Not a monolith

E. Chang
Manhattan, NY

While explaining to a classmate the vast diversity and cultures of East Asia, South Asia, Pacific Islanders and Southeast Asia and how we don’t all use chopsticks, the classmate answered back, “it doesn’t matter to us. In our language, if your eyes go up, you’re ‘chino’. In America, they say oriental. That’s the same as chino.” That’s the mindset ingrained in how language forms the Asian monolith characterization.