In Scotland - 'Chinese all look alike' - but when does foreigner become "Chinese" in China?

 
Do I look less Chinese but more Scottish if I wear a kilt?

Check out these interesting news articles that Susanna Ng posted on www.chineseinvancouver.blogspot.com

They give an interesting perspective to the issue of nationality vs culture.  Can we be Chinese if we are born in China?  Can we be Scottish if we are born in Scotland.  Definitely, we are Canadian if born in Canada - and we can also be Scottish and Chinese too, if you are like my friend Fiona Tinwei Lam - born in Scotland of Chinese ethnicity, but now a Canadian citizen since she was a child.

Judge clears driver because 'Chinese all look the same'

By David Lister, Scotland Correspondent, The Times

A JUDGE has provoked outrage among race relations groups by claiming that all Chinese people look the same.

Sheriff Margaret Gimblett cleared Hui Yu, 23, a student from Beijing, of a motoring offence after dismissing evidence from two police officers identifying him.

She told Greenock Sheriff Court: "Without wanting to be derogatory in any way, sometimes it is said that all black people look the same at first glance, and the same can be said that all Chinese people can look the same to a native Scot.

"It’s only when you have time to look that you begin to see the differences."
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'Chinese-ness' by race, or by culture?

The following article is from the Shanghai Daily.  Interesting article...  It is all about the individual person's perspective.  Remember that even though I am 5th generation Canadian - Mainland Chinese will view me as "Overseas Chinese."

China calls itself "The Middle Kingdom."  5000 years of continuous uninterrupted culture has encouraged an ethno-centric viewpoint of the world.  People who look  like us vs people who do not look like us.  Most European countries also have a similar sense of "national self." But Brazil, USA and Canada are different... We are colonized countries, populated by indigenous peoples plus many waves of immigrants.   Our definition of "Canadian-ess" is less based on race, but rather by shared culture and values.

Last week, I was talking to a friend who was born in Romania - yet she identifies herself as a Hungarian - because that is her parent's language and culture.  She told me that I was "Chinese," even though I am 5th generation Canadian.

"No..." she told me, "you are still Chinese... look at you..."

"Yes..." I said, "I just happened to be born with this beautiful DNA, but I don't speak Chinese, I wasn't born in China, I don't think Chinese.  I don't know all it's history and culture."

Maybe it's the Nature vs Nurture issue.  Much of the things we know can be taught, but somethings are socialized unconsciously, and some things are hard-wired biologically.

I know somebody who was born in Shanghai, to Austrian parents, and is 100% Canadian.

I know somebody who was born in Scotland, to parents of Chinese ethnicity, and is 100% Canadian.

Being identified as one thing or another is often dependent on what makes you stand out from the crowd. I grew up amongst white Canadians in high school, so I was identified as the "Chinese guy."  When I hung out with lots of Asian-Canadians who were  immigrants or children of immigrants, I was identified as the "Banana" or the "CBCer."

But how we define ourselves is the most important thing.
Puzzle of identity: Beyond race, nationality
By Wayne Hsu 2007-1-8  Shanghai Daily

HOW we identify ourselves is how we perceive others see us.

For example, if I identify myself as an American, I also wish others to perceive me as an American.

Identifying oneself can sometimes be a tricky act. Many factors may come into play - race, nationality and cultural background.

Take for instance that I was born in China of Chinese ancestry, and at the age of three I moved to France and lived there until I was 25. Shortly after that, I moved to the United States and became a US citizen.

So, how should I identify myself? Am I Chinese? Sure, my race is Chinese. Am I French? Sure, my cultural background is French. Am I American? Of course, my nationality is American. The question remains how should we identify ourselves?

Perhaps, a more significant question to ask oneself is: Which is the most important factor among race, culture, and nationality?  (MORE...)