Chinese means Brains All Stereotypes aren't True!
“..., is it true that all Chinese people are, like, Kung-Fu masters?” Asks one boy. Before he can even appreciate the full effects of my glare, another one chimes in with, “Yeah, ..., can you do one of those back flips?” As I open my mouth to protest, yet another asks, “Hey, ..., what would you do if I threw a punch at you?” A fourth guy answers for me, chortling, “What do you think? She’d jump up, flip through the air and do that pressure point touch of death business and you’d be screwed, man. She’d beat the crap out of you. She would probably be able to kick the butt of any guy in this school. Wouldn’t you, ...?”
Ugh! Is it just me or is there something seriously wrong with how people perceive me and other Chinese people? As a Chinese girl, I am inevitably caught by one of the three evil stereotypes. I am either pictured as the academic brainiac, the modest artist, or the infamous “martial arts girl”. Meaning that, according to the majority of the population, I am one of three things: either a hardworking, somewhat nerdy, polite but introverted genius who does math extrapolations for kicks and reads encyclopedias in her spare time, an obliging, sweet little thing who produces exquisite artwork and makes soulful music, with a delicate and sensitive temperament to match, or, a steely, edgy, don’t-you-dare-mess-with-me-if-you-know-what’s-good-for-you tough girl who can defy any and all of Newton’s laws in a frightening but spectacular fit of anger, able to kill or paralyze obnoxious guys and other uncivil animals three times her size 27 different ways while blindfolded and only using her pinky. As ridiculous as these images may seem, the truly frightening thing is that way too many people actually believe them, people supposedly sensible and open-minded, who sincerely think that these generalizations and exaggerations are accurate, who really think that I am Bruce Lee’s protégé, Einstein’s student and Mozart’s apprentice!
Okay, okay, I admit that I am in a karate class, take my share of AP’s and play the piano. So there might be a tiny grain of truth in those stereotypes. But contrary to popular belief, I do NOT bash wooden boards into pieces with any part of my body. Nor do I leap in joy and anticipation for finals and AP exams in May. Nor do I compose symphonies,...