Can we still post and share on this thread even if we're not Asian? I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "please respect this as our space: we're Asian people and this is our community." I think instead of making a thread only for Asians to talk about themselves and their culture, we should open it up to everyone. ALL heritages and backgrounds are special, and I would personally feel a little left out not being able to participate just because of where I come from. 

(The following is not intended to be rude, discriminatory, or hateful, I am simply saying what I feel. Admins, you can edit this if need be) What if someone created a thread only for, say, white people? What if only white people were allowed to post on it, and others had to respect the thread as "their space" and "their community?" You'd feel upset, right? That's where I'm coming from. It just doesn't seem very fair to exclude others because they don't come from the same background as you.

So, to wrap up- it is totally OK to want to share and discuss your "way of life," as you put it, Asian culture is very interesting and I'd love to learn more about it, but it's like that with every other culture too! So why don't we make this something where everyone can join and enjoy?

By making this thread about every culture and heritage, you are erasing what Air wants to talk about. Specifically Asian American and East Asian culture, and what is special and different about people who come from that area of the world. Because whiteness is already in the majority (at least in the Western world: US, Canada, Australia, European countries etc.), most spaces are "white spaces" already, if that makes sense. 

If you would like to start a thread that talks about why all backgrounds and heritages are special, you may do so. We encourage you to talk about culture in a respectful way, no matter which one you're discussing. ~Admin

Just wanted to say something I'm kinda confuzzled about. I am Pakistani, and as Pakistan is in Asia, I guess that qualifies me as Asian? I dunno, most people picture Chinese/Korean/Japanese people when they hear "Asian" so....yeah. That's all.

Okay-- I can't see two of the comments, so maybe this has been answered already. Ignore me if it has.

I get you, Air. I so completely get you, and I understand that you would want a thread that would only talk about your culture-- hey! I get it. I'm not going to protest about that. What I would like to point out, though, is how you pretty much just closed it off to all other races. Perhaps there's someone here who's African American but is an expert on Asia because they love it so much! Hey, I'm like that with Ireland (okay, I may be a bit Irish, but only slightly and a bunch of other things mixed in too so the point stands). Also-- correct me if I'm wrong-- but isn't this slight going against the CB rules, this "only Asians" sort of thing? I remember once I tried to make a private RP, and it definitely wasn't taken so lightly. All I'm saying is that I would prefer it if this was a thread about Asian culture, not for Asians only.

But I do understand, Air, and I don't descriminate Asians at all. About half of my class is Asian and I'm friends with a lot of them. Asian culture really is so cool; I'm not an expert, but I do know a bit about it and it's really interesting.

Sorry if you got offended or it feels like I'm invading the thread.

High five!

Although, can we still talk about Asian racism and things like that in the Peter Liang thread? 

And also, I agree, all the "model minority" business is propaganda. Stereotypes are stereotypes! 

Ohmygod! I'm Vietnamese too! I love love love pho and bahn beo and bahn mi and all Asian food! I think that Vietnamese culture is really underrepresented when people think of Asia—Everybody knows about sushi and ramen but hardly anyone appreciates pho! Plus, people say to me, "You're Asian? Are you from China?" I mean, I know that China is a big country and makes up a lot of Asia, but that's just not cool to assume that everyone Asian is Chinese. It's like assuming everyone who speaks Spanish is from Mexico (which I have also seen people do)! I also dislike it when people say "Chinese New Year" because it's not just those who are Chinese who celebrate it. 

Oops. I did that. The thing where I say stuff like "Oh are you Asian?" 

I have sensed a Caykey in the Force.

So, Just Wondering, basically what I meant is that Asian people in general are often erased: either we're not as persecuted as other racial groups, or we don't have it as good as other racial groups. That's why it was important to me to make a thread specifically for Asian heritage. I totally agree with you that all heritages are special! I just felt that as a person of this color, this race, I'd like to highlight the experience I can talk about.

And Cayke: I mean, most people never guess Vietnamese when they see me. I usually get what you said: Chinese? Japanese? Korean? And then I give up and just tell them I'm Vietnamese. Asia is indeed a huge continent, and there are subcontinents and regions that are really complicated in terms of race. Officially, on most forms I'm Southeast Asian, but some forms aren't that specific and I'm just Asian. So if you want to join in, we certainly won't be picky about semantics! I was referring, when I talked about the general racial profiling of Asians, mostly to Southeast, South, and East Asians, but if you feel like it applies to you then of course in the context of the thread!

I'm Chinese, but I've got a lot of Asian friends, so I still understand the, "All Asians are Chinese" thing.

And I think that stereotypes are stereotypes, no matter positive or negative. Not all Asian people are smart.

Cayke, you're Pakistani?

You guys should see my school. In a graduating class of about 40, we have about six East/Southeast Asians, two Caucasian/mixed race people, and everyone else is Indian. Welp, that's California for you... and that is MAJOR Asian Invasion.

Novelist, I didn't mean to call you out on the "Oh my gosh you're Asian?" comments, sorry! I more meant that I'm very Type A and like a neat CB, and this is a way of doing that.  

St.Owl, I definitely see your point now and I'll admit that when creating the thread I definitely didn't see it that way. I mean more that this thread should be kept to Asian matters, but it's opened up to anyone with an interest in the culture! Basically I meant that this thread was to highlight and respect a certain race and culture, not that it was limited to certain people. 

Like, I fit really well into the "smart Asian/Asian nerd" stereotype, but I agree: don't call someone what they don't want to be called. And just because I/you/he/she fits into the stereotype, it's still a stereotype.

And NO ONE pronounces pho correctly. I can't do diacriticals on here, but for reference people, it's not "fu", a flat sound. Imagine it like a question! "Fuh?"

Oh, sorry Air, I didn't mean myself specifically. Just saying.

Sadly, I don't really know many Asian traditions . . .  

I was looking through my baby/toddler/preschool pictures becauseI need to turn in some for graduation and I have so so many ao dai (ow yai, non-Vietnamese) pictures! From the teensey little toddler ones to last year when I got this blue super-pretty super-fragile one that I'm so sad I grew out of! Anyone else with traditional clothes? My parents have their wedding pictures in both ao dai and traditional wedding white dress/suit.