"All Westerners are American"

[Ah-Bin]

When I lived in Taiwan ten years ago, every day someone would ask which state I was from or ask me a question about America, assuming I was from there. My New Zealand neighbour, who had lived in Beijing the year previously, told me proudly "In China they never do that, they'll always ask which country you're from first."

Now I am here, I find the same thing is happening to me, at least once a day. Is this because I live in a place where there are few westerners (in South China), or has it simply become more common here to assume that western people are American in the last ten years? I would have thought with the most famous westerner being Canadian Mark Rowswell ("Da Shan") this wouldn't happen so much.

I don't really mind so much about it. Remembering as a teenager in rural NZ when we assumed every East Asian looking person who didn't speak English was "Japanese". I wonder what they thought about that.

[fireball9261]

When I first arrived in America 30 years ago and stayed in a mostly white neighborhood, most people also asked me whether I am Japanese or not. They wouldn't think of Chinese as the first choice.

[gougou]

I have encountered both, the ones that assume you're American as well as the ones that ask first. And then there's the kind that tell me determinedly that I must be Russian, and when I tell them that I'm not are surprised at how I can still look so Russian (strangely, nobody in Russia thought that I looked very Russian).

[imron]

I find very rarely will anyone guess Australia, without first exhausting most other options.

[self-taught-mba]

That's funny, I'm also Russian/German too. But it works great for the pian4zi. A "sprechen sie deutsche?" can go a long way. (I actually give this advice to our incoming students in our welcome packet. It cracks them up but then they find out it really works)

We have a new person from Senegal working with us. I feel sorry for him, even when you say it right (his Chinese is decent), I would say 95% of the people still don't know the country. (He maintains his sense of humor though - good guy)

[flameproof]

We have a new person from Senegal working with us. I feel sorry for him, even when you say it right (his Chinese is decent), I would say 95% of the people still don't know the country.

OK, hands up, who can point Senegal exactly on a map! I just know somewhere central Africa.

To the topic, I get sometimes ask where I am from, so I presume not all foreigners are automatically USAish.

I would have thought with the most famous westerner being Canadian Mark Rowswell ("Da Shan") this wouldn't happen so much.

Canadians are Americans too. But their nationality is easy to spot as the usually wear a flag.

[self-taught-mba]

OK, hands up, who can point Senegal exactly on a map! I just know somewhere central Africa.

Fair enough I'm sure there are a lot of Americans that can't either. But at least know that it's a country! And because the word has the character nei4 (inside) of it, it's funny to watch them try to say "inside of where?"

Canadians are Americans too. But their nationality is easy to spot as the usually wear a flag.

Oh boy.

I think your flameproofing is about to get a testing!

[shibole]

I haven't spent much time in China, only once in Harbin, and the only assumption of my nationality that I heard was that I must be Russian.

[skylee]

Remembering as a teenager in rural NZ when we assumed every East Asian looking person who didn't speak English was "Japanese". I wonder what they thought about that.

Well, when I am overseas nobody seems to care to ask my nationality either. I automatically become japanese, even though I do speak English -> 語言 etc

[roddy]

I think it just depends what nationality they happen to have run into most. I've had people assume I was German, as they'd met some Germans last week, and so presumably there must be a lot of Germans about.

[muyongshi]

What canadians are american!!! We are all from North America...hence all north and south american's are american....

[studentyoung]

What canadians are american!!! We are all from North America...hence all north and south american's are american....

Sorry, but not everyone (whether he is American or not) accepts Monroeism, I’m afraid. Hehe.

Cheers!

[md1101]

try being eurasian. you're a different nationality every hour of everyday.

[fireball9261]

Try being a western looking Chinese in mainland China. My brother, who is a full Han Chinese, is 6 feet tall and has western looking features (tall nose, deep features, etc.), and other Chinese ask me which nationality he is? He had the same problem in Taiwan when he was a kid and looked even more like a western kid.

[zozzen]

Well, when I am overseas nobody seems to care to ask my nationality either. I automatically become japanese, even though I do speak English -> 語言 etc

In rural Canada you'd possibly become "Chinese" again, and automatically become a big fan of Bruce Lee. One of my relatives lived in a rural Canada and he's the only Chinese family there. He said throughout all his life he met a lot of people who friendly yelled "Waaaaja!!! " and rubbed their noses with a thumb to him. Interestingly, it was the local people who taught him who's Bruce Lee.

[fireball9261]

I only got one or two people who did the Bruce Lee routine on me for all these years in Orange County, California. I guess that was probably because I am a woman. However, plenty of people did the Asian eyes routine as well as people shouting at me in the passing cars for me to "go back to Japan" or "go back to Tokyo". I usually yelled back, "You go back to east coast!" Or, "You go back to the South!" Usually, they were newly from outside of California any way, and, by marrying a Californian born American and in California for 30 years, I have more right to stay in California than most of those new comers!

[Pravit]

Hmm, if anything, Americans seem to be somewhat uncommon in China compared to other foreigners - most white foreigners I've encountered in China are Europeans. Germans and Brits especially seem to be rather numerous.

I think it just depends what nationality they happen to have run into most. I've had people assume I was German, as they'd met some Germans last week, and so presumably there must be a lot of Germans about.

I agree. For example, white people in Dalian are usually assumed to be Russians. This isn't unique to Chinese, either - while we were in Xinjiang, many Uyghurs asked me if my girlfriend was French (she's Swedish). It was pretty hilarious when we were walking around the Russian area of Urumqi, and these Uyghur greeter guys would start calling out to her in Russian!! I couldn't understand them exactly, but they seemed to start every utterance with "dochka"...

[ipsi()]

While I haven't met another Kiwi in China, they're disproportionately represented on these forums (I mean, really. We've got 4.5 million people, America has like 300 million, and yet I'm sure there's more than a 7:1 ratio of Americans to Kiwis on here).

Also, never had anyone ask me where I was from, or assume I was from anywhere while I was over there. Probably just wasn't there long enough.

[owshawng]

In Taiwan I am always an American.

In Singapore the locals thought I was British or Australian

In Australia the locals thought I was American, Canadian, from Southern England, and German. I was then told that I don't look American. I guess without a camera, a pair of shorts, and not being overweight I can change nationalities like Jason Bourne.

[Lu]

When I lived in Taiwan ten years ago, every day someone would ask which state I was from or ask me a question about America, assuming I was from there.

It's still like that. It pisses me off to such an extent that I was truly happy when the other day a taxi driver asked me if I was Australian. In a way that was even further off, but at least he was aware of the fact that not all whites are American.

Oh and I can actually point out Senegal on a map! It's in west Africa, at the coast, and it has another long thin country inside of it. But I forgot what that country was called.

Well, when I am overseas nobody seems to care to ask my nationality either. I automatically become japanese

I think that might be because until recently, virtually all Asian tourists (in Europe at least) were Japanese. Many people haven't yet realised that nowadays, there are also large numbers of Chinese tourists, so all Asian-looking tourists are classified as Japanese.