Brief Reflection of I’m Not Asian: A Heritage Odyssey

Although it was not the main focus of the article, I personally found one particular bit of wording to be quite poignant:

Unceremoniously, the boy asked, “Are you Asian?”

By use of the the term “unceremoniously” the author, Ms. Kesleyn Potter conveys the power of personal stereotypes in one innocent bit of childish obliviousness. She further reinforces this with her own use of a popular movie that itself relies on many Asian stereotypes (Mulan).

As she further goes on to write, Ms. Kesleyn’s lineage is Hungarian – not even part of the geographic Asian continent. It is only later she discovers the truth of her rich and storied heritage.

I believe this is a clear indication that while they can be amusing and occasionally based in fact, over saturation of such stereotypes can quickly rob us of some of the more beautiful nuances humanity has to offer.