Nibodhika@lemmy.world 1 week ago
Don’t.
First of all, Chinese are not that well viewed abroad either, a lot of the Chinese tourists we get in Europe are the top earners kids and are entitled as fuck.
Secondly no one judges people from their country, sure there are a lot of obnoxious Americans and Chinese tourists, but I imagine that’s just survivor bias, you don’t notice the non obnoxious ones which I assume to be the majority.
Thirdly, and maybe most important, you won’t be able to do it. This question is proof that you think and act like an American, you have some ancestor who came from China so you think you’re Chinese-american, and that that somehow means you’re Chinese, but you grew in a different culture, eating different food, watching different TV shows, etc. In short, you are an American of Chinese ethnicity, you are not a Chinese who was born in America.
Do you want to know what’s one of THE most obnoxious bullshit American tourists do? Teaching Italians about Italy because they’re Italian-American, or thinking they know all about Ireland because the grandpa of their third-cousin once removed came from Ireland, so they’re Irish-American. Unless you spent a significant chunk of your life in China, especially during the formative years, you will not behave Chinese, you have an “Americanized” image of what a Chinese is, and at best you would have fooled someone who doesn’t care about your nationality as long as you treat them with respect. There’s a song that I think sums out this feeling www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq0_yCNSV-c it is a very common one, I’ve lived both in Italy and Ireland which is why I use them as examples, and every so often you’d get the X-American thinking they’re X, and you could tell them apart from across the street.
DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 1 week ago
I mean I grew up in a blend of cultures…
I’m 1.5 gen (moved at age 8) so I thought if I try hard enough I might pass…
Yes I mostly watch American stuff… my most proficient language is English, but my legal name (and the name I use everyday) is still a Chinese name (well the Pinyin Version of the name). I was born in China and was a former citizen of PRC (since no dual citizenship allowed). I did watch a lot of Hong Kong TV when I was in my early teens. I watched some Mandarin tv shows about the war of resistance against Japan. I went through school in China up till 2nd Grade.
As for food… I honestly still don’t know what “American” food is… besides McDonalds, Pizzas, Subway Sandwiches, Cheesesteaks…
My parents are 1st gen from Guangdong so I mostly have Cantonese-style Chinese foods.
So I kinda have a small claim to it, more than those born abroad anyways…
This is just a thought experiment btw, I don’t think I have the audacity to do this… cuz Chinese toursts are hated as well…
Not even planning to travel soon, just like to imagine traveling… it’s like window shopping but for travel xD
Nibodhika@lemmy.world 6 days ago
In that case you are a Chinese who immigrated to the USA very young. While you probably think and behave more like an American than a Chinese, that doesn’t erase where you were born, even if for a technicality you no longer have a passport from that place. I would say that you’re one of the few people that are correctly described by the term Chinese-american, as you grew in both cultures. Unfortunately the popular use of that term is for Americans who have some ancestor from China.
That’s cool, where are you imagining traveling to?