People need to look up the term "racism" before they use it every time they hear the word "race". What most people consider racism nowadays is nothing more than the appreciation of one's own culture and ancestry. Just because you're uncomfortable hearing someone say "oh so you're Chinese" doesn't make it racism. It's demeaning to yourself to believe that you're being insulted when there was no injury. Are we really so weak and fragile that the "possibility of being injured" or that "because that could have been hurtful" we have to defend ourselves immediately and call the offending person names? Does that give us the right to judge them for merely stating a fact? If you're Chinese you're Chinese. If you're Asian you're Asian.
Racism happens when a person is prejudiced or discriminated or antagonized directly because of their race. When someone merely mentions that you're of Asian descent, it does not make that person racist. Replace "Chinese" or "Asian" with any other race you can think of.
I just get so annoyed when I read a perfectly wonderful article that gives me hope that humanity hasn't forgotten how to be humane and the first comment that appears right under it calls the author racist for mentioning the word "black" or "Hispanic" or "Asian", saying things like "there should be no such thing as race" or "I don't care about what race people are and this article shouldn't even have mentioned it". Come on people! Do you really have to feel offended for no reason? If the author or if the speaker is trying to appear superior or trying to antagonize the race, sure. If you are being denied of a benefit or classified for a different set of treatment, sure. Fine. But if it's mentioning a specific event for a very specific group of people that has named that said event after their own culture, how is describing all that racist?
Well. I enjoy being a Malaysian Chinese very much and a lot about me has to do with my identity as a Malaysian and as a Malaysian Chinese. I'm not China Chinese but we can have a good long conversation about that.
I guess what I really want to say is, you are who you are and no one can change that. Nothing anyone says can hurt you or change your entire being because no one on earth holds that much power over you.
