It seems that a lot of Americans and Canadian people of Chinese descent call themselves ABC’s or CBC’s. Does that make me a CBAS Canadian Born Anglo Saxon? How about CBES Canadian Born English Scott? If you are born in Canada or America and you happen to be of Chinese descent then cut the crap, you are Canadian or American. You probably have the North American mall culture ingrained in you. We are one people, labels are just a way to seperate ourselves from one another. When I see a Chinese, Black or green (on St. Patrick’s Day or Hallowe’en) I think they are Canadian (if I am in Canada when I see them), plain and simple.
Feel free to flame me, am waiting at the airport in HK to go back to Taipei in the morning. Did not get any sleep.
[quote=“Grasshopper”]When I see a Chinese, Black or green (on St. Patrick’s Day or Hallowe’en) I think they are Canadian (if I am in Canada when I see them), plain and simple.
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I agree totally…but of course the ones who won’t agree are the ABCs/CBCs, who will insist that you DON’T view them that way but as a group apart. (Personally, I LOVE people telling me what I really feel or think…NOT!! )
mmm well, I don’t think the whole “abc” trend started in the US or Canada. I think a lot of the native Asians started calling us that. If we say we are American, they will not believe it.
If I say I’m American, people in America will superficially believe it. Then they ask, "but really, what are you?
However, telling other people how they should think or feel or identify themselves is obviously just fine Want to call yourself CBAS? WACKY? Go right ahead! I don’t buy into it either personally, but I do think it’s every person’s right to identify themself however they please. You’re a Gay Indian-American Republican? Fine by me.
Maybe there’s a difference in the American/Canadian and Australian/Kiwi cultures, but in Australia everyone seems to have some kind of ethnic identity and be proud of it in conjunction with their Australian one. Including white Australians, with a long Australian heritage - they’re called - and sometimes call themselves - ‘Skippys’ or ‘Skips’. To be honest, I think that recognition of past and present heritage in everybody helps in making everyone feel simply ‘Australian’, which for the most part, they do. Mate.
[quote=“cornelldesi”]mmm well, I don’t think the whole “abc” trend started in the US or Canada. I think a lot of the native Asians started calling us that. If we say we are American, they will not believe it.
If I say I’m American, people in America will superficially believe it. Then they ask, "but really, what are you?[/quote]
Yes, I totally agree. I didn’t come into contact this anagram until I came to Taiwan. You look Asian but speak English, well… then you’re not really Taiwanese so they tag you with this label. If you tell your co-workers or Taiwanese friends that you’re Canadian or American then they scorn you for not acknowledging your Asian descent. Screwed both ways.
Curious though, any Taiwan citizens out there who are not of Asian descent call themselves Taiwanese?
I wholly support the CBC. They had great shows like Beachcombers and of course there will always be Hockey Night in Canada.
Grasshopper wrote
That is a nice sentiment, but too bad most people don’t seem to be like that, or at least where I grew up in Canada, and certainly even less out here in Asia.
Be proud of the culture you hail from (English-Irish-Scottish, whatever) which will generally include your race as a byproduct, but not as the sole determinant. Skippys are proud to be long-term Australians, who will naturally happen to be predominantly white. Most people in Australia are a mix, and they can usually tell you if they’re Irish-French-Scottish whatever.
We’ve had the debate over the use of ‘Chinese’ as both an ethnicity and a culture already
Agreed. In Taiwan, they would say, you are not American, you are Chinese or Taiwanese. American to Taiwan people means white or black or hispanic, but not Asian (maybe just white not sure). They still cannot grasp the concept of nationality and still think of ethnicity since in their country, nationality and ethnicity are the same as the amount of minorities are so few. I told me wife if we move to US she could become American, and she tells me but that is impossible, I will always be Taiwanese. So you see if you were a Taiwan person born and raised in the USA you would be an American born Chinese. Perhaps this is kind of like American born Italian, or Italian American, Irish American, etc. I suppose if you are really loud and obnoxious like a lot of ABC and CBC are, they could finally admit that yes indeed you are American or Canadian and not Chinese at all.
[quote=“Grasshopper”]If you are born in Canada or America and you happen to be of Chinese descent then cut the crap, you are Canadian or American. You probably have the North American mall culture ingrained in you.[/quote]Grasshopper, you make a fair point, and this view is shared by a lot of people. I would argue, however, that the ‘old’ and the ‘new’ culture do not have to be exclusive, and that awareness of parents’ and grandparents’ cultures can be an enriching, strengthening factor in the whole society. I talked about a similar issue here;
[forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopic.ph … 258#144258](Bitter points
Is that surprising? Consider the reverse - could you ‘become Taiwanese’? (Not just become a citizen, or feel at home in the country). I love Taiwan, but I couldn’t imagine myself as Taiwanese. (It’s not just Taiwan - I doubt I could become American either)
Everybody has very strong links to the culture that they were brought up in - so if you’re a first generation Chinese-American, it’s also obvious that you’ll pick up a lot of the culture of your Chinese parents.
I thought America (and, I guess, Canada) was proud of the fact that it accepted all these different cultures and let them all flourish under an ‘American’ banner: Chinese, Polish, Irish, African, Hispanic, English - they all have their distinct sub-cultures. Isn’t that better than a uniform grey ‘all Americans are exactly the same’? (Isn’t it the Shannon which claims to be an “authentic Irish Pub” because its owner comes from … America?)
I’m sure there are stereotypical behaviours of ABCs which you could criticize then for, but just for identifying themselves with both America and China seems a bit silly.
The thing is, I identify myself as Asian American namely because I was brought up in a Taiwanese family with a different culture, eating chinese food, learning all that respect stuff (Confucian ideology), language (Mandarin was my first language because I immigrated when I was only two)–its not because of appearance why I identify as Asian American.
My education in school, friends, appearance, and certain thoughts are American though.
If my parents did not have an ounce of Chinese culture in them (like some of my 4th generation friends of Chinese descent) then I would label myself as American cause there is nothing else to me other than blood which is not important because majority of Americans are not native to North America.
Well, the majority of Chinese aren’t native to China, either. Go back to the Yellow River Valley from whence you came and leave Yunnan, Fujian, Guangdong, and the rest to the natives your ancestors displaced.
Anyway we real Americans don’t consider you Johnny-come-latelys gen-u-wine 'Mericans. Unless your great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandpa froze his toes off in Valley Forge next to George Washington, you’re just a recent immigrant.
Wrong, Buck-o. You Johnny-come-latelies who served with Washington…my ancestors already had an advanced confederation government in present-day upstate New York when y’all hadn’t even thought about being seasick crossing the Atlantic. So there…
um trust me, Asian Americans do not like labelling themselves as ABC. I remember the first time I heard that name was when I was like seven. It was pretty corny –
But over here I kind of have to label myself as ABC otherwise they think I am retarded or something for saying I am American.
(Personally, I LOVE people telling me what I really feel or think…NOT!! 
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