For future reference, I’ll refer to myself as Iggy. No, it’s not gaming handle, but it’s fairly close, and in any case, it’s masculine so it works with the blog.
I’ve read that some people say it shouldn’t matter whether you’re white or black or Asian [or purple!]. We’re here to play.
(in a lobby)
Male: So Iggy, where are you from?
Me: Canada.
Male: Oh, really? I heard you’re from Asia?
Me: Yes?
Male: You are? But you don’t sound Asian.
Me: Um…. okay.
Male: I mean if you are Asian… your English is pretty good.
Exchanges like these remind me that so many white Caucasian Westerners have no idea what Asia consists of – that if you’re from Asia, you speak “ching chang chong” and “eat rice” and have “small eyes.”
It’s also impossible for any person of colour to have fluent English – either they must have been born in North America, or they’re clearly lying about their background.
You speak good English, therefore you can’t possibly be from Asia, because they don’t speak English over there.
In the beginning I refrained from announcing that I was ‘from’ Asia as long as humanly possible, because I knew once other people found out – the questions would never stop.
I’ve had people asking me how my English is so good, and what other languages do I speak. I can understand curiousity, but when the questions are being asked with the air of “Don’t they speak like ching chang chong over there?”, that is not just curiousity.
Because it isn’t English and it sounds “funny” or “strange.”
Because speaking English is the norm in North America, and consequently, the only “real” language. Because speaking English is what “everyone” speaks, and any other language – particularly one whose roots don’t stem from the same family branch – is going to sound funny to someone who has never studied an Asian language before.
That is mockery and, to a lesser extent, exotification.
minorityparadox 