Job Discussion Forums

[A.K.A.T.D.N.]

I heard it today, slip out of a Chinese girls mouth. "I went to Turkey. . .there were a lot of blonds there. . .mixed blood." It makes me wonder if this but doesn't carry over from the other comments made about "Now That I'm in Taiwan." What does "mixed" mean?

There's no such thing. Blood can't be "mixed." We've all the same blood, as donating blood will testify, although it depends on what "type" of blood you are to whom your blood will be donated. Now, if she meant the word "mixed" to mean real and actual blood being tainted, or impure, by racial mix, then this is just another BIG FAT RACIST REMARK!!

Whereas, if she meant "mixed" as in being "nationalities" or "different races" perhaps it was okay. But then again, it still hints at the fact that as a Chinese she thinks her "race" is pure, and that the other four foreigners sitting around her at the table were in some way or another a hybrid-race inferior to the "true-bloods" that she, as a Chinese, is so proud of being? Hmm, it makes me wonder if Fortigurn and Pop Fly aren't but half-breeds.

[Fortigurn]

You've taken a tiny comment from a conversation, repeated it completely out of context, and attributed to it all manner of foul implications which are complete speculation.

It's just an expression, for goodness' sake. Are you over here to look for every opportunity that you're being slighted and abused, or are you here to learn about another culture?

[wood]

[MTurton]

[wood]

[gemair]

well, i can understand how derogatory using the word "mixed" can be when the speaker suffers a superiority complex from being of "pure" blood.

but please don't fix the word itself with a negative connotation. at least in western terms, it's not outrageous to go telling people you or someone you know has mixed parentage. if the subject comes up, i always say that i am mixed.

i wish you would have clarified-- were the blonds the chinese girl commented upon complete foreigners, or half-chinese, half-western?

if you aren't really sure as to the context or intent, it's a bad reflection on yourself that you are getting so angry and yourself putting down the general chinese population and the girl in question.

[WorkingVaca]

AKATDN I'd be willing to bet you were listening to too much AM radio down there in Texas, with the constant theories of liberal conspiracies and reverse discrimination. THIS IS NOT THE U.S. You are the foreigner here, and unlike immigrants to the U.S., you are in the enviable position of being from the world's dominant culture: white, American, English-speaking. If anything, you will soon find that Asians have an inferiority complex and sometimes express it in odd ways, usually complimentary. This is NOTHING like the way dark-skinned foreigners are treated in the U.S., as low-lifes threatening to overrun the country and suck off the sytem. So why don't you step back and take a look at the big picture: you have an American passport and are in the very fortunate position of being a rep of dominant western culture. You can easily come and go into most Asian countries with little hassle. Instead of spending your first few weeks trying to force your identity on people and accusing them of RACISM when they find your foreign behaviors a little odd, you should concern yourself with finding a job, learning to speak Chinese and trying to make friends who can give you insight into appropriate behavior in Taiwan. Humble yourself. You're in a new, unfamiliar environment and already going nuts with paranoia. It would be a shame for you to run from here before understanding how things work and learning something about YOURSELF in the process.

RELAX. OPEN YOUR MIND. GO WITH THE FLOW. IT IS NOT ALL ABOUT YOU AND YOUR COWBOY HAT.

[Taylor]

Dear WorkingVaca,

You have written one of the most interesting and insightful posts I have EVER read on Dave's ESL cafe.

You seem to have a knack for backing away from a situation and really "calling it like you see it."

When I return to Taiwan in the future, I will keep your comments in mind.

Thanks.

Taylor
Texas/Taiwan

P.S. Regarding inappropriate translations, I once had a high school student who wrote "My father is a drug dealer." I SWEAR! It seems his intention was to state that his father is a "pharmaceutical salesman."

[Fortigurn]

[Fortigurn]

[MTurton]

[MTurton]

[MTurton]

[wood]

[MTurton]