When I speak to them in their language, people here tend to ask me if I am really an Asian from Asia. In the beginning the question perplexed me, until I finally got it. Apparently us Asians from Asia are not supposed be very quick up there where it counts, and are supposed to spend years and years speaking only broken French.
When they see that I am married to a white man, some people tend to think that I am Thai, because if you're Asian married to a white man, then you must be a pute. Why? Because all the travelling these ignorant few have ever done is a cheap hop over to Thailand, staying in the red-light districts, where most of the Thai girls they met were engaged in the world's oldest trade and working the afams (Filipino for "foreigner").
When I'm in an outdoor market or an antiques fair, I often lose my head and spend too much money. Looking at my Asian face and then the euros in my hands, people here tend to ask, "You are Japanese?"
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12 comments:
Sigh...so sad, but it will take a long time (perhaps never?) before prejudice can be erased. Imagine how much worse it would be if you *were* Thai -- how much harder would it be then to convince them you're not a prostitute?!
Or female!
Have experienced this in Scandinavia. What about the mail order bride thing. Annoying really. It makes me laugh (and be amazed)at how provincial and narrow minded some people can be coming from a "first world" country. It's almost ironic.
KATRINA, I have decided long ago that I don't actually care to convince them. I mean, except as subjects for short blog entries, people who are that ignorant are not really very interesting, so why should I even take the time to change their minds.
IANNE, am I? ;)
Hahahaha! Yes, you are. But you're so foxy they might think it too good to be true : )
then, tell them that you're an award-winning writer fr the philippines. he-he.
and that you're there to write about their "old world" views re: european ignorance.
I agree that a lot of people from 1st world countries are ignorant. All they know is about them and not at all aware of other things outside their land.
I hope one day there will no longer be stereotypes of any kind. People should not be placed in a box.
NOTHING NEW !
Hey, they're not naman ignorant, I mean ignorance exists, but not in general, so let us not get mad :) I have learned to be at peace with it, and just hang out with people who are smart ;)
HAZE, are you complaining that my views are old and nothing new? Well, I apologize. I've never claimed to be a pioneering thinker.
LOL, you misunderstood me! It has nothing to do with your views, I was referring to people with stereotypical attitudes toward us who are married to white men !!!
I like that you don't get mad about this.
It's hard not to laugh about it, but it must be annoying sometimes..
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