On my list of things to do included adding a section for other blogs on my site. I'm not really a full member of the blogosphere but part-time (as if you couldn't tell by my postings!) but I do so enjoy the form.

In any case, one of the Grace's sent me this link yesterday: askakorean.blogspot.com After reading a few posts I seriously considered whether I should stop writing my own blog. This guy is an expert writer though for the uninitiated you should know his writing style is very aggressive (surprise, Koreans are aggressively opinionated?!) and voicy, but it does feel as though he is genuinely and deeply passionate about Korean and KA matters.

Another weird thing is that the writer is best blog friends with The Mexican which some of you might know, is my husband's handle. It almost feels like that pop sci-fi book where the main character finds out he is just a duplicate of the real him. And I'M the duplicate.

Anyhow.

Here's an excerpt from one of his funny posts titled:
Ask A Korean! News: Open Letter to Non-Asian People

Dear Black, Hispanic, and White People:

My name is the Korean, the host of a popular blog of Ask A Korean! The Korean keeps the blog in order to edify non-Koreans, and more generally non-Asians. That means you. The Korean had been thinking that he was making good progress, but visiting a region in America mostly populated by you people made the Korean realize that more direct approach is necessary. Therefore, the Korean presents the behavioral guide of interacting with Asian Americans.

- When you meet an Asian person in America, listen to the person's English. If it's fluent, assume the person is American. Do not say "Oh, your English is so great!" unless you want a punch in the face.

- Do not ask "Where are you from?" to an Asian person unless you are reasonably certain that s/he is outside of his/her American hometown. If the Asian answers, say, "Los Angeles", do not follow up with "where are you originally from?" or "where are your parents from?" Our precise ethnicity is none of your fucking business. Do we ever ask you whether you are from Dominican Republic, Ireland, or Ivory Coast?

- Do not holler any Asian celebrity name at any Asian person. The Korean is 6'1", and plays basketball frequently. If the Korean hears one more "Yao Ming!" from one of you, he will shove a basketball up your ass.

- Do not say "gonnichiwa" to an Asian person in America, unless you are absolutely positive that the Asian person is a Japanese tourist, or you are a host/hostess of a Japanese restaurant greeting an Asian customer. (Although if you are a host/hostess, the proper greeting would be iratsaimashe.) There are relatively few Japansese Americans in America compared to Chinese or Korean Americans, so you are most likely wrong; and if you had been reading the blog, Korean people really don't like being mistaken for a Japanese. Chinese people are not all that different either.

- On second thought, don't say any Asian phrase to any Asian person, unless you are at least conversational in the language. It's the 21st century, people. We are no longer impressed by your amazing ability to say "hello".

.... click the above link to continue reading.

posted at 11:08 AM by jenn

Filed under: