Let’s Talk About Being “Whitewashed"

[@Ava-uk7rj]

I'm black and people constantly tell me I'm whitewashed just because I don't speak a certain way. It gets annoying, but I just try to laugh it off. I wish they'd stop.

[@blkmerican-.2934]

I live in South Georgia and our town is a mix of white, black, and Hispanic people. So of course there will always be a black person hanging out with a white person. But you’ll have those people who make it such a big deal if the black girl who hangs out with white girls doesn’t use slang or aave. It’s sad. There’s always a time and place for me, but when I was younger there were people acting surprised when I “spoke like a white person” (a way to say I spoke properly). Stereotypes contribute to the harmfulness of this.

[@AK-sm1oo]

hear hear......

[@pikadawnshowbiz7968]

I was told when I was young, both by peers and a teacher, that I wasn't black enough because my skin was too light. When I got to middle school, people told me I was white because my accent was "too American." It really sucks when people won't acknowledge your race simply because you don't act a certain way

[@makayladudley3273]

Same

[@idkanymore2183]

I used to be told this all the time. Even my family told me this. I live in Atlanta Georgia (the ghetto) and I'm always told I either talk or act like a white person. My accent has been changed so I no longer speak "White" but the music I listen to is also looked down upon by both the Hispanic and black people that go to my school because it's not rap. (I listen to indie, rock, metal, alternative pop, ect..) one time I was listening to UMI and Willow, and this one Hispanic girl I used to have a crush on came over to listen to music with me and I was so excited but then I quickly changed my music to rap because she asked me what the heck am I listening to. From there I got insecure of my music taste and don't get me wrong- I still LOVE rap- but sometimes I just wanna sit back and listen to bts or willow smith for a change 😭

[@orbitalpotato9940]

Imagine hating on someone learning a new language.

[@keylaa.8609]

yeah, its already hard enough T.T

[@michaelrenper796]

@18107863 If I'm allowed to do a bit of Stereotyping. "Hating on someone learning a new language" is the epitome of nationalism (which goes along nicely with racism in many cases). I only see this particular expression of hate in countries with growing (or rampant) nationalism and a history of inferiority complex. Over in my part of the world Arabic speakers sometimes show this attitude. In Asia I have exclusively seen it with (mainland) Chinese and Koreans (not Thai, Japanese, Philipinos, Vietnamese ...) . What Emily observed is the directed consequence of the growing mainland Chinese nationalism. XiJin Ping is fostering those ideas with racist undertones for political reasons.

[@prasana_v]

Yeah, they are already risking their lives using Duolingo and living in constant fear of the Duolingo Owl.

[@aurora-l2g]

When I was learning Spanish (Mexican Dialect) someone said I wanted to be Mexican just because of that

[@athenictragedy751]

right

[@zman8164]

Im black, and it's pretty irritating when people say this. When black people have a wide spread of interests or when we show our intelligence, we're all of a sudden white, or talk or act white. It's pretty much stereotyping and it's kinda sad.

[@YoungFraggle]

Definitely stereotyping but also just straight up racism. To associate whiteness with intelligence and other qualities white people deem “good”. White people don’t even realize they’re being racist most of the time while doing this because they seem to believe it’s a compliment. If you “act white” in their eyes you’re going to fit in with them and are “one of the good ones”. This is very common with white people.

[@ddjsoyenby]

agreed as a white person i noticed a lot of "good pr0gr3ss1ves" will act horifically r@cist to minority groups than claim they aren't using bs logic.

[@makayladudley3273]

I relate, I am black and go to predominantly black school but I don’t really Aline with the other kids at school with things like music and fashion. Kids at my school say stop acting white or stop talking like a white person.

[@marcoflorian5182]

@@YoungFraggle the majority of people that thinck that are black people, like if you speac in a maner or act in some way you are "white washed", like if white people act and talk and like in the same way.

[@pikadawnshowbiz7968]

This happened a lot when I was in middle school. I was in advanced classes and I never really used slang words. However, people would tell me I was white even though I was black because I spoke well or I was in advanced classes. Sometimes they would even say I was white because I had an American accent, not an African one. I was raised by parents who both have medical degrees. I wanted to be a medical doctor as well so I challenged myself at school and the reason I speak well was because of my parents. It feels like people assume that all black people are ghetto and not disciples when there is a fair amount that are intelligent and well behaved

[@KirstenJohnston]

I'm a white person who went with my asian friends to mandarin classes their parents were making them go to. It always bothered me that i would be heavily praised for stuttering out some sentence like "wow your mandarin is so good!" But my asian friends would be judged for any little mistake. We were all there to learn, but them being Asian meant they were expected to be perfect and no one expected the white kid to be any good.

[@urdadsonic1036]

bruh... :(( racism at its finest

[@yumekojabami122]

@@urdadsonic1036 An Asian can’t be racist towards another Asian. They come from the same race though

[@urdadsonic1036]

@@yumekojabami122 not racism but some sort of bias in which just because your asain you have to know your language. your the product of your upbringing if someone was raised in the hood and their asain their not gonna be similar to a mainlander...

[@Aloewaves]

@@yumekojabami122 Nah its racist bias, people of the same race can be racist to eachother but it isn't the same of a different race being racist to another

[@mayavati912]

@@yumekojabami122 I think its xenophobia

[@yourfavoritepessimisticexi8041]

"How is this racist? I mean I'm simply stating that because of your ethnicity, I automically assume that you're not pretty, funny, or cool. But because you are those things, you are an exception to the rule." As a black girl, I felt this in my SOUL. Black girls are constantly being told that "they're pretty for a black girl". It's not the compliment that people think it is 💀

[@personone1382]

YES I AGREE! plus, is it just me, or is it weird to call people pretty? like who the fuck actually does that? i don't compliment real life people on looks, it feels weird and it just doesn't feel right. i feel like i might degrade someone. i could say, "damn you should buy that beanie/skirt/pants, they would look good on you!" plus, i only say people are pretty/handsome for animated characters.

[@personone1382]

@Tayler Muilenburg you're right! but saying "you are good for your racial group" is racist, because it's implying that that racial group isn't good

[@cybercriminal3110]

Whaat? I thought black people being beautiful is a stated fact.

[@alottachilotta]

@@cybercriminal3110 yeah but when you have to make them their own criteria to be considered beautiful, theres a problem. the "pretty for a black girl" comment's basically saying that if there wasnt a pretty person of any other race, you'd be beautiful, as if they werent already attractive before that statement.

[@dxrk_angxl7690]

literally

[@whippedcup]

haters: “Your Mandarin sucks” haters again: “kNeE hOw” (I’m not making fun of Chinese everybody I speak Chinese myself..)

[@lennoxbaumbach390]

Even speaking a bit is already impressive. :D

[@bluexbeanlyn]

knee how

[@whippedcup]

I know but ya can’t say somebody is bad and then do even worse ._. that’s kinda just- wrong?

[@thedotintheletteri]

I think the issue with learning Mandarin and English (if you learn one as a second language after the other as your first language) is that they seem to be both complex languages that are as different as possible in the way that they work, sound, and are written. I can’t imagine learning either as a second language, and if you have, you are amazing. Genuinely. People who learn other languages have so much that they have to take in, different sentence formats, different specific sounds, different alphabets, it’s so amazing.

[@oliviadubois8493]

My aunt things she knows how to speak Chinese and always says *KnEe HoW mA*

[@oawewe]

It is almost time for my next class, but yes let’s talk about that

[@addisona_08]

Mood

[@sofiadan831]

Well, here is 10 pm =)) good luck at your class!

[@letizialorusso1950]

Well where I live it's 9:30 p.m. and I should be studying instead of watching KZbin, but yes let's talk about that 👍🏻

[@v.t.3064]

Same

[@bored7949]

✨I.shouldn’t.relate.to.this.but.I.dooo.✨

[@nxstlgia]

literally someone told me that i am pretty for an indian and it was such a backhanded compliment :(

[@cellogang6190]

wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww...

[@giseldmello6197]

U should have replied with,"WELL U R PRETTY RUDE FOR A HUMAN BEING" Btw I m an indian too. I have never been out of India so I never face smthing like tht.

[@n-07cion]

this is such a low thing to say istg

[@aambastha]

At least you are pretty. If you have been not, other people would keep making remarks on your appearance. Then your parents would ask why you don't socialize with those people. Well, this is what happens with me. I hope we can be friends 🤝💜

[@wamfrog5749]

Ew that’s so rude and disrespectful

[@soepwashere]

It needs to be said: race is not a personality trait

[@Renae5]

Fr

[@Kappy25]

Yeah it’s really cringe when people base their entire personality on their race

[@damsykl]

@@Kappy25 as a turk I can’t agree more😂 some turks in general embarrass themselves

[@ScizzoringGirlz]

Including “acting” white. You can’t “act” like any race.

[@ZoëTestament]

YES

[@bowenwangs]

being mocked and dismissed by your own community honestly hurts more than racism. it just acts as a reminder that you truly don't belong anywhere.

[@bouche8503]

She is an American

[@Riza20462]

She likes white guys

[@loulou6334]

So my father is black and my mother is white, so I naturally have a lighter skin tone than other black people.(but I'm definitely not white passing) And everytime I wanted to make a black joke (there was a black skull who threw up rainbows and I said: oh look it's me, black, gay and dead) people will look me in the eyes and say: "You're not THAT black." and it annoyed me so much, so I begann to stand in the sun for too long, so I'll get darker. But then this one girl pointed out these paler lines at the shoulders where the brastrings were and yelled: HA! You're not REALLY BLACK! Like, bitch wtf?

[@YoungFraggle]

The fact that other people feel the need to do this in the first place is disgusting. No one should enforce anyone else identity let alone because they don’t personally deem someone the right skin color.

[@hufflepuffhorcrux3269]

i had a substitute teacher teaching about diversity and he said “we aren’t that diverse as a school” and then proceeded to say, “for example, stand up if you’re black” and only one kid stood up. this boy with rather dark skin and the teacher said “but you’re not that black so you get my point” and i was there like bitch tf-

[@TehKaiser]

Your experience is something that has been present for a very long time. It was recorded in the fictional work "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston. Folks like Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz also had to suffer. I'm neither black nor white(Shanghai/Cantonese mix) but I seen anedotes.

[@tdevilgirl7446]

Oh I hate this I’m mixed so my dads Hispanic and once in class I said something about my grandfather being black and the teacher straight up said I was lying, I may not look it but that doesn’t mean I’m not. It’s so stupid like this lady over hear thought she knew my heritage better then me. Like she hasn’t met my obviously black mother!

[@HopeIsADrug11037]

I've seen people calling my old friends white cuz they're lighter... Just because you're a lighter skin tone doesn't mean you're not black. It's like people think you have to be near actual black to be considered a black person

[@bassunderscoreharmonic6689]

"That seems offensive." "It is."

[@ddjsoyenby]

emily never change :)

[@juhjaejuh]

Bruh if you're considered a banana then im a damn coconut- the amount of times I've heard the, "You're not black enough/ You don't act black" could buy me a mansion in pennies

[@ddjsoyenby]

f people who do that shit.

[@j0nni235]

@Pandora Robust Ok but your name is hecking awesome

[@utatwt8688]

@Pandora Robust Im black but never in my life did someone say a racist comment to me...

[@mateustristao411]

i can absolute relate to that

[@utatwt8688]

@Pandora Robust Im South Asian and where i live there are both white and black people but none in my whole grade talks about skin colour...its like racism is non-existent in my grade do i guess im just lucky.

[@liveyr.5055]

I never understood why people felt the need to be “more” of their race or ethnicity in order to even be considered whatever said race/ethnicity is. most times this means playing into stereotypes. i grew up in a black community then moved to a white one and suddenly im not “as black” as my childhood friends bc i do some of the things my white suburban friends do. im not “as black” bc i dont always speak in aave or black vernacular. im not “as black” bc i live in the suburbs and go to a mostly white school. im not “as black” bc my family didnt have the “same struggles as people in the city”. all these garbage excuses to try and tear a part of me away, and for what? my skin is still brown. i am still black. how i or others go about being black doesnt make us less black. i’m so tired of seeing people gatekeeping race. let me live, please.

[@cellogang6190]

oh my. i relate to this so much. if i'm in the philippines i'm not asian at all, bc i can't speak the language. if i'm in a white community in australia suddenly people are always asking where i'm from and complementing my english skills like what?!!! i'm so sorry that u got these experiences. it sucks. like guyyys please just let people be who they are?!!

[@myplateisempty.4292]

I see this a lot in movies and comedy......they might be talking about themselves but still are regarded as "things latino people do" or "what black people won't say to you" or "things only asian parents do" They direct it towards a community and play on the stereotypes. Most people see that and project it onto normal families that might not follow said stereotypes. Since that's the only thing they have to base any of their perceptions about a race on.

[@nosetudimed2771]

Do I have to read complitly?

[@nosetudimed2771]

forget it, I already did, i agree

[@Hardat3]

@@nosetudimed2771 Si por q una persona en el internet puede controlar tus decisiones. 😂

[@rebeccayoung5563]

as a mixed kid I’d say yeah, I feel this. I’m never “enough” to either side of my cultural identities and thus, an identity crisis ensues

[@espem88]

Same for me! Always feel like I'm not Colombian enough or too white.

[@alwayschill4522]

for real!!! there was this one part of a book i wanted to quote... it's the black flamingo by dean atta ‘Don’t let anyone tell you that you are half anything. You and Anna are simply brother and sister. Don’t let anyone tell you that she’s your half-sister. Don’t let anyone tell you that you are half-black and half-white. Half-Cypriot and half-Jamaican. You are a full human being. It’s never as simple as being half and half. You are born in Britain. You need to make space for what British means. What it means to you to be British, Cypriot and Jamaican, too; but it’s only for you to decide.’

[@hollynguyen8988]

Same im mexican vietnamese but i feel way more asian and i feel guilty that im not mexican enough

[@whoami3862]

@@hollynguyen8988 you'll never be not mexican enough. Trust me. I'm half-Mexican and half-White but I will never be too white or too Mexican or less Mexican. If you identify more with your vietnamese side then that's okay. You're not less Mexican because of it.

[@nikirikii7621]

omg same, sometimes I feel like I’m not Chinese enough or American enough🥲

[@asmo4317]

It was just posted and she’s already got a dislike, I-

[@peachpaty8873]

Haters got their notifications on

[@diogocasstro]

well there's no dislike anymore I think some one handled with that one

[@dogbog6230]

@@diogocasstro there is one it's just that youtube didn't "update" the views comments likes and dislikes

[@rx500android]

Omg your Asmo pfp and username, I love it

[@rx500android]

@@Chai-rn6df omg yes!! I love your pfp

[@turniptrekking9082]

YES AS AN ASAIN THE OTHER ASIANS AT MY OLD SCHOOLS SAID I WAS TOO WHITE TO HANG OUT WITH THEM

[@rx500android]

That's so fucked up oof

[@somebodyoncetoldmetheworld5873]

That's kinda racist lol, they'll get what's coming to them

[@Sara-tw4kl]

Bruh

[@Sara-tw4kl]

U just had to go YEET with them

[@destaabigael9004]

😂😂😂

[@matthewlei4780]

“Banana, yellow on the outside, white on the inside” “That seems offensive” *”it is.”*

[@irokosalei5133]

Or bounty for black people.

[@girlrott]

@@irokosalei5133 or coconut for latinx

[@commandercaptain4664]

@@irokosalei5133 Oreo for black people.

[@guywithbigwhitecock709]

I remember that line from Crazy Rich Asian

[@dardalion3199]

Yes, she likes white on the inside.

[@DeathBeeWillGetYou]

I have a hard time feeling "asian enough" due to me being half white on my dad's side and filipino/chinese on my mum's side. I also have really pale skin compared to my mum's side and so no matter who I'm with, I feel out of place.

[@cellogang6190]

ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh i'm also half white and filipino/chinese with the same sides as youuu and I always look so asian in dad's family photos but i can't understand tagalog!! i feel you mate

[@DeathBeeWillGetYou]

@@cellogang6190 oh thank god, someone else who doesn't know tagalog XD my family always speaks it around me and I get to just sit there, like, "Ah yes, I understand."

[@arcamaru8116]

Am I pretty?

[@tofu9283]

ahh i relate to this too!! in half asian with my mum being chinese and my dad being hungarian. i have alot of white features compared to my mum's side. being mixed can honestly be kinda conflicting, with people perceiving you with the race they think u are. i dont speak either mandarin chinese nor hungarian, and like u i honestly feel out of place sometimes - i 100% feel u!

[@ambroser.2073]

im half white and filipino too and i can never relate to a comment this much holy crap

[@SheDrawsSometimes]

As another Asian person, god I feel your pain. I can’t speak Punjabi good enough which means my relationship with my grandma is struggling as she can only speak Punjabi. My mother never thought about teaching me so that’s why it’s such a struggle. :(

[@youngkiminoo]

im the exact same! one of my grandmas english isnt that good and can only speak bengali, and my bengali is apsolutely garbage 🚶🏾‍♀️

[@ntdrr2435]

i have this exact experience, except with spanish bc my dad's family is salvadoran! my spanish is so very broken, and its the "best" out of all of the grandchildren

[@009.51]

I, the exact same my Punjabi is terrible

[@zitrodivad]

i’m a white mexican. Mexicans think i’m too white, and white people think i’m not white enough, it’s so effed up

[@TehKaiser]

Sounds kind of like Tony Romo.

It's probably Mexican Americans because there are like a lot of white Mexicans, but tbh in Latin America they don't really consider American Latinos actually from X country unless you know the language and lived there, but that applies to any country outside the US honestly

[@itsMe_TheHerpes]

dude, wtf are you talking about ? you look northern spanish-southern french. listen... at this point, just move to europe you'll feel better than you do in mexic. don't think that saints live here, but you will feel better surrounded by individuals who share your way of thinking and resonate the same way you do.

[@taetae-yg8vr]

but why do people call latinos POC when we come in so many different shades of skin? i’m genuinely confused tbh. many latinos are white

[@taetae-yg8vr]

it’s probably mexicans from the US. people from Mexico will consider you a true Mexican if you speak the language. Americans are so ignorant when it comes to latinos. latino is not a race, it’s an ethnicity. you can be any skin color and still be latino.

[@aeaeeaeae]

Every big film company: *nervous sweating*

[@yoonxion]

@Escapist DONT TALK ABOUT THAT MONSTROSITY PLS OMG

[@yoonxion]

@M. L. its a live action and it sucks 😔

[@damndanim]

@@yoonxion r/woooosh

[@yoonxion]

@@damndanim I don't get how i was getting rwooshed if i was just tryna explain? Sorry if they made a joke and i didnt understand-

[@damndanim]

@@yoonxion yeah, it was a joke. It's okay still, to want to explain

[@rx500android]

Oof I felt that. I never feel "POC enough" or connected to my heritage, but I'm also not "white" enough for white people... yeah so that really resonated with me

[@rx500android]

@agender ash I'm so sorry you have to go through that too :( sending lots of love

[@katieb5567]

Mixed people gang?

[@honeysana672]

i felt this so hard especially as a white passing hispanic who doesn’t speak spanish🧍‍♀️ ive always known and connected with my culture but also had to prove myself to other hispanic people, and was never seen as white enough for white people. on top of that growing up in the military where they force you to throw away most of your identity for the sake of homogeneity....cue identity crisis

[@katieb5567]

@@honeysana672 I feel you I speak very little Mardrin and I speak more fluent in Italian than my own heritage

[@helena-nc7un]

@@honeysana672 i don't mean to sound rude, but hispanic or latino isn't a race. i'm concluding you are a white person since you said "white passing". of course latino isn't a culture of its own, and you should be free to connect to the country your family/you are from. i'm sorry you feel left out

[@ulrich3844]

I hate when Latino people try to white wash others saying “you ain’t Latino if you don’t speak Spanish” This completely ignores the fact that Brazil (the biggest country in Latin America) isn’t a Spanish speaking country

[@dongysakura418]

or when people say if you are AfroLatinta, you are not latinx, because black people cant be latinx

[@ja5m1n3]

Fun fact: selena didnt know spanish until she grew up. Youre not alone

[@tillysaway]

the most spoken language in south america is portuguese

[@Fumbann]

@@tillysaway I mean not really? The only country with portuguese as their official lenguage is Brazil. tho, Brazil is very fucking big so their population of portuguese is huge. That, and also that there's other communities on other close countries that speak portuguese, but the same could be applied to brazil speaking spanish. I'm from Argentina and a few years ago i used to have a friend from Brazil who told me that for brazilians it's very important to learn spanish to communicate well with their fellow neighbours, for social, political and economic reasons too, and stuff about the mercosur. Overall Spanish is the most spoken lenguage on south america, but only with a difference of some millions. There's also other Lenguages like french or conservated native lenguages like Guaraní (On the zone of Paraguay, north Argentina, south Brazil and some parts of Bolivia) and so on, but nowhere as big as the scale of spanish. Not that any of this was asked but i thought I'd say it for people to know.

[@tillysaway]

@@Fumbann you can look it up, portuguese is the most spoken language. and I don't think spanish is that important for brazilians, the same way portuguese isn't that important to spanish speakers from latin america, I mean, it always does give you benefits and it's always nice to learn a language, but I think you're better off learning english, especially if you're not close to the border

[@repmidwest]

As a Mexican-American that never learned Spanish growing up, I can totally relate to this. Even to this day, I want to go to Mexico and learn more about my family and culture, but feel that I absolutely must learn fluent-Spanish first because of this fear that everyone I interact with will be disappointed/disgusted by the fact that I don’t speak Spanish. 😭

[@user-ninai06s]

Most likely they will not be disgusted, but they are simply going to treat you like a foreigner

[@jackie2011jr]

NO THIS IS LITERALLY ME WHY R WE LIVING THE SAME LIFE. My parents didn’t teach me or my siblings Spanish bc they had racist experiences and also thought it would “slow” us down 🙃. We’ve always wanted to speak Spanish but they never spoke Spanish in the house and we grew up in a white area. I want to also go to Mexico but yeah I don’t want to make a fool of myself :/

[@kaylyn711]

I feel like people think race/ethnicity determines your personality. 🙄✋🏼

[@jaylinharrell1555]

Uh, seriously. It’s so annoying. There is absolutely no innate correlation between your skin color, and your personality. The sooner people realize that, the better.

[@kaylyn711]

@@jaylinharrell1555 youre so right!! this comment had the best grammar and vocabulary I've ever seen lmaoooo.

[@twin2day647]

@@kaylyn711 fr

[@sierrahale804]

I'm sorry I've subconsciously did that.

[@kaylyn711]

@@sierrahale804 dont apologize to me lol. Just learn how to fix it. Plus, I'm white so this rarely happens to me!

[@rachelz8100]

As someone who is Chinese who was adopted into a white family, the whole racial and cultural identity crisis is something I really struggle with. Like I never feel Asian or White enough because I literally have white parents and was "raised white" but at the same time I'm not white and never will be because being Asian is a large part of my identity, so it's really hard to find where I fit in. (Also my school has literally listed me as a white student 🥴)

[@fookingavocados1084]

Damn that school kinda racist ngl...

[@cassandra-]

the last sentence WTF 😭😭

[@rachelz8100]

@@cassandra- yeah idek how it happened I'm fairly certain it was a mistake due to my parents being white but still really weird 😅

[@Farimira]

Why does your school list students race wtf how is that necessary

[@keerya4179]

Thinking that all people of an ethnicity should be or act a certain way is ridiculous. Being "white enough" or "asian enough" is not actually a thing, it's just a way for closed minded people to simplify the world to facilitate it's understanding. So don't think too much, you can't do much for the close-minded so just enjoy life, live how you want and act the way you want. If people will judge you anyway then do what is comfortable and don't bother.

[@monsieur-luzasmr]

tbh as a gay man i totally relate. how many times have the straights told me i wasn't a *real* gay cuz i didn't "look" or "act" gay enough like wtf

[@yves_lover1]

Ikr it’s so fucked up, stereotypes are so annoying.

[@joycelynvv9224]

@@yves_lover1 fr

[@Myfavorite77]

Don't forget how people think they can dictate if you are your partner are compatible based off of one glance. My ex friend told me my father and his bf shouldn't be together cuz they "both loo like tops" like wtf-

[@fookingavocados1084]

@@Myfavorite77I-

[@two-hr5yy]

ikr being steryotyped is so anoying. im a straight guy and once someone told me i acted like a lesbian woman. what does that even mean?????

[@pawaw7482]

Can relate. Being Chinese that born in another country, feels like a minority everywhere I go. Minority in China as can't speak their language, minority in own country for the visual. Can we just be a human.

[@keerya4179]

We are just human. Sadly open-minded people is not the majority of humanity. Still, with time those kind of problems should reduce, probably not for our generation but little by little the world is more and more connected, the more we exchange, the more we mix. Until one day being mix will stop meaning anything.

[@lostotter1956]

I argue that we are more than just human but it would be lovely to be united over our shared humanity. That being said, you can see how your race and ethnicity impacts your life, and ignoring them won’t make it go away. Finding more people, probably online, who you can relate to may help you feel less like an odd one out 💛

[@mitskily8960]

"duolingo is my professor" *no wonder its hard for you to learn it...*

[@oliviadubois8493]

Me: In class Emily: Posts Also me: I *could* just fail

[@faithrose_]

Haha

[@MelDollie_omocha]

Did u fail? Hope not

[@ofunne892]

I felt this. As one of (unfortunately) many Igbo girls who doesn’t speak much Igbo, the internet is mean. It’s not like I chose to not speak it. Maybe we should point some blame towards the parents who refuse to pass the culture down to their children rather than the children who are trying to learn everything from scratch with what little resources we can scrape from the bottom of the internet. Edit: Also yes, completely relate to being called a banana, or an Oreo in my case (I actually got called a chocolate Oreo in particular once, due to me liking Indian films and music. It’s not as if I don’t like Igbo music and cinema but I guess you can’t appreciate other cultures without abandoning your own 🤷🏽‍♀️)

[@pikadawnshowbiz7968]

I relate as well. I'm an Igbo and I can't speak jack. My mom said that I could speak the language when I was younger and as soon as I got to elementary, I stopped speaking it entirely. I know it's not my parent's fault since they tried, it was just I wanted to be like other kids. It sucks because some of my cousins speak the language, I may understand it but I can't speak it.

[@ButterflyScarlet]

Okay as a Yoruba girl who barely speaks it, this is how it is. Like it sucks because people act as if you CHOSE to not speak the language, as if your parents weren't the ones who decided to raise you exclusively on English. The worst thing is when relatives get upset like damn, sorry, please direct your disappointment at my parents.

[@squeaky2404]

@@ButterflyScarlet lmao FR tho. My parents raise me completely with English and then denounce us at our hometown when we can't speak Igbo

[@Garthmoonstar]

I can totally relate I'm igbo but I can't speak it but I understand the Language it's mostly disappointing when I meet my igbo friends speaking it

[@asiachavez1789]

THANK YOU !!! I’m mixed white and Mexican which already makes me feel like I’m not Mexican enough and then on top of that my dad refused to teach me Spanish growing up and I have damn near no connection to my culture so now when I say I’m Mexican I almost feel like I’m lying

[@infallible_8343]

I’ve recently realized that for almost my whole life that I’ve been told by white adults that I was African American. My family is mostly Cuban and Jamaican with some Native American. Do people think that all black people are of African peoples.

[@amalkhatib7842]

Only ignorant ones 😅

[@fookingavocados1084]

I swear white people really be getting on my nerves sometimes

[@notthatcreativewithnames]

African != Black. Black people can come from the Caribbean as well, as far as I know. On the other hand, my supervisor is a white South African man. Also, Liverpool striker Mo Salah is also African (Egypt), but he's clearly not black.

[@saifsufian4286]

As an Arab who grew up speaking in an American accent and not knowing Arabic, I always feel insecure that other POCs can speak their native language very well. This video helped me a lot to see that I’m not the only one with this problem.

[@klenamakpabli7519]

my friend once called her self a coconut and i was so confused as to why she labelled her self as a fruit until just now when i heard the banana term and it all started to make sense

[@oilylondon]

lol my indonesian mum calls me a coconut

[@desol8969]

I relate to this so much! I'm Mexican, but I grew up in America. In order to fit in with the rest of my peers, I never spoke Spanish and tried to gain their approval. So now I am ridiculed by the Mexican community because my Spanish is piss poor. I kick myself now for trying to fit in the "white standard" and in the process, I lost a part of my culture.

[@theosingou6176]

You can always learn spanish again! I live in france and i have african american family and cogonlese family also. Thankfully my parents taugh me english(since I live in france) but i never got to learn linguala wich is a congolease language this video and all these comments are motivating me to get started! It's not too late you can still relearn it!

[@cellogang6190]

I never tried to learn Tagalog to fit in with the white people at my school and now i am so upset because I can't understand my family in the philippines. But now my mum's teaching me and I'm making progress! You got this and if you set your mind to something, you can do it

[@user-jm6cl6fj1l]

Speaking Spanish is fucking hard because idk enough words, but I’m able to understand anyone that’s speaks it I’d hate to be in a mostly white community seeing everyone’s experiences, I feel lucky in a mostly Latino city buuuut i rarely see other ethnicities ;D

[@camilam5728]

I'm trying to learn Spanish but it's hard when nobody around me is talking to me trying to help me learn. Apparently just listening and even at least trying to speak Spanish to someone can help but nobody in my family ever talks in Spanish unless their on the phone. I also feel nervous to speak because I feel like I will mess it up and that I'll be shamed by my family. My family doesn't make it better, all of my aunts children know barely any Spanish yet they call me white girl. I find it embarrassing that I'm not good enough. I even have cried because this. One time my dad said something in Spanish to me and I couldn't understand and I heard him whisper "so embarrassing."

[@pooodonklooopdoop5672]

@@theosingou6176 im mixed, and i used to know Russian. I went to Russian school but i really hated that part of me so i stopped learning it, and when my mum spoke it i asked her to say it in English. Now i don’t know Russian anymore and I’m super disconnected from that side of me and i wish i wouldv’e just embraced my heritage and mother tongue.

[@skippygecko]

This is why I don't use tik tok, I'll stick to my youtube recommended compilations thank you very much

[@jupiterdai]

Same

[@yukikanegawa7470]

I mean tiktok personalizes it's content so if you really engage with toxic content then that'll be your 'for you' page. Same for comments. They'll most likely be people with similar interests because of their system so if you want to live in a bubble of your opinions then you comfortable can. The existence of "straight tiktok" is proof. I rarely ever see straight white couples or dances unless the person is in cosplay or wearing an alternative style. Never once has Charlie or Addison Rae shown up on my feed.

[@skippygecko]

@@yukikanegawa7470 All I know is a good way to avoid toxic tiktokers is to not get tiktok.

[@cassandra-]

@@yukikanegawa7470 naur i find gross shit in almost every comment section

[@AmandaFreitas1998]

@@yukikanegawa7470 although that it's true, actually there is another side of the algorithm, a structural side: every social media algorithm, but more heavily instagram, youtube and tiktok, reinforces the kind of content that gets them more profit by a system of recompensating certain types of "viral" content with more recomendation, while slowly making other type of content "fade away" slowly by not recomending it or de-monetizing it. That creates, in the structural level of the whole social network itself, a type of content that fits more adequately to one social media than the other, as well as the major "trends": there is no such thing as organic "trends", it is all reinforced by the algorithm. That's why, for older people (between 25-30) tiktokers seem so weird and toxic, because tiktok's algorithm has been systematically making toxic content become famous. You can search it up on google scholar for papers about this. Basically the struggle to punish toxic influencers like fitness gurus who reinforce eating disorders, racist, sexists profiles, is a struggle that gets five times harder on tiktok. Maybe because it's a new social media and they will have to compromise it sooner or later like facebook did

[@dauphongii]

"let's talk about being whitewashed" * almost every non white in America * Something is wrong..

[@spacesofi4005]

I may not be POC, but I am Mexican American. I relate so much with this. In latino communities there’s is emphasis on being “latino enough” whatever that means. So speaking Spanish perfectly, listening reggetton all the time, knowing all the Latin dances, and being a cheeta girl or something. I have primarily Spanish ancestry, and it sometimes feels like I’m just not “latino enough”. Because apparently I have to be brown and conform to all stereotypes in order to be valid in the community. I get that i have white passing privilege, but it feels invalidating that I have to explain my existence every time I talk about my heritage. And add to the fact that most latines in Latin America don’t even like Latinos in the states. It just sometimes feels like I don’t belong anywhere

[@arcie3716]

The beauty about learning a new language is connection to community. But if the community is judging and ridiculing you instead of being understanding and helpful then of course it’s gonna cause hesitation to continue learning. Especially if that community is your family.

[@rsarin18]

I really related to this. I'm Indian, but I've never been to India, don't speak Hindi, and, I'm really sorry for this one but, I didn't get an A on every math test. Because I didn't have some of the same experiences as others I have always felt that I was not Indian enough, or even Asian enough, and that I was too white. But then when I was around people at school who were mostly white, I wasn't considered American enough either, so I felt I was just in an endless loop of an identity crisis. It's already difficult enough being a racial minority, and it's even worse when people of your own race or ethnicity aren't accepting you and calling you coconut, oreo, twinkie, etc. Also I don't get why people always blame the person instead of who raised them. I mean I love my parents to death but it really isn't my fault I was never taught Hindi or taken to India when I was younger.

[@keeva904]

I kind of have the same experience. I'm half Indian and half Irish and I've kind of been caught in a limbo between them for my whole life. Almost all of my friends are Irish, and I've never felt Irish enough because I simply don't look like like I'm Irish (I also don't look Indian either.) But on the flip side, I know no Punjabi and I basically can't communicate with my Indian grandparents. I've been to Indian weddings too and while they were great fun, I still felt like I was "other." I see other Indians talking about their culture and I think it would be great to be a part of it but I still fell like I would never truly be Indian enough. Being mixed is kind of cool and has its benefits but I really feel lost sometimes

[@RKhere97]

my advice would be to not care. Dont care to be a part of "the community" to feel validated. Youre a person of Indian descent whether someone agrees or not. Do not feel the need to be in a community or seek an identity to be you. Youre worth what u r no matter ur part of the group or not.

[@RKhere97]

@SAHRA OSMAN aw. I get ur longing to be with "your" people. Its natural for humans to yearn for that. Maybe try watching regional series, u may feel a lil bit less lonely and prolly start learning about ur culture again to feel "at home". At the end of the day, you have intrinsic value based on ur deeds and it doesnt matter whether or not what another somali thinks of u

[@janey.692]

I'm sorry that was your situation. I hope things are a little more clear for you now. It sucks that this is an even bigger issue that I thought, but I'm glad to see that people are talking about it. It never felt right when my parents would belittle me for not knowing Mandarin (Chinese) when they didn't speak it to me growing up. I know a dialect and of course English, but that isn't enough for them. I'm currently learning new languages on my own and just having fun with it :)

[@AshleySimmons593]

twinkie LMFAO is that not just a homophobic slur???

[@archirose3800]

"Am I Asian enough?" "Am I Indian enough?" lol, I love you but pls be mindful that many Indian ppl (typically Indian-Americans) consider (and are) themselves Asians since India's a part of Asia. Just something to keep in mind, no hate :)

[@salonii6345]

yeeee india is in asia

[@nyawina3431]

I think she was just making examples

[@ashnotqrky3663]

But seriously, ppl do forget that Indians are Asians 😅

[@RKhere97]

Lmao Right??!!

[@mdb3488]

ugh shut up we all know that

[@germankale6481]

the fact that getting hate comments is like a norm for a creator (especially if they are POC, women or/and on the LGBTQ+ spectrum) is so weird. So, is the fact that people think they can tell you what you are!!!!

[@ddjsoyenby]

yup even as a smaller creator i've recieved antilgbtq+ hate comments just for speaking up for tr@ns rights.

[@germankale6481]

@@ddjsoyenby that's awful and you absolutely don't deserve that!!! It's so strange how some people think this is okay to do!

[@yves_lover1]

@@ddjsoyenby trans right indeed mate 😌

[@gretamaepoole]

everyone gets hate comments no matter what they do. everyone's mad at everything

[@Angie_v954]

@@gretamaepoole Agreed.

[@daughteroftheHighest.]

I'm a mixed person. Half Jamaican and half Mexican. Yet I relate to this on a spiritual level-

[@nishatjamil4097]

I get this a lot too. My family is from Bangladesh but I was raised in America and did whatever I could to fit in with the culture. I forgot how to speak my native language, wouldn't eat traditional food my parents packed for me in public, and I grew to hate how I looked in traditional clothing because it feels like I'm wearing a costume or faking it. I'm trying to get back in touch with my culture but I keep taking two steps back because it feels like it's not my place. This was a very insightful video and comforting to know that I wasn't the only one to experience something like this!

[@jojofunk]

i'm half white half asian and my experience has always been asians telling me i'm too white but never being white enough for white people

[@rx500android]

Yeah I get that so much

[@maybee7829]

Wish I couldn't relate. at this point it feels like the term "biracial" is synonymous with the word "rejection"

[@louie540x]

I'm only 1/4 Mexican but other white people still see me as mixed or not white, often I get asked what my ethnicity is

[@YoungFraggle]

I am as well. Do you find you’re fetishized by both sides? Being hapa is generally looked at as a very positive thing. People have told me what a good mix I am my whole life. I even leaned into it because I had issues fitting in but people were telling me all these good things. I now feel like it’s weird that people covet mixed babies and praise mixed people specifically for being mixed. Being mixed almost always comes with an identity crisis feeling left out by both sides. It doesn’t really help when people tell you it’s good you’re mixed because they find you attractive, it’s weird

[@maybeeliana2119]

same!!! i’m half hispanic and half white btw

[@AABB-zb6dv]

I think the more accurate and universal term would be 'culturally assimilated' rather than 'whitewashed'.

[@fookingavocados1084]

Yes

[@ewrtw3726]

yes exactly, whitewashing is way different

[@otakumangastudios3617]

Just like leaving there such thing as black culture, acting like there's a way to be white is just as racist. Before anybody jumps on me, the definition of racist means a negative or positive preconceived notion about a certain biological ethnicity or race that is likely disrespectful, divisive, or straight up hateful. A lot of things can fall into this category, so this is why it bothers me when people act like race matters, which literally all it is is just imported genetics that made the Gundam of flesh that you operate from Day to day. You didn't choose to make and model, so therefore it doesn't determine your soul. You can be connected to any blend of ethnicities or cultures you want, and most eastern cultures accept this. It's just the sjws tie in ethnicity and race way too close together, and then so they find it racist if you're interested in something from a different culture that you were born into.

[@yumekojabami122]

Adapting to a culture in a country that is predominately white shouldn’t = to being whitewashed. People are just trying to learn the culture of the country and fit it. Happens everywhere.

[@j0nni235]

African-American here, felt this. Some classmates (black and white) would tell me I acted too white. Like not only is that racist but it doesn't even make sense. How does someone "act black/white"? Like I get the cultural aspect, but talking a certain way or not acting gangsta/ghetto doesn't make someone "not black". I lowkey feel like we as POCs internalized this thought of "being/acting poor is POC, being/acting rich is white". Like no, lemme be me, dang. And yeah my mom and stepdad say that too but they just joke with me (and my brother lol). Srsly tho, parents who raise their children in a white area and don't try to inculcate their culture onto their kids can't complain when their kids don't take on/love said culture. Oh speaking of which some people also thought I was Middle Eastern/South Asian because of my religion (Islam) and last name (It's Arabic) With all that said, it's really great that you wanna get more in touch with your heritage, that's something I wanna do as well.

[@mrpotatomansoul2577]

You worded this very well oml. Not every black person speaks AAVE or has the accent.

[@gamehero6816]

One of the things that bothered me most about black characters when I was younger (I often saw this in female characters specifically) is that the way they talk seemed so identical, like you could tell the character was black without having to hear them say they were black.

[@j0nni235]

@@Missfit3 eyyyyy Assalaamu 'Alaikum! Yeah fr peeps really be sleepin on black Muslims lol

[@sonanair8236]

I can totally relate to your struggles with learning mandarin. I've been trying to relearn my mother tongue for years but it's so hard for me when my relatives are so quick to judge my pronunciation and accent. The worst part is knowing that the only way I'm going to get better is if I allow myself to make mistakes and just suck at the language at first, but I'm so insecure about sounding "American" or speaking like a toddler that I don't even let myself try.

[@nandanajaneesh3486]

malayalam? not stereotyping...but usually nair is a community in kerala. im a malayali myself and yeah...its a tough language.. i ain't nri...but i live in delhi, predominantly hindi speaking folk...so yeah... its tough but u can do it!

[@sonanair8236]

@@nandanajaneesh3486 yeah I’m learning Malayalam lol 😂

[@Charlotte-to8xz]

When Emily said “I was born in America” I could not for the life of me remember what America was to the point where I had to look it up even though I have lived in America my whole life

[@akgwriting9481]

That's pretty bad lol 😆

[@someoneyouprobablyknowandl9964]

That's typical American behavior ngl 😂

[@mcgaming6387]

What the fuck

[@No-hg5mb]

I’m Lebanese and live in Australia and I feel like I’m too white for other middle easter but I’m too middle eastern for other people. I can barely speak Arabic and I have very fair skin and people literally tell me that I am white and don’t listen to me when I tell them I’m Lebanese. 😢🙄

[@lynn8313]

Same! I’m Lebanese too and really pale! I do speak Arabic though but I don’t have an accent at all when I speak English. Honestly sometimes I’m grateful for being ‘passing’ since I’ve seen how judgmental people can be at school (one of my two cousins is about as Arab as you can get and he has to put up with a fair deal of bullying) and sometimes it’s just embarrassing being different, but it still hurts when I’m with extended family or my grandparents and there’s this sort of barrier and like ‘oh you’re not REALLY Lebanese, you left when you were 7, all your friends are white, you speak English too much, you probably think you’re better than everyone’ and just yeah, it isn’t fun!

[@No-hg5mb]

@@lynn8313 yeah I know exactly how you feel. I feel kinda disappointing when I’m with my relatives especially since I’m shy as well.

[@xiiaohao3871]

Maybe, you should try to put Lebanese accent when you're speaking English. (for comedic purposes), so that they take you more seriously.

[@elenagergis359]

Dude, I feel you. I’m Egyptian and I have light skin. People say I’m white passing, but when they first meet me, they think I’m Hispanic. Am I really white passing then??? Often times, I don’t feel like I’m enough of a POC to talk about racial issues and my stance on them, but it’s not like I’m not a POC. It just drives me nuts.

[@lucidfangirl1030]

There's a difference between a race/skin color and an ethicity/culture/country, people need to understand.

[@tysonbillie9982]

Yay!.. She mentioned Native American 🤗🤗 The forgotten people. 😅😅 We still exist. 👋👋

[@pain002]

Yeah... Sorry about... Everything that happened to you guys

[@natalia-vs9lg]

@@pain002 bruh “everything that happened to you guys” 💀💀

[@freeeggs3811]

You guys aren’t native Americans

[@devanbarrett2902]

@@freeeggs3811 Could you elaborate on your statement?

[@freeeggs3811]

@@devanbarrett2902 They are whatever they called themselves before Europeans came.

[@hannahsbroadway18]

I relate to this so hard! I’ve been using the lockdown to learn Korean and learn more about my culture and I feel like such a poser! I used to literally google “eye makeup to look less Asian” and refuse to bring seaweed to school and I HATED Mulan. Now, I feel like I somehow don’t deserve to be Korean or like I’m not a real Korean since I spent so much of my life trying to erase that part of me. Such a weird conflict, but it makes me feel a lot better to hear someone else is dealing with the same feelings! Thank you for sharing this 💕

[@sophielee9914]

yesss so relatable!!

[@sophielee9914]

totally understand your struggle!

[@Supra_-pd2fj]

Thank you for sharing as well. Many people can relate to what you posted on this comment section. Me, being one of them.

[@nandanajaneesh3486]

how the tables turn sis. now white kpop fans are desperate to be koreans. flaunt ur ethinicity hun.

[@makubegysman6160]

Will you be my girlfriend

[@cellogang6190]

thank you sooo so much for making this video. I was hesitating to click for a couple of days but I just watched it and you literally spoke ALL of my experiences verbatim. I'm half chinese-filipino and half white and for my whole life I've been trying to make myself 'less' asian, whether that's speaking in a really exaggerated Australian accent or talking about stereotypical 'white' things when I'm around white people. I was always really hesitant to talk about my asian culture and I hate that because I was honestly ashamed to be asian! why are people like that! people (white and asian) always say 'oh, you don't look asian at all,' or 'your eyes are really asian' and I would get offended when they said I looked asian and flattered when they said I didn't. I would ask my mum for the details of all her parents and try find some white lineage in there and I would hate at family functions where I would be the only asian person in my dad's family photos, and I wouldn't understand everyone speaking Tagalog in the Philippines. Now I'm really embarrassed to write this out because it's just like spelling out my ingrained racist behaviour and i feel so bad now but I'm trying to learn Filipino and be more accepting of who I am! I'm just so grateful u made this, i know nobody will probably read this comment but if you happen to have the same experience just know you are beautiful and enough the way you are

[@CarverAkiteru]

Super relatable. Trying to fit in at school, not wanting to have a "weird" lunch, the shame of finding yourself so disconnected from your ancestry, and then the renewed interest in reconnecting (but now feeling like an outsider while doing so). Hits close to home.

[@xdlol59]

Let's image "American white guy": **exit** Native American: Where are you from? "American white guy": From Tennessee Native American: No, where are you really from? "American white guy": Eeeehhh... From Nashville in Tennessee in USA. Native American: Nooooo, where are you really really from? "American white guy": 😳

[@ddjsoyenby]

"YOU DON'T TALK LIKE A TENNESEE PERSON YOU MUST BE FROM B0STON!"

[@joycelynvv9224]

Europe 💀

[@omniomelet1472]

Albania

[@silenteye9547]

Aren't USwhite guys like from Europe or something

[@cheesychildhooddancescool3378]

@@silenteye9547 it depends you can be white and be from different place except Europe since white is just a. Skin color but majority is from Europe

[@woopdeedoo5938]

When someone mocks you for struggling with something, ask “why do you think I’m practicing???”

[@Stef-ln4tb]

I’m mixed and the part where you were talking about being racist towards yourself I felt

[@LucielEllis]

Same

[@itsMe_TheHerpes]

first of all, there is no racism. but i am curious, what sort of mix are you ?

[@Stef-ln4tb]

Creole and Filipino

[@itsMe_TheHerpes]

@@Stef-ln4tb creole meaning black, right ? well if you have black in you, then no wonder you believe that racism is real. mentally incapacitated individuals often think that racism is real.

[@mochees]

@@itsMe_TheHerpes what. did you just say racism doesn't exist.

[@cybercriminal3110]

I'm Asian and I speak my native language pretty bad, even tho I live in my historical homeland so it's even more of a shame. But if u started to learn it, that's already a big step, a great respect shown ESPECIALLY if u don't live there. A lot of people in my country don't even care about learning our language, saying how they r not gonna need it etc.

[@idealisticcynic06]

Oh my god Dude I can relate to this so much. I moved back to my country very early but because of reasons i never learnt my mother tongue properly and speak only in the conversational tone and its so shit with so many people being all ohhh i guess you hate your country then. And the funny part is similar to your country's people so many people hate anything and everything about themselves when they shouldn't the hypocrisy is just astonishing

[@cybercriminal3110]

@@idealisticcynic06 That sucks bro, but it's not your fault, so don't worry too much. The fact that you even care is enough.

[@idealisticcynic06]

@@cybercriminal3110 Thanks dude I do have it a lot easier though because at least i never had to go through the internalised turmoil that tohers go through :')) but yea me and my friends really resonate with this video and your comment lol have a good day

[@cybercriminal3110]

@@idealisticcynic06 You too)

[@idealisticcynic06]

@@cybercriminal3110 :))

[@alex-oy9eo]

this is the most personal Emily has ever been, I'm glad you posted this 🤲

[@motegadg]

"As Hayley Williams once said, you are the only exception" Top tier joke

[@yves_lover1]

*yes* I love Hayley she’s so dope lol

[@whattheheck7984]

Gosh I love her.

[@aesthetics2445]

Emily read this when you need monday motivation: Girl you are a queen. We love you so much. We are willing to physically assault anyone who hurts you. You make my day everytime you upload. If you ever quit youtube we will be oh so heartbroken. Our souls will notcingly be sadder. We appreciate you so much omg. Look at how gorgeous you are. Not many people can pull off your unique bone structure like you do. And you are so beautifully intelligent as well. Like nursing major is a difficult major. And we are so proud of you Emily. Your video ideas are so creative, well thought out, and smart. Get up and continue being beautiful and funny because we need you. :)

[@71002]

At least the people who don't like Emily have their notifications on

[@Aya-ow3ku]

You made me feel so much better for not learning Arabic (my parents’ native language) with this video. My parents tried to get me to learn Arabic by sending me to Syria when I was young, but I never was able to learn it since everyone would practice their English with me and then when the war started when I was 8, I couldn’t really go back there to try and learn it/reconnect with my culture and language, and my parents kinda stopped trying with me. Plus, since I was so young, I forgot so much about Syria, and i feel so guilty now for not remembering much about Syria and my culture. I always used to say that I was just “too lazy” to learn Arabic, but I think a part of me didn’t want to learn Arabic because it wasn’t really necessary for making friends in school and also my parents stopped bringing me to Arab gatherings 1) because of the war, they were preoccupied with stuff and 2) I didn’t want to go see other Arabs since I felt like Arabs aren’t “cool” or whatever. Now that I’m in college and I’m meeting more Arabs, I feel so left out for not knowing Arabic and not understanding the jokes they say and I also feel terrible to my grandparents since they don’t speak English and only speak Arabic, but I find it so hard to communicate with them. I’m starting to learn Arabic again, but I feel like I missed out on the best time for learning it. This video made me feel a LOT better for being “white-washed” and not learning Arabic when I was younger and also helped push me to keep learning on how to speak it! Thank you for this video!

[@waldenlake9818]

Claire Jean Kim's theory of racial triangulation explains the phenomenon of Asian Americans being valued for not being black, but always considered 'foreign' because they are not white. Trapped between, they are doomed to be triangulated between 'white' and 'black', but never themselves. (Also, I love using the scare quotes here since they match the air quotes that were used in the video.)

[@epicishrose]

This is so relatable. As someone who is Asian people have always had these expectations from me, expecting me to be smart, not funny, and light skintoned. Also as someone who isn't any of those things, a lot of people have always asked me, "Are you sure you're asian?" It makes no sense at all. I'm Asian. My personality or looks doesn't make me any less Asian. Thanks for talking about this, I've never ever seen anyone talk about this before and I don't feel alone anymore.

[@cellogang6190]

u aren't alone

[@omanoma5278]

"Are you sure you're asian?" why the fuck is this even a question rip

[@leeoscereals9683]

I can feel that, someone called me Mexican because I didn’t had a lighter skin tone

[@boxiness]

A lot of my friends say that I'm white washed. Most strangers think that I'm a nerd when they first meet me ("you're probably in computer science right?"). And white people probably don't think that I'm cool. And I'm not popular with the ladies. But that's ok. I'm 30 . I'm not going to change for anyone anymore. and I certainly can't control how I'm perceived. In my reality, if someone doesn't like me then they can piss off. If they like me then I'll probably like them too.

[@kristenswanepoel1449]

Lekker jy...hulle moet wys raak 👍

[@ItsMeRhaine]

Why can’t people just be themselves be individuals why does everything have to do with race

[@lostotter1956]

I agree with this in the context of not gatekeeping interests and hobbies to people of different races, but individuals don’t exist in a vacuum. Our lives and who we are is influenced by a lot of things, race being one of those things. Especially when there’s a history of pain and injustice connected to that race, not that everyone wants to have those emotionally draining and painful conversations. Not trying to make any assumptions, but this comment kinda irked me as I’ve seen it used in ways to shut people down when they talk about racism and their lived experiences as a racial minority. I’m sure you didn’t mean to use it maliciously :)

[@sierrahale804]

I HATE when I see videos and comments that say 'White people, am I right.' I saw a video titled that and felt like clicking on it because it had to do with race- MY race- And commenting on it- and when I see comments I feel like saying, "So what??"

[@AshleySimmons593]

@@lostotter1956 That's fine if you wanna do that but, I'm a POC, and not all POC want to be victims all our lives or have our race be the central focus of our existence. Some of us just wanna LIVE.

[@danieleduardomorenoperez1886]

or sexuality or simply tastes

[@danieleduardomorenoperez1886]

@@sierrahale804 Yeah i find it kind of ironic, like a response to the white people history in racism, saying that some people correspond with stereotypic attitudes of "white people"

[@thereebstir9572]

I'm also am learning Mandarin, lol I'm always so nervous to speak in front of people. Because 1: 1. I'm not Chinese, I'm from Pakistan 2. I suck at the language 🙃 Also yeah I hate when people judge me cause I'm Asian.

[@adityadixit4789]

Apne maliko ki bhasha seekh rahe ho 😂😂#pkmkb

[@faus585]

This video balances humor and seriousness very well!! I'm so so happy to hear another voice on this topic, for I'm a Chinese American too. I _had_ the opportunity to live in China for a few years during my lifetime, which helped me avoid the label of being "whitewashed." It helps with perspective, but adds another layer of confusion :') There doesn't seem to be a clear-cut solution to this, other than, I guess, allowing yourself to be YOU, accepting yourself as YOU, a unique individual repping the mixture of identities you have. That is pretty amazing in itself. We also need to keep asking society to stop expecting everyone to adhere to their "standards" (air quotes). Psychology says we naturally stereotype, but through education people can learn to avoid it.

[@dogbog6230]

I think it's worse when a POC does that. Like??? What?

[@toganium4175]

“Asian people can’t have these positive characteristics by default.” Meanwhile, the guys I know that that Asian people are attractive and desirable....but they’re big anime fans, so.....yeah.

[@nataterraturzelle8584]

Oof, or Kpop stans that romanticize Asians

[@L3onking]

But? They sound like they are perfect.

[@L3onking]

@Bille Nye The Russian Spy so it's okay to assume anime fans fetishize women? I still don't understand how shitting on anime fans is fine? People fetishize everything, It's never okay but no one group is worse than another. Edit: I know shitting on anime fans is the current hate hype train but at least go after a specific series that does that in particular rather than all of animation.

[@mochees]

@@L3onking what. anime fans fetishise east asians in a disgusting way. thinking they're the perfect submissive doll that will listen and value their man. disgusting.

[@L3onking]

@@mochees not all anime fans do that. Women also like anime too. Lumping a group of people into a category because some creeps call themselves "fans" is immature. Some Kpop fans fetishize idols, does that make every Kpop fan a disgusting creep too?

[@DSK-69.73]

me being a white washed asian: holy fuck why is this so relatable

[@OhManItsBunny]

This perfectly explains why I never felt like I fit in as an American Samoan. I’m too American to be Samoan and too Samoan to be American. Thank you for your video.

[@zoetime4034]

Fellow Chinese American here! I spent my early childhood in the U.S, but I moved to China when I was six. I speak Mandarin in a perfect accent, but that isn't enough in China (My Mandarin can be considered to be "native level," but it's pretty subpar when you compare me to the Chinese locals). I go to an international school where I'm surrounded by fellow Chinese Americans, Koreans, and Japanese people. We all speak English. The only time when we do speak Mandarin is when we have Chinese class. I know a thing or two about Chinese culture and history, but far from enough. I'm never considered fully Chinese by the natives here (they call me American). I'm not white enough to fit in in America, and I'm not Chinese enough to fit in in China. It's funny. The reason why I go to an international school is because when I was 6, I was bullied at a Chinese local school for being "too American." This video hits pretty hard. I often think about my disapproving Chinese ancestors too.

[@TheAppleNinja1]

I felt this one. I'm not Asian, but I lived in a predominantly white area growing up. I was told I was cute "for a black girl". When I moved to a predominantly black area, I wasn't black enough because I liked different music and spoke properly. There is no winning when it comes to this topic as a POC.

[@jadetorres4859]

I totally relate to this i never learned spanish cause of a speech impediment and the other hispanic kids i knew always made me feel like i wasn't hispanic enough and it didn't help that all my white friends would tell me that i didn't sound or act hispanic, when i was a kid i didn't call them out for saying stuff like this but now i wish i had.

[@jxz6882]

I totally understand this struggle. Somehow you're expected to understand and speak your mother tongue like a native when you were born in a different place and using a different language daily for so many years. Kudos to you for learning such a hard language! I don't even know a single thing about my mother tongue. Be glad you're attempting to communicate with people of that culture.

[@William-Afton_jejcjschheiqx]

As somebody who is half Asian (half Indian) who has pretty bad Bengali (my family’s native language) and also has pretty light skin, I relate to this SO much. I’ve never felt Indian enough especially when I visit my dads side of the family and there all speaking Bangla and I’m just sitting in the background pretending to understand 😭

[@hollyrowan6898]

"I'm just a personification of the insecurities you have in regards to your race and nationality and the unspoken standards you hold yourself up to in order to feel validated as a member of your community" I FEEL CALLED OUT EMILY

[@marisleong8725]

my brother could never speak chinese because he never had to. he was born in america in the most white city ever, and never had any parts of chinese culture out there, something to remind him of who he was. when he was 12, he spoke with my grandmother. she was born in hong kong and moved to america when she was in her 30s. she was very conservative and traditional, and told us that "we needed to speak chinese with her." with our broken chinese, we did, and she said "it wasn't good enough." now, we had been to chinese school and had tried to learn, but really had no interest in learning. we told her that, and she said "chinese people speak chinese. if you can't speak chinese, you aren't a true chinese person. if you go to hong kong, everyone would be ashamed of you because of the way you speak." a few weeks later, my brother announced that he was "english." of course, my china-born parents were furious, and asked him to speak to his grandmother about it. (unrelated, i'd just like to pop in and say that humiliation is the worst way to punish someone.) he said that he "was english because he couldn't speak chinese," and my grandmother said that "he was a disgrace and was ashamed to be a chinese person." see, the difference between my brother and my grandmother was that they lived in totally different areas. my brother and i lived in a predominately white city, while my grandmother lived right near chinatown. we would be mocked for being asian while my grandmother could just fit in with all the other chinese people. my parents scolded him for "being ashamed of who he was." that he was white-washed, and that he needed to be more "chinese." "look, kid, we moved to america as a child and we're still proud of our roots," my dad says. easy for him to say, he was already immersed in his culture in the first place. we grew up in an "american" culture, we don't have the same experience you do. we can't just "be less white-washed" and "be more chinese" and be like you all, who already knew what to do, we have literally no guides because there are barely any asians where we live. my parents and grandmother are asian, but my brother and i are asian-american. there's a pretty big difference. i completely agree with the "asian on the outside but too much white culture isn't true" statement, because while i might be able to "fit in" with white people, i can never look like them, and for that, i will always be a foreigner to white people. i can always look like chinese people, but i can never truly "fit in" with them, either, so i'm a foreigner to the people i grew up with and the people i am. i'm stuck between two different types of people, and i'm not accepted in either one of them. it's completely wrong to decide what's "too white" or "too asian" and i hate it. anyways i hope u enjoyed me telling me a bit of my life :// idk i just had to get this off my chest, it's been bugging me for a while and this was the push i needed

[@TehKaiser]

I'll bet the requisite "Chinese" you and your bro were supposed to speak was actually Cantonese and not Mandarin. The national pressure to speak Mandarin was not that strong until the Commies came around.

[@cellogang6190]

"i'm stuck between two different types of people, and i'm not accepted in either one of them." ok so that almost made me cry because it's so true. everywhere i go people will ask me where i'm from and i always stick out in family photos! if it makes you feel better.. there's a whole community out there of asian-americans/australians/brits/mixed race people who share your experience, i feel like we should make a whole support group or something

[@marisleong8725]

@@cellogang6190 thank u 🥺🥺 we totally should! it's not talked about as often, and a support group would honestly be so cool

[@NotEvenDante]

The Queen has uploaded😌

[@imnotlelo]

Me: speaks my home language with family That one aunt: feels the absolute need to roast that s**t out of me... Lmao I hate it here.

[@thutoassegaai9711]

Lol Ke moTswana le nna Kgalalelo, I am superwhitewashed, too much tv and American media Lol thank you for commenting, more power to our Tribe

[@strawbe891]

Thanks so much for this video, super informative and relatable. I've recently been struggling with my race. I'm really kind of inbetween being white and being brown. My mom is white, but my dad emigrated from a country just above the Middle East. Therefore, I've grown up celebrating St. Patrick's day wildly and also eating dates and fasting for Ramadan. So, yeah.

[@WHYGODWHYYYY]

This is a great message to pass around for support for some and acknowledgement for others. I am Hispanoc because my dad was born in Columbia. I was born in the U.S. and I would say I'm sort of in touch with my culture because I've been in Columbia, I like Columbian food, I'm now learning how to dance basic salsa, and things like that, but my Spanish sucks! I live in Miami, so a lot of my peers speak Spanish, and I've been a little embarrassed that my Spanish isn't as fluent as their's. Though, I try to remind myself that a lot of my peers immigrated and/or speak Spamosh in their household. I don't do that. Plus, I'm new to speaking Spanish. Thank you for this video.

[@spaceship5575]

Asian cant be cool?? Ever seen a Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan Movie?

[@weirdasff]

ever seen kpop? jpop? cpop? asian dramas?

[@flop3923]

exactly!

[@lucidfangirl1030]

Anime? What are those popular kids in the anime schools, eh?!

[@starzies]

Have they seen those asian international students with super good fashion sense? 😭

[@Grendel2403]

@@weirdasff I think K-pop was possibly the worst possible example

[@greenflavored]

Ow, stop it, that hurts!! I relate to this video a lot thanks for making it and talking about this subject. I’m Filipino and I haven’t felt connected to my culture for my entire life, I’ve never been out of the country and I never learned any language other than English, especially not Tagalog. What’s even worse is that I live in a community that actually does have lot of Asian Americans/Filipino people so I feel even more guilt about not only never being connected to my culture but also not really.... wanting to connect until now (at the young age of 14). My dad immigrated with his family from the Philippines at the age of 3, while my mom grew up in the area that I’ve lived all my life. My dad “lost” his Tagalog, and can only understand Tagalog but not speak it. My mother was never taught Tagalog by her mother because she didn’t want my mom to have an accent in America (as you probably know being an epic minority/woman two-pack combo wasn’t/isn’t super great here, which is something that would be further highlighted if an accent is mixed in there), so my mom only understands Tagalog as well. As i said recently my sister and I became aware of how disconnected we are and started trying to find some part of our heritage. We’ve had Filipino food pretty frequently in our lives, thankfully, but only in recent years did we start actively wanting to try more. What makes me sad is that the accusation of “whitewashing” is often made by my own family. My family jokes about my mom always wanting to eat something “non ethnic” (ie Doritos or whatever tf) and my sister and my dad have made more than a few jokes about her being whitewashed. It hurts when it’s your own people. Plus I don’t fit the stereotype of having a big, close family and for some reason I feel guilty about that? Wack. I don’t have any first cousins, but I have tons of secondary and beyond cousins on both my mom and dads side. Problem is that we never talk. We’ve never been close, and it’s not helped by the fact that there’s a significant age gap between us. My dad talks about how he wants to take me and my sister to the Philippines sometimes and I want to, I really do, but there’s an awful part of me that is scared of being judged and laughed at by people who are far more connected to my heritage or whatever, and I know it’s only going to get worse as time goes on and as I continue to have a lack of understanding of my culture. It doesn’t help that I’m a baby gay (whoop, just came out to my dad today pog) and I’m irrationally scared of meeting a girls family and they don’t approve of me because I’m “a banana”. I think a show that handles this subject really well is One Day at a Time, though it’s centered around a Cuban family. It’s a great show that handles serious topics frequently, making me laugh and cry within minutes (kinda like this video) so if anyone is battling the same problem as me I might suggest taking a look at that show. Sorry about the ramble I have possums rattling around my brain at all times

[@mimi.888]

Its like we are living the same life same age of getting interested in my culture and everything, I really relate to everything you said, your not alone.

[@samantha-zs7bs]

omfg the title caught me so quick. I'm from the UK btw

[@wolfywonder8480]

This is definitely a problem that’s difficult to properly articulate, and I’m glad someone’s talking about it in depth. I’m a quarter japanese, and while I always enjoyed that part of my heritage, I felt like I couldn’t really show it off because I assumed people wouldn’t believe me. My sister actually was confused as hispanic for all of high school, and while I’m sure most people saw me as “just white” and nothing more, I still feel guilty sometimes enjoying things relating to japanese culture, like I don’t deserve to interact with any of it because I interact with mostly anime/manga, which is pretty surface-level. It’s an interesting trap to fall into, because I think regardless of whether or not the world makes you think that you’re not good enough, you end up thinking that regardless. It doesn’t help that I saw a lot of asian stereotypes as a kid, and while I personally wasn’t subjected to them, I think I ended up attributing that to my appearance (as maybe a little bit of a weird looking white girl), and I still feel bad for all the people who have to deal with this because I escaped it by forces outside my control.

[@WilmoreChuck]

I am very glad you made this video. I can see what you mean based on myself just being black. It's great to get your perspective on this, so thank you.

[@trixie7759]

Tbh this is really important, as a half kid i have a lot of anxiety and fear about not being "Asian enough" or not being "White enough" so it's interesting to see other Asian people, who feel in a similar way I guess it's a very common point of fear among other Asian kids who grew up in predominantly white areas

[@hannahmyears8451]

I am a half white half Chinese girl and this happens to me too much. I am constantly unsure about my race. Sometimes I feel like I can’t talk about racism, because (living in a mainly white community) I feel like I’m “too white” to stand up for my culture, or I’ll be judged for it, even though I have been through plenty of racism myself. I feel like I’m my own race sometimes, and there’s no one else with me. It sucks.

[@nsyb4588]

Somehow I just realized her intro is “Hello, I’m Emily as you may or may not know,” And her KZbin name is “NotEvenEmily” I’m dumb

[@eyebrowprivilegerevoked1972]

I'm confused is there a pun or something? no hate just confused

[@nsyb4588]

@@eyebrowprivilegerevoked1972 it’s just ironic that her name states she isn’t emily and then her intro says she is-

[@eyebrowprivilegerevoked1972]

@@nsyb4588 ah ok thanks

[@ddjsoyenby]

no issue she's perfect enough to forgive you.

[@v3nusf1ytrapp]

It's hello my name is emily not hello im emily Sorry Ive watched too many videos

[@hollynguyen8988]

I felt this way to much. I'm a mixed kid and Ive always felt guilty for not being mexican or vietnamese enough because of what i saw in media. I thought (and still kinda do) I act to "white" and dont have much connection to my cultures. So in order to feel connected I kinda took whatever media about asians and hispanics I could find and apply it to my life/personality, which I now realise is very bad because its all sterotypical and untrue based on my own life and experiences. I hope one day i'm content with the person I am now and get out of this weird mindset with my connection to my cultures.

[@OpalBeats]

i'm a chinese-american as well, and i feel where you're coming from when you say you feel guilty about only taking interests in your culture at an older age. I'm 21 only just recently started learning mandarin and getting more in touch with my "asian side" because i struggle with the fact that i feel like i'm not Chinese enough. This video is really helpful to me, the fact that i'm not the only one dealing with this identity crisis helped make me feel less inadequate.

[@nellionthetellie]

this is the realest comment i have seen

[@song-pg9kj]

i am a chinese immigrant myself, who emigrated to the US in 10th grade, and like, i don't feel too close with chinese americans for this reason. asian americans tend to look down on us for being "fresh off the boat" as if their parents aren't fresh off the boat themselves, not to mention how unaware they are about asia and so much more. now, as an *actual* chinese person, it somehow feels weird how suddenly, many asian americans want to go back to the culture they always looked down on. like, no, you are americans and that's ok. you belong here

[@mienaikoe]

Being multiracial, we get this but from everyone, not just the majority race.

[@calmincense]

The struggle is real.

[@chloejeffsion4330]

Personal experience: im not trans enough. Im not gay enough. So like, that sucks.

[@helloworld6622]

for me, it was "you can't possibly be pan, because you don't agree with us in this argument."

[@helenwinter3320]

or when youre bi and you constantly feel like youre not gay enough while your family is just happy theres still a possibility for you to marry a man ;/

[@risky_busine55]

Oh dear God I relate so much, there's constant doubt about being Indian, or trans, or bi enough and it's honestly exhausting

[@chloejeffsion4330]

@@helenwinter3320 i relate. I live around very religious and strict people, it seems so hard to love who i want to love. It must be so hard for people with less accepting families. ):

[@helenwinter3320]

@@chloejeffsion4330 yeah my family was not exactly happy about me being bi and i've heard some biphobic and homopbobic stuff (at least my sister was supportive tho), but i am still grateful to in an as accepting environment as i am

[@sonalik1819]

I wish I could like this video more than once. You really nailed what it’s like to be a POC growing up in America. Thank you so much for saying this out loud.

[@mirror9865]

Thank you, I have a very similar background. I am actually terrified of learning Spanish since I might be made fun of. You gave me courage to try learn again!

[@skylar5733]

Talk ya shit! The skit where you spoke with a “member from the WWCAA” was so well done. It resonated with me when you pointed out that it’s an insecurity being personified. My family and Asian friends identify Americans as white people. We can acknowledge other POC and ourselves as American but in most cases it’s only when it’s hyphenated (ex. Cambodian-American). We set white people as the standard and aspire to be accepted by White America, while simultaneously bashing one another for losing touch of our culture/roots in exchange for white acceptance (“white washing”). I really enjoy your vids, & I’m happy I came across your channel last year!