Chileans are some of the most culturally-ignorant people I have ever met. Being from California, you would think that being exposed to all kinds of people makes you open-minded, but I believe in my case it’s quite the opposite. I feel so sheltered because I assumed that the rest of the world was as knowledgeable about other cultures, when it reality it is not this way at all. I’ve compiled a mental list of the most outrageous comments people have made towards me for being Asian. Some are so racist and stupid it’s actually kind of funny…
Buying sopaipillas from a street food vendor w/ Natali:
Food vendor man: (First sees Natali. Latina. Whatever. Sees me. China!) Hey!!! Do you like pollo mandarin?
Me: Um. I don’t know what pollo mandarin is, I’m sorry.
Food vendor man: (Insistent that I must know what it is because I’m Chinese) They’re
Store worker: (sees me and smiles excitedly) China?
Me: (thinking he’s asking me “cena,” [dinner], as in if I’m going to use this water to cook dinner) What? Cena?
Store worker: No, China? Japanese?
Old man: Excuse me, can you help me read the prices of these hamburger patties? I didn’t bring my glasses and I can’t see anything.
Me: Sure thing. (Proceed to read him the prices)
Old man: (after a while notices I’m not Chilean) Oooh, where are you from?
Me: (thinking here we go again…) United States.
Old man: Ohhh, but how can that be with those little eyes of yours? China? Japan?
In some boony town’s tourism office to find out more info about the boony town. With 2 blondes and a Mexican-American and Andrew Yang from EAP.
Tourism office woman: Where are you all from?
Us: United States.
Tourism office woman: Oh…but those two in the back (points to me and Andrew) where are they from?
Using my Chilean mom’s Japanese knives.
Me: These knives are Japanese made.
Chilean mom: Oh, so if I use them, they’ll make me look like this! (Does slanty eye motion)
Flaites: EYYYY!!! CHINITA!!!!! GIMME MONEY!!! (Laugh raucously).
Po-po: So where are you guys from?
Us: United States.
Po-po: Oh. I would’ve thought you were in charge of the Beijing Olympics or something.
New person: So you’re a U.S. exchange student? Where are your parents from?
Me: Taiwan.
New person: Where’s that?
Me: It’s a small island on the side of China.
New person: I’m sorry. Us Chileans are really ignorant of other cultures.
This is what I deal with on a daily basis living in Chile. I don't care to tell people my ethnicity anymore (Taiwanese) unless I trust them to be open-minded people and won't say something off-the-wall. I just don't feel like having everyone who asks assume that all Asians are from China. I just like to keep them in suspense and say, "I'm from the U.S." and not elaborate further about where my parents are from (unless they insist on knowing, which is most of the time anyway...) At first I thought I would be extremely offended having to deal with this all the time, but slowly I’m getting used to it and it doesn’t faze me much anymore. In fact, some of the above incidents are really funny to me because of the sheer ignorance of it all. The last incident is so true and that’s what keeps me sane—simply knowing that the people here really don’t know better about other cultures, which is why they say the things they say. It’s so obvious they wouldn’t know any better; on the metro, on the buses, in my classes, on the street, in restaurants, in my own apartment complex, I don’t see anyone that looks like me. I stick out like a sore thumb, which is something so odd to me because Asians are the norm for me at UCSD (50% Asian population!) and San Gabriel Valley (also known as Little Taipei!). It really makes me wonder though—where are the Asian Chileans other than working in stores and restaurant? Why are they not out and about?
