From: clare@nynexst.com (Clare Chu Ayala)
Subject: Re: "All Asians think alike"
Organization: Nynex Science and Technology
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 92 15:08:19 GMT

In article <1992Apr15.192911.14868@rice.edu> kerryg@stat.rice.edu (Kerry Go) writes:
>In article <1992Apr10.060826.3220@bnlux1.bnl.gov> kyee@bnlux1.bnl.gov (kenton yee) writes:
>>  hahaha.  If your "friend" indeed holds all these bigoted
>>ideas about Indians, how can you say he's not prejudice?   I would
>>say he is!    Secondly, I would forget about what your "friends"
>>say and go and ask the girl for yourself.  Or do you think all
>>asians think alike, and that your "friend's" attitude will be
>>the same as the girl's attitude?   jeeeez! 
>
>This "all asians <look/think/smell/talk> alike" sentiment sometimes presents
>itself in rather humorous ways.  One day I went to an ice cream shop with a
>(German) American female friend of mine.  We did not know what kind we wanted,
>so she got a taste spoon for about 30 flavors of ice cream.  Meanwhile, there
  After 30 taste spoons, I'm sure she didn't need to order anything!
>was a Caucasian male/Asian female couple walking in who also couldn't decide
>what flavor they wanted.  I ended up with cookies and cream, and the Asian
>female also decided on cookies and cream.  This prompted her date (okay, I
>don't know for sure if he was her date, but he certainly *acted* like a date
>in my opinion!) to say, "Not only do you people *look* alike, but you *think*
>alike as well!  You're supposed to agree with *me*, not *him*.  At this point,
>I thought he was acting like a jerk, so I couldn't resist rubbing it in.  I
  What a jerk!  You're right.  She has a mind of her own.  I'm sure she
  wasn't agreeing with anyone.  Why do guys have to turn every little
  thing into a property dispute?
>said (trying to sound scientific), "You know, I really doubt many couples
>break up because of incompatibility of ice cream tastes.  After all, you don't
>have to *share* your ice cream.  Now if you have differing *pizza* tastes,
>that might invite divorce..."
>
>It was very tempting to say something like, "If you do not want to take her
>home, I'll be happy to give her a ride."  Concerned for my safety, my friend
>suggested we eat outside.  So we did.  But I went back in to throw the trash
>away, and I noticed he did not get anything; he was taking some bites off of
>hers.  So I told the guy, "Did you compromise your ideals of ice cream
>flavors?"  Then I left for good.

  Looks like he decided to agree with *her*.  I'm surprised she didn't
  say something to him like, "If you think I look like him, why don't
  you ask him out?  He obviously is so identical to me, I mean, like
  we're all the same."  Not to generalize, but this is why I personally
  do not find many CM attractive precisely because of their attitudes.
  When a CM says that he has the hots for Asian females, I feel he is
  stereotyping and lumping all Asian females into a category.  Since
  we're "all the same", he's just looking for a generic type, and I
  don't care to be his sample.  I've had CMs say, "But I like Chinese
  girls."  I think, "So what?  There are 1/2 billion to choose from,
  go look elsewhere."  I do not want to be just a stereotype.  I'm
  an individual and I refuse to be categorized into the "you people
  look the same, think the same, etc."  I also refuse to be an exotic
  experience for anyone.  I think Asian males have an advantage here
  since most are looking for women on an individual basis, at least
  I hope so.
-- 
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Clare Chu, Ph.D.             Data & Information Services
NYNEX Science & Technology   clare@nynexst.com
White Plains, NY 10462       AMIGA RULES!!!