[KateLove]

I was at a Korean restaurant that I go to ALL the time & some Korean guy came up to be and gave me an extra pair of chopsticks and said "This is for when you fail to use them the first time" I was thinking WTF?

First of all buddy I know more about Korean culture than you think, I've been studying the Korean language for over 2 years, and I plan on moving to Korea after University ... oh and I'm 1/4 Japanese and have been using chopsticks since I was a child ....

I go to Korean markets, resturaunts, no rae bang, all the time ... it's not a big deal for me most of the time, sometimes I get looks when I go in with my Korean boyfriend .. but I ignore all those people. F them, and F them if they think I'm some Asian wannabee Anime Freak

I also am kind of sick of the "Kimchi chigae is hot you know" ... Yes, Thank you, I know. >.>

[prisonerzero]

I'm white and I get the whole, "Why you trying to be Asian?" blah blah blah crap. Not to mention, "Why do you listen to that stuff if you can't understand it all? Are you REALLY trying to be Asian? You want to be Asian, don't you?"

Gah, I went on this kid's MySpace and I told him "happy birthday" in a comment on Tuesday. Some other guy comments after me and goes, "Who's that white chick?" It was like, wtf? There was something about it, but eh, I laugh it off a lot.

Some people are just rude.

[ohhlalakelly]

Well that doesn't apply to ALL Asian's because i'm Asian and I don't think that way. If you can use chopsticks, good for you. Maybe it's just a sterotype for ex. Asians can't drive (which isn't always true) and non-Asian's can't use chopsticks. That guy was rude, he really was.

I'm half Viet and half German and everytime I go to Vietnam people stare at me as if they've never seen a mixed person before. When I go to resturants and whatnot and I end up talking in Vietnamese, they're like..

Okay, kinda off topic.

[ChromeHearts]

cause non asians rarely use chopsticks
it's only natural to think non asians cannot use chopsticks
and 80% of the time we are right

[KateLove]

Well that doesn't apply to ALL Asian's because i'm Asian and I don't think that way. If you can use chopsticks, good for you. Maybe it's just a sterotype for ex. Asians can't drive (which isn't always true) and non-Asian's can't use chopsticks. That guy was rude, he really was.

I'm half Viet and half German and everytime I go to Vietnam people stare at me as if they've never seen a mixed person before. When I go to resturants and whatnot and I end up talking in Vietnamese, they're like..

Okay, kinda off topic.

ah yes, I agree, it's not ALL asians. I have many Asian friends and they don't find it weird. I should change the topic name.

[missavvy]

hah i like people who arent asian [or part..] but are into the culture.. its like that for every race though, if you're not black you're trying to be, if you're asian you're "white-washed" etc..

wow just realised this doesnt coincide with the topic.... but sorta.. HAHA..
regarding that, its not all asians who think that?

[Kawakji]

Heh, my dad had a great story about this once. He's full white, so naturally every time he goes to an asian place, they hand him a fork.

Well, about a decade ago, he goes to the mainland, and visits a chinese restauraunt there with his brother. Of course, they hand him a fork, but that was all they really had, because they were so used to serving caucasian people.

So, being the crazy guy he is, he gives a nod to his brother, and they both start looking over the forks like they don't know wtf they are. Eventually, the waiter comes up an asks what's wrong.

"Hey, uh... I don't know whatever these things are, but, you guys got any chopsticks?"

The waiter looks super stunned, and then has to go in back, and confer with the cooks on duty and stuff. It takes them a couple minutes, but they dig out an old crate of chopsticks that hasn't seen use in like, forever, and hand them to my dad and his brother.

So there they are, these two white guys, smiling like there's no tomorrow and watching out of the corner of there eye at this bunch of first generation chinese cooks and waiters watching them out of the kitchen, absolutely stunned out of their minds at how fast they're eating.

Yeah, growing up in Hawaii is awesome = 3=

[Adver]

i'm asian and i have nothing against those who want to learn about asian culture, if you like anime or the muisc, there is nothing wrong with that, its just more support for asians lol

but there are always those wannabes that make me dislike being asian....especially since i live in NYC >_>
about 2 weeks ago this girl in my speech class says she learn japanese for 2 years and wants to move there, teacher says "count in japanese from 1 to 10" and she couldnt...sad much, my teacher is white i think and she ended up counting in japanese and then dismisses the class lol...

i piss off my japanese friends by saying "i feel bad for your race, people keep butchering your language the most" but they agree lol @.@

[lvff_]

hahaha they don't think of you as an anime freak..korean adults don't know about that kind of stuff maybe they're just surprised to see a non-asian since korea is still a homogeneous nation and they just wanna take the initiative to guide you or something. its just new to them is all

[plumplum]

Haha, me too. I'm mostly Caucasian (I look like it, I think, even though a lot of people think I'm half when I'm less than half).

I'm attending a university in Japan right now, and I get 'you use chopsticks really well'. So I just tell them that they use a fork/spoon really well. I've been using chopsticks for a loooong time.

When I was in Korea 2 years ago, I had the family I stayed with try to teach me to use a spoon. WTF. I'm not an alien. Do they think Americans eat with their hands?!

I also get, 'be careful, this is spicy'. I'm from LOUISIANA.
Cajun food can beat the crap out of Japanese 'spicy' food. I love karashi.

I don't like when Japanese people try to speak to me in English, either. I've been studying Japanese for 6 years. I understand everything you say, sweetheart.

[ggangpae_sarang]

hmm.. i do assume that non asians can't use chopsticks and know nothing about various asian cultures

because when i go to places that have a lot of white people i get asked, "can you speak asianese?" and "speaka engrish?!? go back to wherever you come from and stop polluting america with your ching chong ching chong!"

so, I think that I'm fully justified in assuming the things that I do assume. especially when some people don't understand the difference between a continent and a country.

and as for the general asian public, they probably experienced intolerant non asians and view them as being ignorant of asian cultures. maybe they've just never seen a non asian who is so knowledgeable about asian cultures. cut them some slack. it's not like they're being irrational by assuming such things.

[Torento <3]

I was at a Korean restaurant that I go to ALL the time & some Korean guy came up to be and gave me an extra pair of chopsticks and said "This is for when you fail to use them the first time" I was thinking WTF?

First of all buddy I know more about Korean culture than you think, I've been studying the Korean language for over 2 years, and I plan on moving to Korea after University ... oh and I'm 1/4 Japanese and have been using chopsticks since I was a child ....

I go to Korean markets, resturaunts, no rae bang, all the time ... it's not a big deal for me most of the time, sometimes I get looks when I go in with my Korean boyfriend .. but I ignore all those people. F them, and F them if they think I'm some Asian wannabee Anime Freak

I also am kind of sick of the "Kimchi chigae is hot you know" ... Yes, Thank you, I know. >.>

How stupid....

It's because of their personal education/experiences. As simple as that.

[lovemelody.]

what the hell o_o
some non-asians use chopsticks better than most asians, lol.

[Adikt]

I'm guilty of thinking this too...
I've seen a LOT of non-asians not capable of using chopsticks.
It's more uncommon now though as the world becomes more globalized.

But I have yet to see a non-asian out-chopstick an asian though... ^^


ps. non-asians are pretty handy with they're forks/knives though...

[Torento <3]

I don't like the metallic chopsticks often used in Korean restaurants and those cheap plastic ones usually in Chinese places.

[meilove]

i do assume that sometimes. cuz most of the time, we come across ignorant rude ppl who just like to make fun of asians cuz we're different.

"be quiet and go make me a nintendo"

...thanks.

[Daikirai]

Why do some Asians think non Asians can't use chopsticks?


There's an obvious answer. Because its so common. Does every non Asian know how to use chopsticks? No.
Even whitewashed Asian don't know how to use chopsticks.

[Boomx2Brian]

If you had to bet your house on whether a random white guy can use chopsticks or not, where u gunna put the money on? Case closed.

[tofu plushie]

A lot of my non Asian friends can use chopsticks so I don't feel surprised when I see some non Asian is able to use chopsticks. Think the waiter was just being rude, even if people do feel surprised most people wouldn't say that to your face.

[maharu.]

Ohhh yeah. But its not strangers that tell me, its more like my dad lol.
Hes like "You use chop sticks like some foreigner..." I can use chopsticks in a wrong way so...yah.

I think its just this assumption. What bothers me is I'm speaking to them in Japanese and they answer me back in English.
Seriously...thats annoying.