Are my friends being racist when they say some Asians speak "White-Washed"

[Crunchyrunchy]

I been hearing this a lot and I don't really know what they mean by this. Ironic enough, some of my friends that said this are Asian themselves. I mean don't people know that there are Asians that are born in the Western-Hemisphere, and as a result, are able to speak English well? (English was their first language).

Just because an Asian doesn't sound like "Ching Chong Ching" doesn't mean they are "White-Washed".  It sounds like quite an offensive term too. It is like they are insulting Asians that are able to speak English well.

So a good example would be this video:

My Friends keep saying they sound White-washed.... I keep having to correct them that they are Asian-American and therefore would be speaking English well. Do you think they are racist?

 

[Guest EnYingChen]

why does this matter....lables are just lables....it's up to oneself to decide if he/she will let lables define them

[x_intotheblue_x]

Yes. Racist, ignorant and down right stupid. Culture & language are learned. Anyone with half a wit would know if someone is born and raised in the USA, or raised from a young age in the USA, and attend American schools and socialize every day with other Americans...

They're going to sound, look and act like an American. Because they're Americans. What do they expect? That they would live the majority of their life speaking English and only have a minimal grasp of the language and speak with a thick accent? That they'd vicariously know the current trends, social norms and culture of a country they may have never even been to? And know a language their parents may not even speak?

Some will have views, behaviors and beliefs tied to a secondary culture... But it won't be the same as for people raised primarily in that other culture. Past the first generation of immigrants, most multi-cultural households are going to be predominantly influenced by the dominant culture of the nation: American. 

And even if English is their second language, effort creates fluency. And fluency is difficult to achieve in any language, so it should be respected and admired. Same with culture, effort and observation creates cultural fluidity, which is very hard to achieve.

Culture, philosophy, social behaviors & language is not something you're born with. Its not tied to your ethnicity, its not natural, you don't come out of the womb with a fork or chopsticks while quoting Sun Tzu, Ikjae, Socrates or Shakespeare. Bowing or shaking hands with the Doctor. Its not even tied specifically to where you were born. Its learned and predominantly determined by where you are raised and what you are exposed to in daily life. 

 

And to be frank: Every time I have ever heard someone use the term "White Washed" be it an Asian to Asian, Black to Black, Native ect. context... Its been rooted in some form of envy or racism. Whether its "Our kind should only be with our kind flat out racism" or "He did better in school (work/got the girl/whatever) than I did, so I'm going to call him a sell out / race traitor / white washed / banana / oreo / whatever else".  

[ayahuasca]

Must be an American thing because I've never heard it used in the UK or Australia. That's not say we don't have our own brand of racists but they tend to be more overt about it

[zantac_2]

^ive jokingly used it a few times, as well as hearing it from others here in oz. but i think the term doesnt get thrown around a lot here simply because in our generation, there arent a lot of assimilated australian asians. id imagine the term will be used more as the years come by. still blows my mind when i come across an older asian speaking heavy australian.

[odaesan]

Yeah. I think there's a lot of misinformation about Asians in general and having to be part of an "Asian" culture. Ignorant people will expect people who they perceive to look a certain way to behave a certain way. Unfortunately, language is thought of as a subset of this behavior.

Native English speakers in a country that has mostly Native English speakers should not be thought of as "white-washed". What the hell is this "white" language and "white" culture anyway? How would it take the place of something that wasn't even there anyway?

I don't understand the idea of saying "it's because I'm Asian" or "I'm Asian" when some kid grew up in the valley only speaking English just because he thinks his eyes are a marker of some blanket cultural identity. I think it might be because people keep labeling people like that, but the idea of accepting this proposition and attempting to attribute its implications to others is just stupid.

[x_intotheblue_x]

 

Native English speakers in a country that has mostly Native English speakers should not be thought of as "white-washed". What the hell is this "white" language and "white" culture anyway? How would it take the place of something that wasn't even there anyway?

 

Yes! Seriously! 

Just because I'm Caucasian doesn't mean I share a culture & language with all other Caucasians! This "White language" and "White Culture" nonsense is as racist / stereotypical as doing so to any other race.

That would be like me assuming that all Asians or other race share the exact same culture. Or going "Well, you're Asian... So you wear Kimono and speak Chinese right? Oh you're from Korea? But isn't that the same thing?" 

I don't share a common culture with all other "whites". Even in the USA, culture is primarily regional and not as "skin" based as some people think. I'm a Southern girl and have very little in common culturally with even "whites" of Western, Mid-Western & Northern states of the USA. Because I wasn't raised there. And I certainly don't share a culture with all "whites" of other Nationalities like those from Britain, Germany, Israel, Iceland, Brazil, ect. 

My Husband is half Korean (mother's side), half White (dad's side). We share the same dominant / primary influencing cultural influences in our upbringing: American, Southern & Military. He does have some Korean influence from living in Korea as a very young child and minimal exposure from his Mother & the Church he attended growing up. But he was born & raised primarily in a small military town in the Georgia Bible belt and it shows. We both spent about 18 years of our lives in the USA, mostly in the South and 1-3 in Europe and 6-8 in Asia. Give or take. So is it really any surprise that Korea isn't his primary cultural influence and we share common dominant cultural influences? 

 

[Guest HERMIT]

It depends, I guess.
I mean, what if those same friends say that some Asians are also "fobby" because they can't speak English well?
Well, I suppose it is still racist nonetheless.
But at least they are being equal opportunity offenders.

[raymondc27]

"you can't save someone from stupidity"

[ayahuasca]

^ive jokingly used it a few times, as well as hearing it from others here in oz. but i think the term doesnt get thrown around a lot here simply because in our generation, there arent a lot of assimilated australian asians. id imagine the term will be used more as the years come by. still blows my mind when i come across an older asian speaking heavy australian.

.maaaaaaaaaate.

[Chrissy Chou :)]

I think "Racist" isn't the correct term. Racist is actually putting down a certain group down or thinking that one race is superior than the other. I think most people who say, "You're whitewash," are ignorant and unaware. Most people say these things because they do not know how to characterize a person (who is a minority) who speaks perfect English. Correct me if I am wrong, I think when people say "you're whitewash" or "speak white-wash," it's also referring to "you're not one of us because you speak way too much like an American," which I think is stupid because how can someone be white-wash? Do they even know what that phrase is and means??

And that video you post, she admitted that it is "un-scientifically proven," so everything like Asians do this or Asian who speaks English are white-wash--this mentality is based on assumptions. I get family members telling me that I was speaking too white-wash because I can speak English fluently, and they said that I am not Asian enough. Most people say this because they are not educated and out of ignorance.