things white people say to me

“Do you know karate?” (karate was pronounced incorrectly kə-rä’té rather than the correct kə-rä’tē)

“I’m from Hong Kong”
“So you’re from Japan?” or “So you speak Japanese?”

“You look like Bruce Lee, except for the glasses”

“Wait, so you don’t ride a bike? I thought all the people in China rode bicycles.”

“Asian men have trouble giving positive feedback” (really? I’m glad I’m not the only one)

“Do people in your culture express sympathy?” (someone had just passed away)

“Do you play piano?”

“Wait, you don’t eat rice?”

Advertisement