☆ENGLISH ONLY☆コミュのConcept of an American.

ネコダディ >

They catch their customer on the street.
Their main customers are innocent teenagers as well.>>

every race got people doing bad things, why point out?

I just answer to MIKKO's question.
See above.

I just want to simply point out it should be "Chink", not "Chinq", right? :)

No need to get pissed off or to be a racial biggot in return.

Many people in Japan and other contries think of Americans in a stereotypical way. I haven't researched the matter, so I'm going to assume that it's mostly due images of Americans that they receive from popular culture (TV, magazines, etc...)

Just take a second to inform them about your special background, don't get upset.

I have a complicated background myself...
My father is a caucasian man from Idaho. He's mostly English, but we typically trace our paternal roots back to Scotland. He has traces of German, Dutch, etc...
My mother is born and raised in Japan, but she is Korean. Such a person is called "zainichi kankokujin"「在日韓国人」.

Many Japanese people ask me what I am (wondering about my asian side). Or they assume and ask if I'm half Japanese (because I'm speaking Japanese to them). I usually have to explain about my mother's past, but if they just ask what I am....I usually just say "American".
I like to sometimes add that I'm 100% American, 50% ethnic Korean, and 50% cultural Japanese. It can make for interesting conversation, so I don't really mind so much.

I get more irritated with ignorant Americans asking if I'm Chinese...and then thinking Koreans and Japanese are the same thing when I explain everything to them.
(not that that happens much in Southern California...)

I don't want to hate on Japanese people about this topic (and I don't hate them). Except I can't help but be dissappointed in the lack of knowledge about such things in a developed country with a scholarly history.

The amount of American movies, music and other forms of media that Japan gets from America, you'd think that most Japanese people would know by now that there are a lot of non-caucasian people in the US, and the thing about assuming all caucasians and indeed all aspects of western culture and society eminate from the USA.

Again, sorry but you can't help but feel a bit disheartened at times when people make uninformed assumptions based on your appearance like Mikko has detailed. I especially don't like being asked:

"Are you from America?
Me: "No".
Them: "Oh" (with a hint of dissapointment in their tone of voice).

"Are you from America?
Me: "No".
Them: "Oh" (with a hint of dissapointment in their tone of voice).

I have a friend (half-black) who come from France told me that he was often asked like that also in Japan....

He said it was irritating for him too....

God! How ignorant the ppl!!
My friend's English have a very strong french accent!!

Actually, non-black minorities are so underpresented in American pop culture that, it's not surprising that many people from other countries assume that America is made up entirely of whites and blacks. At the same time though, I've heard of a terrible case where a Japanese exchange student wanted to change host families in Canada because they were not white (not "real" Canadians in her eyes). This isn't a common occurence, and it may even be an urban myth (I saw no source). But at the same time this type of sentiment is very common when you look through western oriented mixi communities where people write comments like "this city doesn't feel like (insert western country) because there's so many (insert Asian ethnic minority) immigrants". Nevermind that these people can't distinguish between actual immigrants and descendants of them that are born and raised in the west.

I don't say good idvice coz this is so important part of world happen. This case have happen many times most except by America(understand will you sure..) But not lost you. My friends have this same case but they are through good life and understand who surprise people one of most persentage! Good luck.

^^ wow~ @

the different responses
and different experiences people have,
but it all pertains to the subject

really this type of thing can't be changed
because right now, as each of you are making your replies on this, there's another teen in japan just thinking to themselves that all americans are white.
i agree with the whole the caucasions are the ones being more put out there than other races...but hey its been like that for generations now.
if african americans were being put out there it would mostl ikely be something negative, dealing with violence,or acting un-orderly.
if native americans were being put out, they were being potrayed as savage beasts wailing sharp pointed objects on a stick
it really isnt right, but there's nothing we can do. This train of thought/concept of america is going to always be like this
---</ blabbin>

I was just interested to looking up some facts on the US population (I was a geography major at university. Population stats are my thing).

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html

According to the 2004 US census, Caucasian/whites make up 80% of the total population. I'm not suggesting that this Justifies Japanese assumptions that all Americans are white. I was surprised with a figure as high as 80% myself.

"white people are the minority in America, now. "

Well, not to nitpick, but this is not true by a longshot. According to the US census, 75.1% of the USA is white.

So, while it's not usually a good idea to generalize, if you *are* going to generalize about Americans, I don't think you could fault someone for thinking white first.

It *is* true that by 2050, the percentage of whites is expected to drop below 50%, but a) they will still be the largest ethnic group, and b) population projections can be and often are wrong. It assumes current birth rates and immigration rates will continue.

Don't assume that because your community has a certain racial makeup that all of America is like that. Whether it's a good thing or not, there are whole giant swaths of this country where you can drive 50 miles without seeing a non-white person. Whites are a minority in certain large cities (like New York), but that just means they're the *vast* majority in other parts of the country. It averages out to 75%.

(btw, I see now that Leeroy beat me to the punch... probably the discrepancy between 75% and 80% just comes from something like including white hispanics or not.)

Excuse me Mikko. We are not the minority and watch your language! Go on another if you want to talk like trash, go on another site!

I think there are plenty of chances for Japanese people to see Americans. Maybe not in person, but American media, music, etc etc are really really easy to come across here. For a country that is miles away from America and doesn't even share a related language, there are very strong American influences here.

Another side of the perseptions.
When I was in U.S., some talked to me "Hi! I heard you're from Japan. Can you do Kung-fu?"
This has happened many times. Were they joking?
Maybe some were, but not all of them.
I was asked if the Japanse still holds Katana.
Some folks really didn't know about Japan.

But I didn't get annoyed about this each time.
I just let it go. Sometimes I play joke with it and have fun.
If a person get interestead in me, I explain.
That's all.

Just don't expect each indivisual to know about your country & culture.
It's a waste of time to get annoyed with such a small thing if you are in another country and want to make friends.

Yeah, it's pretty strange...I've never understood really why for some people American = White. But not even just white! I remember I was with some of my friends one time, and one of them said "You don't look American, you look more European". o_O

Another time I was with my best friend, who is from China but became a US citizen. She made a comment like "Oh, my Chinese friends are going to wonder what I am doing hanging out with an American". I had to remind her that she is an American too...

heres the one thing that is bothering me. i heard a friend was in japan not too long ago and he was having a conversation in japanese with some co-workers and one of them said something along the lines of, "your japanese is very good!" he said he got tired of hearing that over and over again. he's having a conversation and he doesnt want to be complimented on his japanese. its like hes a novelty. there could never be a foreign political figure running in japan, because 5 reporters would just tell him on how good his japanese is. JK!!!

Yeah, it's not just in Japan but all across Asia. I recently met some Chinese interns here at a party. I've taught many Chinese students English back home before so I at least know the word for "American" "Mei-Guo Ren". As soon as they saw me chorus's of "Mei-Guo Ren! Mei-Guo Ren!" sounded from all of them. I remember living in Korea I used to hear "Mi-Guk Saram" around me a lot. I stumbled upon an angry looking mob with a guy on a soap box shouting angrily. He said the word "Mi-Guk Saram" a lot. I thought it was probably best to leave asap.

Humans can be lazy creatures. A previous poster was right. It's easier to stick to stereotypes. An izakaya owner voiced his discontent at me once because of the ban on American beef into Japan when we ordered the jinja-Rosu (he didn't have any beef to make it). Again, it was easy for him to do this to me because I'm white and therefore American :))

If I was said my English is very good....

I would say, "thank you".

When I get annoyed with the compliments....

I would say "thank you, so is your English!!
How come your English is so perfect?"

When I get annoyed with it very much....

I would say "yeah i know that."

When I was in U.S. high school. I was very surprised to see that every time girls meet each other, they find something good about the person. "Oh your hair is nice!" "That's a cute bracelet!" and blah blah blah.
Every day, every time, with anyone! I was shocked because It wasn't like where I went school in Japan. So I started to find something to response back as a compliment.

When 8 months had passed, I started to get tired of getting compliments.... so I just said "Oh yes, I know that!", then I overact and make them laugh.

Sorry, this is totally out of subject.

MIKKOさん、many Japanese teenagers don't know that not all americans are white. Some study the world history, a lillte bit of American Histry, and most of them study english, but because Japan is a very conservative countires to accept immigrants, Many of them have almost no chance to study about the ethinicity or different culture.

Kids simply don't know Americans are made of many immigrants from many countries(even youcan learn abit as social class, it's vey small). So it doesn' mean they are stupid. A person who wants to connitue chatting with you, keep your a chance!
If you can openely talk about your backgound or the history about your family, it becmes a very good knowledge for Japanese kids and they'll remember you telling me about the immigran coutry of America.
Your experience is something the most Japanese kids don't have.
Keep your pride and be brave!
But when you're in Japan, learn their culture and communication.

When I talked about weight and diets recently with a Japanese girl, it turned out she believed that girls in Europe and America were even thinner than Japanese girls.
Seems she got that idea from the models on TV.
When I asked some other Japanese, they didn't think like this, though.

Stereotypes make me crazy every time, too.
I write weird stuff in Japanese on my bags as an antidote, and it works to some extent. For example, I wrote "In Germany, there is beer, sausages, bread, potatoes and Mr. Kahn. Beer, sausages, bread and potatoes are yummy but Mr. Kahn is not edible."
Sometimes bored people at train stations read it and smile at me. Even caused some to talk to me :-D

When I was in Japan and people asked where I was from and said AMERICA, they were always very surprised. Where did they expect me to be from? I have brown hair and hazel eyes. When I was with my friend with blonde hair and blue eyes, there was no doubt that he was from America. I think a lot of Japanese have inaccurate perceptions of America.

Then again, most (all) American kids don't know the difference between Japan and China, and don't know what the rest of Asia is, so I can't really speak for them :)

mr King >>
hahaha thanks yea, no but it's hard to not get offended
omfg i can't believe they called you those?!
it's so random!
yea i get so many weird things
they would say from
"janet jackson" to "christina millian" to
"J.LO" to "shakira" ?!
uhm.. that's weird. and i would take insult to being
called janet jackson. she's 40 something
with fake tatas. lol
who wants to be called that?
but yea, i try. i just wanted to vent...
several of my black friends whom speak japanese
get the same reaction. we're all tired of it.

ネコダディ >>
i c. hahaha the homeless hustlas! lol
yea i hate them too,
i be seeing them all over the streets
trying to sell me fake rings and fake sunglasses
dumbasses, huh! haha

LeftBall >>
right

Jon >>
i'm sorry if you got offended..
i wasn't being racist
i was saying it like it is.
please read it carefully,
i didn't sound racist the entire time i was venting.

Leeroy >>
YES YES!
there is really no excuse to see why they
can't see theres more than white people in america.
how many movies out there from america
with just white people now-a-days?
not so many...
i mean, it's so diverse now! very! theres all races!
and i'm not saying just from america either
theres all races in places
they would think are all white
england, ireland, germany... etc.
they all have diff nationalities.

テレサ >>
horrible.

さぃ… >>
it's sad how racial people get when they don't realize it.
i'm not canadian, so i wouldn't take a big offense
but that's still wrong
if you're born in that country, you are that nationality
so if they're assuming canadians are white
they're wrong.
i don't even know what original races dominated canada
back in the day.
but even if, it's still wrong to think that.

Yuki >>
i think americans make so many assumptions because of the close-minded families that fought wars against other countires would return home and babble fears of that race
...thus making stereotypes n rumors. my dad fought in the vietnam war, lived in germany and also lived in japan. he respects the countries now, but i remember growing up, he told me japanese people are racist and i shouldn't ever go there.. (ironic how i love japanese culture though huh, haha) and that germans are all nazis. my dad is wrong yes. but that's the kind of concept i grew up with which i discovered for myself that is totally FALSE.

DJ kyan-d >>
it may have been like that for generations
but if you think about it
it's 2006. it's not the 1950s.
theres so much diversity out there
yet still so many stereotypes and horrible
ignorant racism on both sides.

Leeroy >>
wow! thats crazy! it's so strange to hear that...
but then again. census isn't taken by all..
people in ghettos and projects
or people who don't know about it,
don't get counted. isn't it?

Jeff >>
read the comment i wrote above.

Chris >>
first off, i'm not being racist.
second, i'm stating merely an opinion
so if you don't like what i say
don't read it.

summabreeze >>
that kind of thing is heard all the time.
america's perception of asians are weird
we know a lot about other countries
but asia is probably the most confusing.
since a lot of americans think the languages
are all the same
and the faces are all the same
when they advertise an asian product
they don't tell us WHERE in asia it's from
mostly since our overseas companies are in china
that's the first thing they think about.
hell, most of the people i went to school with
don't think eastern indians are asian.
but japan is getting well known here
a lot of people are starting to realize the difference
and a lot of celebrities and movies are using japanese
and/or japan for several things (gwen stefani, ciara, kimora lee, fast and the furious etc.)

しとみん >>
are you saying that black, mexicans, asians and middle easterns that are born in america aren't beautiful?
blue eyes? my cousin is full black and has blue eyes. a lot of middle easterns, blacks and mexicans have green, hazel and blue eyes... and are very beautiful.
yea, you're perspection of americans is messed up.

文 >>
hahaha that's interesting.

Luis >>
HAHAHA! yea i get that a lot.
"you're japanese is so good!"
mmmk thanks after the 2384232153964 time. lol jk.
i really appriciate the compliment
but it's so tiring.

カリュー >>
if an american is skinnier than a japanese person
and you think it's normal
it's not normal in america
we typically dislike really skinny women
it looks unhealthy.
so whatever your friend was thinking. WRONG.
the models aren't really considered 'real' people.
because they are only there to show clothes
it's just a manniquin.
the typical weight is between 120 and 140
for all heights.
and the reason why skinny people are on tv so much
is because they are depicted as horribly skinny
and extremely unhealthy
mary-kate olsen, lindsay lohan and nicole richie
are showed to the US as anorexic.

カイル >>
yes, true. horribly true. i get that a lot.
and it's sad how i would try to change this perception
but i can't change america's of asians./japanese.




thank you all for your input,
and i'm glad things got stirred up
it got people thinking.
and that's why i wanted to post this.

I used to like chubby lindsay lohan!!
Aw, out of topic again...

hmm ok so these are stereotypes my ears...heared

Since last year when somebody heard ASIAN it means Chinese...are there other asian?....of course NO..
uu But recently I see that people thing that there are ONLY Japanese....

of course Japanese are born with katakana and Bruce Lee skills...
and all Japanese wear kimono, eat for asagohan = Sushi+rice+ wasabi and then drink sake...kid or old....nevermind heh

heh I remember when (not so long ago) my Japanese friend send me postcard with a view of Kinkakuji Temple in Kyoto..thats what I've heard "UUUuuu is that his hous?"...ok...^^

oh I forgot..all Japanese know all anime, all jrockers and popers...., and toilet is a big computer....

if I wrote something which not fit to conversation...Im very sorry im sleepy its almost 6 at night..or in the morning... ^^

The end

I think one of the reasons for this could be the fact that the bulk of Americans that go to Japan are white and its probaly been the same for decades so don't you think this could lead to this belief?

A lot of other countries, not just Japan, think Americans are white also. My sister's Husband from Morocco just couldn't understand that Americans are not solely white people...

Everyone knows that Americans all look like Luke Skywalker. And its hard to admit this but I am black but I cant play basketball very well. Maybe Im a mutant.

Americans are all Jedis? Dayamn :P

Yes that is actually very funny. I wonder why they are so surprised. Native Americans are americans after all. They were here first before white people came. So it is kind of intersesting. They are not white. That is why they were discriminated against in earlier years. though do you know what I find interesting. Is why don't I ever see any Native Americans any where? Like sometimes I see them at fairs, but thats usually the only time. That is so interesting to me. It is true. There are Japanese-Amercians,Native Americans,black, irish, japanese, korean, and lots other nationalities I am sure... America likes to have lots of people in america from different backgrounds. At least we do now. We like to support internationalism, not destroy. Sure there are legal isues with Immigration of Illegals, yet we welcome the people who farely get over the boreder. Personally if you get into America, you should be allowed to stay. It should not matter how you got here, just that you fallow our laws, because now you must become an American Citizens or you could be deported. At least thats what I've always heard. which is really kinda sad... well I'm totally going off topic, but I'm sure not all Japanese People think, Americans are white. They must be surprised for another reason.... I'll leave with that.

*raises his hand
I'm white...
And American..
Last I checked anyway ^^
I don't think I look like Luke Skywalker though...
Maybe a bit more like Han Solo :-p

In all seriousness...
I believe the confusion comes from the old idea of America...
People in other countries(and often in the US itself) seem to be very underinformed about the new demographic i n the US...
Found a link with census data from from 2000...
"White" America is only weighing in at about 55% now...
And that percentage is expected to shrink rapidly over the next few years!
Hence the precieved threat many traditonal Americans see on the Mexican border...
But that's a whole different discussion ^^

See for yourself ^^
http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB5050/index1.html

I live in England, moved here 10 years ago and I have white english people talking to me about f*cking foreigners stealing their jobs... Not me of course, I'm white!

I think people might think you are white because most non white americans I know state that proudly.