There Are Differences, But...

Hi, Family.
Today I would like to touch on a rather sensitive subject. There are so many people out there in the world who can not seem to tell the difference in one Asian nationality from another. These people either assume that all Asians are Chinese or Japanese, or they simply say "Asian" as though it were a dirty word which covered all Eastern peoples and cultures. These small-minded, thoughtless individuals get me so irritated, I can barely stand it. The assumption, on their parts, seems to be "If it's not white, it's not worth the trouble". I would love to grab these people, one at a time, and shake some sense into them, but there's an old saying: "You can't teach them and you can't kill them", which is, sadly, very true. (Not that I, personally, want to kill them; just teach them.)

Some years ago, I was taking some college computer classes with a very nice, lovely Korean/American girl and her sister. This young lady was involved in the college's work-study program as an office assistant. One day a guy student came to the office, where my friend  and I were talking. He asked her about some class he was taking, but she didn't have the information he wanted. He smirked and said: I thought Chinese people were supposed to be smart." My friend stood looking at him for a moment, with hurt and then anger in her eyes. Then she said, very quietly; "I'm not Chinese; I'm Korean." the guy laughed and asked her what was the difference. I had been standing there, listening, with my fists clenched. Before (____) could answer him, I said, "Excuse me, but it makes a great deal of difference to a Korean, being called Chinese or Japanese, or some other Asian nationality. Not that these people have anything against each other, it just isn't fair to label one as being any of the others. They are all different, and unique people in their own way." The guy stared at me, but my friend gave me such a look of gratitude, that I was glad I had spoken up on her behalf. I then proceeded to tell  the guy that it was not fair to assume that all Asian people were Chinese, or Japanese; the way so many people did, instead of realizing there were many Asian cultures. I told him he wouldn't like it if someone assumed he was a Canadian, or some other Caucasian nationality. I also said that I knew (____) was Korean, even though she had never told me that. The guy looked surprised and promptly apologized to my friend.

The sad thing is, this kind of behavior is common all over the Western part of the world; especially here in the United States. I am ashamed of this fact, since I was always taught to be open-minded toward other people, regardless of who they were, or their country of origin. I am glad for this kind of upbringing.  But these thoughtless types are, unfortunately, still my people.

My point is this: why can't people, especially my race, be more sensitive to the feelings of others to the extent of learning something about peoples of other countries, instead of just callously lumping them into a single category? Thank goodness for those individuals, like our American Baesisters, who can do so much more than just distinguish the differences in Asian cultures; we can also see the similarities between these wonderful people and ourselves. That is what this dear Family of ours is all about, after all. This is due, in great part, to the loving influence of our Charming  Prince,  Bae Yong Joon.

On a final note, I am now attending classes with a wonderful Korean exchange student, at our local Junior College. When our first class together had ended, I approached her and asked, "You're Korean, aren't you? She looked surprised, but pleased, and nodded. "Um-hum, how did you know?", she asked. I told her I could tell by the lovely structure of her face, and that my favorite Korean pop singer had the same shape to his face. She thanked me for the compliment, and we became friends from that moment on. In fact, she is now my best friend at the college. She helps me with my Korean language studies, and I help her with her English. As another friend of mine used to say: "It's all good." (RIP, Jeremiah; you are missed.)

 Love to all Family, everywhere. Anna