"You don't act your race/age/etc etc."

I work in a grocery store deli and a while ago I had a guy come up to me and upon seeing my name tag (Evgeniy), asked if the name was Russian. I told him, yeah, I'm from there. He then said something like "Oh, you don't look Russian." I don't know, just the way he said it sounded almost like being Russian was a bad thing.

In my earlier post, I only commented about my age situations. I'll talk about my race now.

I'm Filipino. There's a pretty decently huge Filipino community in my area, but I do feel disconnected with them. I don't really hang out with them as much, and even at school, I'm found more with the other races. My apartment alones features me (Filipino) as well as a Chinese, a Korean, and a nigga. I'm also the only Filipino computer engineer undergraduate at my school (though there are 2 other electrical engineers).

And while I've been an active member of my university's Filipino Cultural Association (I'm currently vice president), I still don't hang out with them a lot. The senior Filipino class is actually not very-well bonded, though I find that kinda cool because we're all doing our own thing.

Meh. I still want the flag here.

You mean like stereotypes? Since I'm a minority, I get that a lot. Are you Chinese? Is your major in engineering? Pre-med? Do you play a stringed instrument like the violin? Do you know karate? You look like so and so. You all look the same. Blah blah blah.

I'm asian, and I don't speak like a fob, or act like some viet gansta who thinks he's hot with all the chicks.
I act cocky a lot of the time though.

I have an aussie accent, and I dress 'normally'.
In school, I did all the 'asian' subjects that chaofan mentioned. But now I do arts and media at Uni. Go figure.
I played cricket for a while, too.

The only other 'stereotypically' asian I do, is that I do martial arts.

A lot of the girls that I give lifts to seem a tad disappointed with my car. I actually DO act like an aZn hothead sometimes, and they expect my car to be all riced up. I'm getting along well with them, then they see my car, and you can SEE IN THE FACE that their opinion of me just went down.

One of the things I hate most is when all the honkie people act all so proud when they go 'back' to Hong Kong every year.
They seem proud because then they can go shopping for all the latest mobile phones, home entertainment, movies, electronics and trendy clothes at CHEAP PRICES, just so they can come back here and brag to everyone about their purchases.

One Honkie dude I know is a fuckin rich cunt. He got about AUS$7000 for lucky money at new years this year. He travels back to HK every year, wears expensive clothes and jewellery that he buys there, and bought himself a brand new Audi recently.
And he claims that he's POOR.
I hate him for that.

As for going 'back' to Vietnam.....
you're only gonna go there to go clubbing (because of the no age limit), and how most of the girls there are absolute sluts. A cousin of mine (had never met her before), was showing me around all the clubs around the area, and she's 14! WTF, seriously. I totally did not expect that. And she goes clubbing every weekend. =/
Then you've got the massage parlours.
hmmm.

As for my age, I totally don't act like a 'responsible' 20 year old at all. lol.
There are way too many of friends getting professional careers ALREADY, and my parents tell me to be more like them. Geez....
I act like a kid, pretty much. Random, hyper, does stupid things.....

Originally Posted by Nahual

So, what's your name? Is it the last name or first name that gives it away?

Well my name's Kev so not really - but it's spelt kevon. And my surname is Hayati - so I think it's safe to say it's my last name that gave it away! It was always one of those things I would dread at school, when the teacher would say "Hayati... that's an interesting name, where is that from?" and then everyone would stare

Originally Posted by Vida Eterna

And my surname is Hayati - It was always one of those things I would dread at school,

Well, I think that is awesome. Hayati. Cool cool.
See, I like my name, but sometimes I get made fun from having it. It's Jorge. Not GEORGE, so then people say, HOR-HEY. Get's annoying.

Talking about getting names messed up, it seems as though a lot of people can't say my name correctly. I've literally had certain people say my name in a way that makes it sound more of something of their own race. It's annoying. Has anybody else ever had this?

Originally Posted by Lady Miyomi

Talking about getting names messed up, it seems as though a lot of people can't say my name correctly. I've literally had certain people say my name in a way that makes it sound more of something of their own race. It's annoying. Has anybody else ever had this?

Somewhat. No one ever wants to spell my name as Sean. It's almost always phonetic to people--Shawn. I believe that I"m now to the point where my name is really "Sean. S. E. A. N." whenever someone is asking it and is writing it down. What's really weird is that in elementry school, I spent three or four years with teachers actually having to spend a few days trying to be able to pronounce it. I absolutley hate it when it's pronounced "seen" or "see ann" or something else. I also was told by my peers all the time that my spelling of the name was really the one given to girls, despite my efforts in telling them that my name is in fact the Irish word for John. Funny, because these same fuckers never had a problem with Sean Connery's name. Fuckin' twats.

My last name isn't really any better. I can't even begin to think what language Matoon even originates, and no one can spell that worth their lives, no mater how clearly I pronounce it.

Why couldn't my mother just stuck with her Nordic roots and named me something in Norwegian? :dotdotdot:

I act how proper English people act, instead of the stereotype the rest of the world has of us. For instance, the accent is a major point. In non-English films it's always insanely posh, and usually the way they are portrayed is far less, well, gritty than how we really are.

As for age, I guess I act about my age. I can be childish at times, but then so can everyone. A few people have said I am quite mature, but not enough to convince me heh.

Most people think that I look and act 25-ish, but I'm 20. Of course, people have been saying that since I was in 7th grade -- when they thought I was in high school, and when I was in high school, they thought I was in college.

I suppose it has something to do with the fact that I'm an only child and I read a lot of 'good literature,' so I tend to act older. And I'm fairly reserved and polite, as a person (although I like stupid/silly shit). Post-wise, I don't think I come off as older or anything, but how should I know.

Originally Posted by Star Man Aevum

Why couldn't my mother just stuck with her Nordic roots and named me something in Norwegian?

'Cause then you probably would have ended up with something scary, like "Øyvind." Then it would have been even more fun to spell out to people.
Island of victory/wind or something similar is the meaning...

Yeah... I sometimes get that... People say I don't act my age and they usually think I'm 26 while I'm only 20.
I listen to jazz and swing and when talking to people I look them in the eye wich is something rare on people my age.

How is looking people in the eye rare? Is it rare where you live?

Quote:

'Cause then you probably would have ended up with something scary, like "Øyvind." Then it would have been even more fun to spell out to people.

Now that would have been cool.

How do you even say something like that?

People in HS would say that have more white blood in me than black, which I kinda accepted after a while. I guess it was partly due to the fact that I was always the shy one that didn't like most rap music, (unless it was the good, soft kind, and not any of that hardcore stuff,) and pretty much didn't fall into the steryotypical mold of how we're supposed to act, live, or whatever. (At least how it's seen in my neighborhood, not in black culture all together.)
I'm more attuned to Jazz, classical, some pop, even fewer rock (nothing hard), some J-pop, and I have a strong love for VGM (Video Game Music).

My peers refer to me as the most mature in my group...I don't know if that says much XP

I think the people who would say "You don't sound <race>" are the biggest, most prejudiced racists there are. They deny the possibility for a <race> person to be how he or she wants to be, and say that you have to be how society wants you to be instead. That's so very wrong.

Racism might not be their intention, but a racist manifesto is what they are expressing. If a black person wants to use ebonics, that's their choice. If they want to speak in perfectly formed grammatical sentances, that too is their choice. How you act should never be constrained by your race, any more than the opportunities you get in life should be.

Yeah... when I act all crazy they think I'm kiddy not my age, I myself drop my age about 10 years during those times. I can't count how many "second childhoods" I've had.

Whoops, had a double-post issue when the website didn't load after I tried posting it the first time. Disregard this post as it wasn't intentional. ^^;