a few of european or American they are willing to know Asian cultures, most of people are not interested at all, thats what I have experienced, two years in th UK, three years in the USA.
@maximax8 (31053)
• United Kingdom
20 Jul 12
I am am very keen on traveling to different countries. I don't think I can tell the difference from a Japanese, Chinese and Korean people. I know a little girl in my disabled son's class and her mom is Thai and her dad in English. She looks the same as any of the nationalities that I have mentioned. Funnily enough I met an Indian looking couple from South Africa in Malaysia. People there thought they were Asian. They were not local people yet they looked like they were from there. People from Taiwan look the same to me. I am English yet I look German.
@maximax8 (31053)
• United Kingdom
20 Jul 12
I am talking about the way the people look visually. I can tell an Indian person is from India. I can mix up an American with a Canadian. I ask where are you fro, to that person if that happens. I can tell from a German accent that the person is German. I saw a blue eyed and blonde haired Brazilian. I have seen some Mexican people and then I saw a white couple that are Mexican.
@kai0224liu (321)
• United States
20 Jul 12
Really, that surprises me, I lived in the western world for 5 years now, I can tell where they from, indian is quite easily to spot, so their strong feature, Englsih and American or Australian are easily for me too, I can tell from their accent and behavior, or Canadian, I think I am be able to tell too. Okay I have to write more article about this, cus actually from our faces u can tell where are we from, either we are Chinese, Japanese, malaysian, Thai, Cantonese, etc.
@Torunn (8609)
• Norway
20 Jul 12
That's two quite different things though. Not sure if I'd be able to tell whether a person is from Japan or Korea or Thailand just by looking at someone, or even listening to them speak, just as I usually can't make out where people come from in Europe (then I can usually guess fairly accurately when they talk though)
But most educated people here (Norway) will know that the cultures are quite different. Or maybe that's just something I think? I've only been to Japan and Thailand (only Bangkok, very, very warm, crazy traffic) but I've got a Finnish friend who is travelling in Asia a couple of months every year when she can afford it, so I get a lot of stories from her.
Not sure how much I know about the differences between the different cultures though, 'cause what you notice first is the differences with your own culture. I shared an office with a Chinese PhD once, and then with an Italian student. The Chinese bloke was quite OK, but never said no :-) The Italian was a walking disaster, quite crazy. At the same time there was a bloke from Kongo there as visiting researcher, and Swede who was originally from somewhere in the Middle East, in addition to the Chinese professor who works there. Quite a lot of strange cultural differences going on :-)
@kai0224liu (321)
• United States
20 Jul 12
Yeah, that's shows so many different cultures there, what if u have a Chinese phd, and a Japanese phd, or south Korean phd share the same offices, I think if u get close to them, u will know a lot differences by their faces, languages, food, our food is amazing and behavior. I believe we are a very quiet culture, we don't like make a mess we love peace, this is either good or bad. I hope next time u will have more chances to share an office with another Asian. :-)
@ShadowSky (221)
• Bulgaria
20 Jul 12
As much as I'm ashamed of myself for saying this I actually can't make the difference. I've tried to distinguish while watching movies or while looking at pictures or looking at tourist but I just can't seem to see a difference.I'm by no means trying to be rude but I feel like my brain just can't process it. Ocasionally I get it right but I also get it wrong from time to time.I know there is a difference but I don't see it most of the time. In my defence and if it makes you feel any better there are a lot of European countries whose people get mixed up quite a lot as well,same goes for USA...
@kai0224liu (321)
• United States
20 Jul 12
Oh yeah, thats true, I feel the proper information about Asian country, like cultures, tourist information I feel still not enough, so people lack of information about our cultures, that's not ur guys fault,I somehow feel its our fault, we should come out with some ways, to introduce our country, to let everybody know our cultures.
A first, I feel European look all the same too. It doesn't matter they are from Italy, Greece, Spain, France, I can't tell the difference but when I stay longer in Europe and actually spend time with them, I can tell the difference now. So it's not hard.
@ShadowSky (221)
• Bulgaria
21 Jul 12
In the end all people can make such mistakes because looks can be decieving in this way. After a long time of communication with people I guess we can all start to see the difference but I live in a caountry which is not popular tourist destination and so I have no chance to meet a lot of Asian people and I somehow feel that it's not the same on TV or on a picture...
@BabyCheetah (1911)
• Australia
20 Jul 12
It seems a lot of us westerners are this way. I was actually very good at telling if someone was Japanese or not just by looking at them and a lot of people would ask me "Wow how can you tell?" To me there is a difference but saying that I wouldn't be able to tell what country they might actually be from all the time if they are not Japanese. But I don't think all asians look the same either like some westerners think
@kai0224liu (321)
• United States
20 Jul 12
Yeah not all western think we loom the same, but every time I said that I'm from Taiwan, they will say Thai? And I mentioned several times, they still say I'm from tai, but I'm from Taiwan, and they are my bf family member, we see each other pretty much every day. For them I'm just an Asian looking girl.
@BabyCheetah (1911)
• Australia
21 Jul 12
Ohhh I see that must be really annoying. I would feel annoyed if they couldn't get my country right. Especially if you have told them though. But if it makes you feel better I know Taiwan and Thailand are 2 different countries and are not the same! 
