[quote=“bababa”][quote=“KylieHJensen”]
Nobody would think you two are half Taiwanese. Does it freak people out when you start speaking perfect Mandarin? Or even Taiwanese?
Maybe the only hint would be slightly around the eyes, the nose, and slightly darker skin? Even that much is being pretty picky. Do you have a photo of you with a cousin on your dad’s side?
I hope you don’t think we’re being racist for our interest, but it is interesting, speculating about recessive genes and all that.
I knew two (unrelated) kids in a grade one class. Both had one Chinese parent and one white parent. One child looked completely Chinese; the other had beautiful blond curls and looked completely white.[/quote][/quote]
No a problem. Below is a photo of my cousin (on the left), her friend, and me (in the center) a couple of years ago. She is 100% Norwegian and looks every bit of it. I think this photo is a good distinction between 100% Norway, 50/50 Nor-Tai, and American mutt (don’t know much about her.)
Here is a picture of my dad and I, though you can’t tell because he lost all his hair long ago
Does it freak people out in Taiwan when I talk Taiwanese or Mandarin to them? Yes, but they get over it fairly quick and actually like the fact I can communicate with them. I believe the whole shocking ordeal will go away in the next 10 years since there are a steady increasing of Foreigners coming into Taiwan each year.
[quote=“KylieHJensen”]Here is a picture of my dad and I, though you can’t tell because he lost all his hair long ago
Does it freak people out in Taiwan when I talk Taiwanese or Mandarin to them? Yes, but they get over it fairly quick and actually like the fact I can communicate with them. I believe the whole shocking ordeal will go away in the next 10 years since there are a steady increasing of Foreigners coming into Taiwan each year.[/quote]
Definitely the same smile (mouth area).
You don’t look Eurasian at all, I would most certainly mistaken you as a full blooded American/European on the street. Having spent elementary years in Taiwan and now fully assimilated in American culture with very white features, I can understand why you don’t fit in with either team banana or the egg team.
Eh…I’m going to come right out and say it but you weren’t adopted right? Couldn’t have been the first person to think that…not only that but your sister doesn’t look at all Asian either!
I’ll chirp in agin with a bit of an etymological aside. The Chinese for “gene” is “ji1ying1.” Ji1 = basic and ying1 = factor. I just discovered that one today. That’s one of the transliterations that actually makes sense. What is happening is a mixing of basic factors. And that is a good thing genetically. Aside from cultural differences, the influence of media (pornography in particular I image) the reason different races are so attracted to each other is because it is hard wired into the genes to seek diversification of the gene pool. That is quite likely what is actually happening. Along with it, unfortunately, there is a lot of cultural baggage. I’ve never heard from or spoken to a mixed race kid who didn’t struggle with it on some level. That is a reality stemming from the fact that there is a mixing going on that extends way beyond the genetic. It’s a mixing of cultures, cultures that often don’t mix well at all. Of course it is confusing to a young person. This is happening at a momentous time in history too. As Han culture becomes more powerful young people may choose to identify more with the han side of their ancestory. Anyway, there’s my bit. I find the whole thing absolutely fascinating.
Oh, still waiting for word from Mr He on whether the blue eyed people from his wife’s family were the product of Taiwanese parents or a combination of Taiwanese/European.
[quote=“bob”]I’ll chirp in agin with a bit of an etymological aside. The Chinese for “gene” is “ji1ying1.” Ji1 = basic and ying1 = factor. I just discovered that one today. That’s one of the transliterations that actually makes sense. What is happening is a mixing of basic factors. And that is a good thing genetically. Aside from cultural differences, the influence of media (pornography in particular I image) the reason different races are so attracted to each other is because it is hard wired into the genes to seek diversification of the gene pool. That is quite likely what is actually happening. Along with it, unfortunately, there is a lot of cultural baggage. I’ve never heard from or spoken to a mixed race kid who didn’t struggle with it on some level. That is a reality stemming from the fact that there is a mixing going on that extends way beyond the genetic. It’s a mixing of cultures, cultures that often don’t mix well at all. Of course it is confusing to a young person. This is happening at a momentous time in history too. As Han culture becomes more powerful young people may choose to identify more with the han side of their ancestory. Anyway, there’s my bit. I find the whole thing absolutely fascinating.
Oh, still waiting for word from Mr He on whether the blue eyed people from his wife’s family were the product of Taiwanese parents or a combination of Taiwanese/European.[/quote]
No way to know that, no reliable historical records in Taiwan. Also many kids would be swapped between families and relations and sold off hundreds of years ago.
He knows there are blue eyed kids in his family tree so he “could” know whether or not the parents were mixed or not. I say “could” because while you always know who the mother is you don’t always know who the father is. Some aboriginee people reckon lineage matrilineally for precisely that reason. In annonymous questionaires something like ten (maybe twenty) percent of mothers will admit to parenting a child with someone other than their spouse.
The one brown and one blue is almost certainly a somatic mutation, means a non-inherited mutation in the body’s cells after the embryo’s cells started dividing, most likely one brown gene got turned off allowing the blue to show through. You can see the same thing in some dogs and cats.
I find your case fascinating since I’ve seen many mixed Eurasian children/people living in San Francisco Bay Area, but I’ve never seen one that’s full blond. Genetically it is unlikely since you are 50% your mother who is Asian. Please don’t take this the wrong way, but a picture of your mother would really help.
