Dare To Ask Talk And News About Our Differences - This topic has 22 replies, 23 voices, and was last updated 20 years, 5 months ago by
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I am a college student and have often noticed that Asians at school will switch to an Asian language, most often Korean or Chinese, when white people approach, even though they speak English perfectly well. Do they not realize that this is extremely rude?
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Name : Raymond-G, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 21, City : New York, State : NY, Country : United States, Occupation : Student,I noticed that women might tend to do this more often than men, but that’s just out of a preference to keep their conversations private. I used to go to an international school in Korea, and I would speak in English to my friends. Even though I was bilingual, I preferred English over Korean in Korea because my friends could understand me and I could talk freely about almost anything without others knowing about what I did after I got drunk. In that culture, you don’t talk about those things in public.
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Name : Brian-L22976, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Asian, Age : 21, City : Davis, State : CA, Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,What I’ve noticed is that these groups speak in their native tongue most of the time, not just when an outsider approaches. And in my opinion it is not rude, though sometimes I wonder if I’m being talked about, particularly since I’m African American, and relations between my race and theirs is not the best at times.
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Name : Kristina26267, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Age : 23, City : Washington, State : DC, Country : United States, Occupation : Homemaker, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I think the natural tendency is to switch, especially because you can continue to speak without being conscious about your English – no matter how perfect it may be. Personally, I find it more offensive when I’m part of a group and suddenly they start to speak in their native language. As far as Korean or Chinese are concerned, I’m sure they do the same among their own kind too, switching between Mandarin and Cantonese. Among (Asian) Indians, I know some ethnicities like South Indians tend to do the same.
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Name : Diya, Gender : F, Race : Indian Subcontinent, Religion : Muslim, Age : 28, City : Albany, State : NY, Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,A better question is why is it any business of yours if Asian people choose to switch to their native language when you approach them? And why do white people think the world is supposed to come to a screeching halt because you’re approaching a group of people? The Asians are probably talking about how silly, pompous and self-important some white people like yourself behave. Do yourself a favor — stop worrying about what Asians are conversing about … and for God’s sake, get over yourself. You are not that important.
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Name : Rhonda-P-Outlaw29999, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Lutheran, Age : 42, City : Laurelton, State : NY, Country : United States, Occupation : Account Rep, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,Perhaps they were already speaking in Korean or whatever language when you approached. How do you know what they were speaking before you got there? I am Welsh-speaking, at least when I’m back in Wales, and English people often accuse us of just speaking Welsh to exclude them (presumably they think we speak English the rest of the time) – but we are speking it because it’s our first language! As I presume Chinese/Korean is for the students you describe. You wouldn’t go to France and expect everyone to be speaking English, would you? Just because I live in an English-speaking country doesn’t mean my first language is automatically going to be English.
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Name : Jill-W, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 30, City : London, State : NA, Country : United Kingdom, Occupation : exec assistant, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I don’t think they do it because a non-Asian approaches. They’re probably just SO comfortable doing it that it becomes habit. They probably are not trying to be rude. Unless, of course, they’re talking about YOU!
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Name : Jay31335, City : New York, State : NY, Country : United States,Maybe you’re being rude for wanting to know what they’re talking about. Why don’t you ask them what they’re talking about the next time that happens and see what response you get? Ever had a private conversation?
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Name : D31851, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Hispanic/Latino (may be any race), Religion : Atheist, Age : 27, City : Vancouver, British Columbia, State : NA, Country : Canada, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower class,Was that all really neccesary? I’m a Black woman and often wonder about some bilingual people switching to a non-english language once I’m near also. I think most normal people are the same. It has nothing to do with a person thinking they are overly important.
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Name : Alicia31395, Gender : F, Race : Afro-caribbean black, City : New York, State : NY, Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class,A better question is why is it any business of yours if Asian people choose to switch to their native language when you approach them? And why do white people think the world is supposed to come to a screeching halt because you’re approaching a group of people? The Asians are probably talking about how silly, pompous and self-important some white people like yourself behave. Do yourself a favor — stop worrying about what Asians are conversing about … and for God’s sake, get over yourself. You are not that important. POSTED 3/1/2004 Rhonda P. Outlaw, Laurelton, NY, United States, 42, Female, Lutheran, Black/African American, Straight, Account Rep, 2 Years of College, Middle class, Mesg ID 217200421455 ————————————– This is ironic coming from an African American, the group who seems to think that whites have nothing better to do with their life than conspire against THEM. Get over YOUR self.
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Name : Jay31355, City : New York, State : NY, Country : United States,I am currently in Spain studying, well, Spanish, but I attend an American university back at home. I have noticed the same thing among certain groups of Asians. If they’re switching to the Asian language when you’re coming by, then it seems to me it’s pretty obvious that they’re doing it to be rude or else they are just doing it so you won’t know what you are saying, which is kinda rude, but may not be their exact intent. If they are just talking, then it might not be trying to be rude. Still, it is fairly impolite…this irks me as well. I usually just speak Spanish at them until they swith back to English.
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Name : Micaela, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Hispanic/Latino (may be any race), Religion : Catholic, Age : 20, City : Sevilla, State : NA, Country : Spain, Occupation : Student, Social class : Middle class,I am from a family where my mother speaks another language in addition to english and when she is speaking to my grandmother or to her sisters, she is constantly switching between the two. I know that in her case, it just depends on the flow of the conversation and I am tempted to beleive that that is probably the same thing with the students at your school. Now, don’t get me wrong, there is a possibility that they don’t want you to hear what they are talking about but don’t stress, if it’s that bad, you probably didn’t want to hear it anyway.
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Name : Layla, Gender : F, Age : 23, City : Nashville, State : TN, Country : United States, Occupation : Microbiologist, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I am an Australian university student who looks asian, but was brought up by white parents(long story). What i notice at uni is that this does happen a lot (and not just with asians). I must admit that at times i feel that if they are living in an english speaking country and complaining about being excluded,they should speak English more often in public. However, maybe we are just jealous that we don’t have a mechanism like that, that allows us to gossip and talk about personal things without having to whisper or stop talking altogether! If we are to be completely honest, we would probably do the same thing if we could. I know some chinese people who just talk in chinese when they are together because that is how they are comfortable and how they interact with those of that culture and language. maybe you caught them at one of those moments.
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Name : keri, Gender : F, Race : Asian, Age : 20, City : perth, State : WA, Country : Australia, Education level : 2 Years of College,I work with many Japanese, and they usually use their native language when talking to each other. It kind of makes sense to me – it’s the language they speak most fluently, and they are undoubtably more comfortable with it than English. I can speak German, but if I were traveling with another German-speaking American in Germany we would probably still speak English to each other.
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Name : Matt-Cramer21996, City : Oxford, State : GA, Country : United States,They’re just doing it to keep their conversation private. They’re not necessarily talking about you, or saying anything bad, it just makes them feel more secure in case they say something embarrassing. It’s the same thing if you were talking to someone in a loud voice, then someone else you didn’t know walked by, and you lowered your voice so as to keep your own ‘space’.
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Name : Ed, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Asian, Religion : Christian, Age : 26, City : Milpitas, State : CA, Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,
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