On being mistaken for being Chinese...

Mongols

Well, my wife was confussed with Chinese once, in Canada, by a Chinese woman teller at a Chinese shop.... And we are both 100% Chileans

The fact that they can pass for Chinese doesn't mean that they're necessarily more related to the Chinese.
And for this very reason, they could get very offended if people mistook them for Chinese.

For example, I don't think that most southern Italians and Spaniards would be quite happy if you mistook them for "Moroccan", although many of them could easily pass for Moroccan in their looks.

Originally posted by pebbles   I understand your point.   The word " Chinese " has negative connotation nowadays,so common sense tells me that these nationalities most likely would be offended by association or grudge ( for political reason ).It's just my 2 cents.

I don't really agree.
The Chinese do not have a bad reputation at all, at least the people. The government and foreign policy is another issue, as there are numerous cases of human rights abuse.
At least in educated circles of western Europe, Chinese culture is regarded in high esteem.

In general, people would consider it offensive if they were mistaken for a nationality that they have little in common with. Most British wouldn't like it so much if you mistook them for French; most Rumanians would be offended if you called them Russian; most Uraguayans get VERY offended if you called them "Argentinian"... and the list goes on.

In the West, ignorance makes many people perceive anyone with Oriental features as "Chinese" (although not in a perjorative way); while people with these features (who also include Eskimos, Lapps, Samoyeds, and Ugrian peoples) could come from a wide range of nationalities and cultures whose history and customs have nothing to do with each other.

I remember reading an essay by the Polish journalist Ryzsard Kapuscinski, who spent 40 years as a correspondent in Africa.
By having light skinned, many Africans called him "English" or treated him like a colonial exploiter; and he said to them: "I am from Poland. We never colonized anyone. Instead we've only been colonized by other European colonialist powers, just like Africa."

Originally posted by calvo   goes on. In the West, ignorance makes many people perceive anyone with Oriental features as "Chinese" (although not in a perjorative way); while people with these features (who also include Eskimos, Lapps, Samoyeds, and Ugrian peoples) could come from a wide range of nationalities and cultures whose history and customs have nothing to do with each other.

Well, is it really a problem? Ask a Chinese to spot the Italian in a group of Spaniards, or a Turk in Athens. People are really too sensitive if they take offense from these things. Making statements like "they're all the same anyway" might be called ignorant. Not being able to distinguish the visual differences between ethnicities on the other side of the planet isn't really down to ignorance (it's hardly a life-important skill).

Another example of European bias and complex of superiority.

Human trait, not European. Go on the streets of Shanghai and see what people think of Vietnamese and the other neighbours, Africans, Europeans, Arabs, etc. Or other Chinese for that matter.


Edited by Styrbiorn - 04-Mar-2009 at 15:17

Originally posted by Sarmat   Well. It is a problem. It's a matter of your attitude and I would say politeness. If you can't distinguish between "them" just call them Asians, it's much more appropriate than calling Mongols Chinese and vice versa, believe me. Chinese just call Caucasians Bai ren (white people) and it doesn't sound wrong at all both for a Turk or a Scandinavian.

For sure ignorance is bad. If you're not sure who is he or she why wouldn't asking first?

Originally posted by Sarmat For sure ignorance is bad. If you're not sure who is he or she why wouldn't asking first?

I totally agree with that.

well a lot of things, people spitting on the street, general unpoliteness (same in europe though), people caring little for their own culture in the first place like destroying an old building to construct a road over it just for money gain, and finally eating habit.

Originally posted by Temujin well a lot of things, people spitting on the street, general unpoliteness (same in europe though), people caring little for their own culture in the first place like destroying an old building to construct a road over it just for money gain, and finally eating habit.