Chinese-Canadian Classifications
So I am going to be starting a new series of posts (not sequential) about all the different labels and classifications that Chinese-Canadians, and Asian-Canadians especially, place on themselves. Yes, I know this post seems high minded, and is a deviation from the normal drivel that I write about, but I thought I'd share my views on this subject since its my blog.
First off, this past weekend, I learned that the term "dumpling" meant a Asian meathead. I'd like to point out that I know ALOT of racial ephitates, and I probably use more racial slurs than the average person. However, even I have never heard of the term dumpling. Basically, when a guy is called a dumpling, it implies that he is stocky, short, probably Chinese, with a modified car (a civic if he's poor, or a BMW if he's of a higher class), a shaved head or short spikey hair, a proponderence for hip hop fashion and music, and a high maintence Asian girlfriend that is wayyyyy uglier than she thinks she is (mainly cause she erroneously believes she is hot). We've all seen this guy before, I believe his favorite hangouts tend to be karoke bars, asian nights at some random Toronto club, all over Scarberia (Markham too?), and probably at Pacific Mall (not sure because I have never been).
Curiously, my friend Warren pointed out this sub-spieces to me, which I find odd because he does fit many of the dumpling characteristics, but he is definitely not one. First, he does have a modified BMW, is on the shorter side of the height scale, used to work out (so he was stockier, now he has settled into mid-20's weight), occasionally spikes his hair, and definately has a dating blind spot for high maintence Asian chicks. Of course, he is a classical music lover and a metrosexual dresser, so many of the dumpling characteristics do not apply.
Anyway, the point of this story is to show how often Asian-Canadians as a group enjoy labelling each other. I have been labelled as "white washed" because my girlfriend is blonde and not exactly from the "East", I enjoy going to Muskoka in the summer (the 'rents have a place up there), apparently I'm a jock and that doesn't jibe with the Asian flow, and I don't hang out with droves of Asian people all at once (mainly because I only have like 5 Asian friends). Yet, I can speak Cantonese fluently (usually only to my parents because I find speaking to people my age in Cantonese to be profoundly weird), and I suffer from the Chinese birth defect of general loudness (which is embrassing, but whatevs).
What I really want to know is if there are other labels for Asian I don't know about? What might these labels be? Does anyone know? And ultimately, do any of us actually fit neatly into one of these boxes, or are these labels merely used by us Asian-Canadians to point out those of us whose familes have integrated successfully and those of us whose familes haven't exactly lived the Canadian Dream (its like the psuedo-American Dream, but less ambitious and more compassionate)? Questions to ponder until next time.
First off, this past weekend, I learned that the term "dumpling" meant a Asian meathead. I'd like to point out that I know ALOT of racial ephitates, and I probably use more racial slurs than the average person. However, even I have never heard of the term dumpling. Basically, when a guy is called a dumpling, it implies that he is stocky, short, probably Chinese, with a modified car (a civic if he's poor, or a BMW if he's of a higher class), a shaved head or short spikey hair, a proponderence for hip hop fashion and music, and a high maintence Asian girlfriend that is wayyyyy uglier than she thinks she is (mainly cause she erroneously believes she is hot). We've all seen this guy before, I believe his favorite hangouts tend to be karoke bars, asian nights at some random Toronto club, all over Scarberia (Markham too?), and probably at Pacific Mall (not sure because I have never been).
Curiously, my friend Warren pointed out this sub-spieces to me, which I find odd because he does fit many of the dumpling characteristics, but he is definitely not one. First, he does have a modified BMW, is on the shorter side of the height scale, used to work out (so he was stockier, now he has settled into mid-20's weight), occasionally spikes his hair, and definately has a dating blind spot for high maintence Asian chicks. Of course, he is a classical music lover and a metrosexual dresser, so many of the dumpling characteristics do not apply.
Anyway, the point of this story is to show how often Asian-Canadians as a group enjoy labelling each other. I have been labelled as "white washed" because my girlfriend is blonde and not exactly from the "East", I enjoy going to Muskoka in the summer (the 'rents have a place up there), apparently I'm a jock and that doesn't jibe with the Asian flow, and I don't hang out with droves of Asian people all at once (mainly because I only have like 5 Asian friends). Yet, I can speak Cantonese fluently (usually only to my parents because I find speaking to people my age in Cantonese to be profoundly weird), and I suffer from the Chinese birth defect of general loudness (which is embrassing, but whatevs).
What I really want to know is if there are other labels for Asian I don't know about? What might these labels be? Does anyone know? And ultimately, do any of us actually fit neatly into one of these boxes, or are these labels merely used by us Asian-Canadians to point out those of us whose familes have integrated successfully and those of us whose familes haven't exactly lived the Canadian Dream (its like the psuedo-American Dream, but less ambitious and more compassionate)? Questions to ponder until next time.
posted by Billy Bee Absentee at 12:36 PM
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