Word Up

A few days ago I was walking down the street, filling my head with pure and clean thoughts. As a non-Asian fellow goes past me, he shouts out a “nee-hi” towards my person. “Nee-hi” (this is phonetically spelled) means “hi” in Chinese. First of all, I’m not Chinese (do we all look the same or something?). And second, this is an example of something that insults\annoys a lot of us Asian-Americans: addressing us like we’re immigrants by greeting us with the single word you know in Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, etc.

It’s one thing if you’re in another country and you’re valiantly trying to communicate with the locals. The point is, we live here and we’re as American as the guy or gal sporting NASCAR merchandise on their body. English is our first language. Trust me. Ask almost any Asian parent if their kids are proficient with the “mother” language. Chances are you’ll be answered with a look of disappointment. So why assume we’re here on a Green Card?

Go ahead. Say I’m oversensitive. But when I see a pasty-skinned person with a shock of red hair, I don’t blurt out “Top o’ the mornin’ to ya, laddie! Care for a pint o’ Guinness?” It’s like a person trying to order in French at a French restaurant using their one year of high school French; they end up looking idiotic.

So next time you’re trying to stir up a polite conversation with an Asian, it’s okay to start with a simple “hi” or “nice weather we’re having”. Now if you’re trying to pick up the same said Asian, lines like “let’s rearrange the alphabet and put U and I together” don’t work – and that’s true in any language.