Now before any of you out there begin throwing rocks at me, let me please get something straight here-I don’t hate my race. I’m Chinese and there’s nothing wrong with me being Chinese or anyone else being Chinese. But there’s just a few things about my race that bug me a bit and I think it’s time for me and all other Asian Americans to be a little honest. And by the way, though this article mostly refers to the Chinese race, rather than the Asian ethnicity in general, I’m very sure other Asian races could relate to at least some of these points. And for all you non-Asians out there who might not know, this is a good oppurtunity for you to get a little insider’s look from one who’s been there and grew up with this stuff. With that being said, here’s my (General Tso’s) beef.
1.) Piracy, Piracy, Piracy
No, this is not about Asian people wearing eye-patches and raiding ships (though that could have happened in the past, I don’t know). It’s about the obvious thing you see everywhere if you stroll down a local Chinatown or go overseas. It’s bootleg. Yes, it’s illegal. Yes, it’s unfair to the media industry and everyone who’s employed under it, which are probably hundreds of thousands of people who are not celebrities or rich executives. So, please, just stop it.
2.) Dyed Hair
Not to judge people solely by looks, but why do so many Asians, especially the younger generation, sport the dyed hair look? I mean, please, if you guys try so hard to be different you’ll all end up being the same. It’s just the way the world works. I have dark hair-oh my goodness, I must be a tool! Please. It’s called being born that way. Yes, expressing yourself is expressing yourself, but this dyeing trend, especially among overseas Asians, must do just that-die.
3.) Abusing Our Own
Yes, there are people in every race that abuse each other. But for some reason, I’ve noticed that no one abuses each other as much as the Chinese race. You name it, it’s happened-sweat shops all over China, illegal immigration deals to America from other Chinese that costs an arm and a leg, and Chinese workers being overworked by Chinese bosses for scrap pay and the occasional abuse. And all this doesn’t include how often Chinese people rip each other off on the streets each day. I grew up hearing so many Chinese say that every Chinese person should love China. So if that’s the case, how about we start off with every Chinese person learning to love each other?
4.) Why the hell are we so cheap?
Now I’m not saying that everyone should go out and spend money like Paris Hilton on crack or anything, but it doesn’t hurt to be willing to spend a little extra for higher quality. Growing up, my dad had the tendency to cheap out on a lot of things. One thing that especially bugged me is that whenever he went out to a restaurant, instead of spending money on a drink, he would always order a glass of water with a lemon and try to make lemonade out of it (three bags of sugar and squeezing the lemon into the cup). Please, if you want lemonade, it doesn’t hurt to spend the dollar on it. And if you don’t feel like lemonade, just drink the water. Believe me, I love my dad to death, but also believe me when I say that my dad is far from the only example I can use. Nearly all of my Asian friends can vouch for me on this.
5.) The False Humility Thing
If you’re a fellow Asian, you know exactly what I mean. When you go over to another Asian’s house, especially a traditional one, if you try to give them a gift they would always begin the usual exercise of “No, no, I can’t accept your gift! No, no, it’s okay! You shouldn’t have done that!” so on and so forth. After politely arguing with them to take the gift, you finally sit down for dinner and when they serve you something, they would, again, go through the usual thing of, “Well, what I cooked for you…I don’t think it’s that good. It’s just a little thing I scrapped up…blah, blah, blah.” And they go on and on as they serve you Peking duck and a five-course meal that’s not even close to what they describe. Yes, modesty and humility are virtues. But so is honesty. Please, just quite with the false humility already. Yes, we get it, you’re humble and you want attention for it. Yes, we get it, you’re doing that reverse-psychology thing on us, okay, enough. Please, take the gift, say thank you, and let’s eat like normal people.
I know that there are always exceptions and that not all Asians are like this. I also know that every culture has its flaws and quirks. But honestly, does this make me a racist? I don’t think so. In fact, I think a strong point of any culture is its ability to confront its own noticeable flaws and occasional vices. Are there going to be some Asians out there who would hate me for this? Probably, but they’re entitled to their own opinion. Besides, what I wrote here, I don’t think it’s that good. It’s just a little thing I scrapped up…
