By: Kelsey Gallagher and Ellen Meaden
In order to get a better understanding of Asian stereotypes, we interviewed Asian international students and Asian American students at the University of Oregon to hear their thoughts on common stereotypes.
Moriah Hilden, conducted by Kelsey Gallagher: Moriah is a fourth year Pilipino American student studying human physiology at the University of Oregon. She was born on a U.S. military base in Guam, and in 1994, moved to the United States with her parents and brother. Her mother was born and raised in the Philippines, whereas her father was born and raised in Beaverton, Oregon.
Ethnicity: Pilipino American
Born: Guam, moved to Sherwood, Oregon in 1994
Age: 21
Gender: Female
Major: Human Physiology
Grade: Senior
Do you think you are stereotyped for being an Asian American?
Yes I do. Most people don’t realize that I am not fully Asian. My dad is mostly Irish, hence my last name, Hilden. My mom was born in the Philipines and moved to the U.S. after meeting my dad (who was on a business trip) in Guam, where my brother and I were born. So, people usually assume I am just Pilipino. People tend to put both Asian and American stereotypes on me.
What are you stereotyped for?
I feel like I’m stereotyped for a lot of things. Obviously, people just assume I am super smart and could solve any math problem known to man. What’s funny is that I actually don’t like math and I’m not really that good at it. Even though I’m a human physiology major, my real dream is to be a photojournalist. I am also stereotyped for being somewhat reserved or passive, which I guess I can be at times, especially when I’m not comfortable around someone. But once people get to know me, I’m definitely not like that. I also feel like people stereotype me for never doing anything other than studying. Which isn’t true. I’m very social and love to hang out with my friends, hike, go to concerts, and travel. So, I don’t think these stereotypes define me.
How do these stereotypes affect you?
Well, they sort of annoy me. But, they’re so common that I just sort of grown to ignore them. I find it funny when people just assume that I’m hyper-intelligent because people don’t realize that not all Asians, mixed or not, are highly intelligent. I’m smart, but I’m also very social and like to do things other than just get straight A’s.
Do you think these stereotypes hold you back or limit opportunities?
Not really. I mean, if people are going to stereotype me for being super smart, I feel like that would work more in my favor than limit any opportunities.
What differences do you experience as an Asian American student vs. a White student?
Well, again, people like to assume I’m passive, which White students aren’t normally stereotyped for. White women are stereotyped for being super social and outgoing, not extremely smart, and like to party. Honestly, I think I fit better in with the White stereotypes. I guess as an Asian American student, I tend to get a fair amount of attention from men. And it’s not just white men; Black and Asian men as well. Not saying that White women don’t get the same attention, but it is just something I’ve noticed or experienced personally.
Do you feel you are highly sexualized as an Asian American woman? Why?
Sexualized? Um, yeah, I guess. I know that’s a very common stereotype, and I do believe it’s pretty true. My boyfriend is White and he has even said that a lot of White men find Asian women to be really desirable. I look more Asian than I do White. My skin is olive/tan, I have my mom’s eyes and hair color, and not very tall. So, I guess I feel like men do put me in this category of being more sexualized.
Alex and Holli Hanson, conducted by Ellen Meaden: Alex, a third year Japanese American student, and Holli, a first year Japanese American student, are siblings studying business at the University of Oregon. They were born and raised in Beaverton, Oregon. Their mother is a first generation Japanese American; their father was born and raised in Coos Bay, Oregon.
Holli:
Ethnicity: Japanese American
Born: Beaverton, Oregon
Age: 18
Gender: Female
Major: Business
Grade: Freshmen
Do you think you are stereotyped for being an Asian American?
Not really.
What are you stereotyped for?
Being smart because I am Asian.
How do these stereotypes affect you?
People assume that I don’t need to put in as much effort to get good grades.
Do you think these stereotypes hold you back or limit opportunities?
I wouldn’t say that they hold me back, but I wish people would give me more credit for getting good grades because of how hard I work and not because I am Asian.
What differences do you experience as an Asian American student vs. a White student?
I got denied by a lot of colleges I applied for while I was still in high school even though I had over a 4.0, had really good SAT and ACT scores, and was involved in several extra curricular activities. I felt like I was held to a higher standard because I am half Japanese. I think I would’ve had a better chance of getting into the schools I applied for if I was an African American, Native American or another race where the “nerd” stereotype was less prevalent.
Do you feel you are highly sexualized as an Asian American woman? Why?
I don’t feel like I am highly sexualized for being Asian American woman by my friends and people I know. Maybe I am by people that don’t know me, but I would have no way of knowing.
Alex:
Ethnicity: Japanese American
Born: Beaverton, Oregon
Age: 21
Gender: Male
Major: Business
Grade: Junior
Do you think you are stereotyped for being an Asian American?
Yeah, sometimes.
What are you stereotyped for?
The most common stereotype I hear is that since I am Asian I must have good grades and that I am attractive for being Asian.
How do these stereotypes affect you?
I don’t really let the stereotypes affect me, but it gets old hearing the same Asian jokes over and over again.
What differences do you experience as an Asian American student vs. a White student?
As an Asian American student I have had more opportunities to represent a minority group. Freshman year I joined the CEO Network where I lived in the dorms with other students of color studying business. If I was a white student I wouldn’t have been eligible for that opportunity. Being an Asian American student, I often times feel that people expect me to do well in school because it confirms the stereotype.
Do you feel Asian women are more desirable than White women? Why?
In general I think Asian women are assumed to be more submissive than white women, which might make them more desirable to some men.
Do you find Asian women to be more desirable than White women? Why?
I personally am not more attracted to Asian women than I am to white women. The attraction depends more on their personality than race.
Te Jinn Low, conducted by Kelsey Gallagher: Jinn is a third year Chinese Malaysian international student studying economics at the University of Oregon. He was born and raised in Malaysia. His parents, originally from China, moved there seeking greater opportunities.
Ethnicity: Chinese
Born: Malaysia
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Major: Economics
Grade: Junior
Current Living Situation: Off campus apartments with three American students
How long have you been going to school in the United States?
I have been a student in the U.S. since my freshman year at the University of Oregon when I was 18.
What made you decide to come to the United States for school opposed to staying in your native country?
I came to University of Oregon to pursue my degree because the U.S. has the top ranked universities. It is very common that students from my school in Malaysia come to the U.S. to attend universities.
Has the transition to an American education system been easier or more difficult than you anticipated? What do you like and dislike about it?
The high school I attended in Kuala Lumpur has a U.S. based curriculum and would be very similar to high schools in the U.S., so I suppose I was prepared for college as well as American students. The biggest difference is that schools in Malaysia require students to wear uniforms.
What do you notice to be the biggest difference between American students and Asian international students?
International students and American students seem to have different study habits and have different interests outside of school.
What do Asian international students generally think of American students?
American students probably think that all Asian international students never struggle in school and are naturally smart.
What do you think American students generally think of Asian international students?
Asian international students generally think that American students party a lot and are really social.
Have you ever been stereotyped because of your race/gender/ethnicity? What were the stereotypes?
People have assumed that I am a genius, especially in subjects like math and econ, and that I don’t have to try very hard because I am naturally smart just because I am Asian. I guess that stereotype would consider me a “nerd.”
Describe the people you consider to be your closest friends at the University of Oregon.
The closest friends I have made at the U of O are people who lived in my hall freshman year. Patrick Bakes was my roommate freshman and sophomore year and is from Sacramento. Adam Schiabor, from Albuquerque, New Mexico is another good friend who I met freshman year in the dorms, and who I lived with my sophomore year. Some of my other close friends are Peter Johnstone, an international student from Scotland, Zander Roberts, an international student from England, and Emma Nordin, an international student from Sweden. I met a lot of my close friends through my Global Friends, and international Christian fellowship through the university.
How do you decide who you befriend?
I would consider myself a social butterfly and seem to make friends wherever I go, and so I have many different friend groups that I spend time with. My closest friends are people who are not necessarily similar to me, but are people who I can learn from and share new experiences with together.
How many of your close friends are American students?
I have a countless number of American students I have become close friends with. If I had to estimate, I would say I have about ten close friends who are American students.
Do you notice much diversity in American students, or would you consider them to be highly similar? (In terms of academic interests, social activities, political views, participation in school events, etc.).
American students seem quite similar at first, but after meeting several people and making friends with many American students, I recognize that there is a great amount of diversity among the tightest knit groups.
Irene Wang, conducted by Ellen Meaden: Irene is a first year Chinese international student studying business at the University of Oregon. Although she was born and raised in China, she spent all four years of high school in Austin, Texas.
Ethnicity: Chinese
Born: China
Age: 19
Gender: Female
Major: Business
Grade: Freshmen
Living Situation: LLC South Residency Hall with an American student from Portland
How long have you been going to school in the United States?
I started going to school in the U.S. in high school in Austin, Texas.
What made you decide to come to the United States for school opposed to staying in your native country?
My parents wanted me to go to college in the U.S. and they thought if I went to an American high school it would prepare me better for an American university.
Has the transition to an American education system been easier or more difficult than you anticipated? What do you like and dislike about it?
When I started high school as a freshman in Austin it was more difficult than I had expected. The way students and teachers interacted was a lot different than in China. In China, students do not question anything the teacher says, and teachers in America are always challenging students to think critically.
What do you notice to be the biggest difference between American students and Asian international students?
I like how I am able to have more of an opinion about certain topics we discuss in class, but it was really hard for me at first to write essays about issues that were important in America because I was not familiar with the culture.
What do Asian international students generally think of American students?
I definitely notice that American students come to college for more than just an education. They think making friends, socializing, and going to events are just as important as their education. Chinese international students are really serious about their education and it is their top priority to study so they can get good grades.
What do you think American students generally think of Asian international students?
I feel like they think we are anti-social and just want to study. They also think we only hang out with other Chinese international students.
Have you ever been stereotyped because of your race/gender/ethnicity? What were the stereotypes?
What I personally think about American students is that they don’t really notice the Chinese international students and couldn’t be friends with us because we are too different.
Describe the people you consider to be your closest friends at the University of Oregon.
I have never directly been stereotyped but I can tell that people think I am really good in math and science just because I am Chinese. They don’t really consider that I have to work really hard to be able to get good grades.
How do you decide who you befriend?
Most of my friends are other Chinese international students that I have met through programs for international students. The biggest reason I have become friends with other Chinese international students is because we understand each other and relate to one another more because of our ethnicity.
How many of your close friends are American students?
I am not close friends with any American students, but I still talk to the American students who live in my dorm when I see them. My roommate and I talk when we are in our dorm together, but she isn’t someone I consider to be a close friend.
Do you notice much diversity in American students, or would you consider them to be highly similar? (In terms of academic interests, social activities, political views, participation in school events, etc.).
When I first came to the U.S. for high school I did not know any American students or even any Americans at all. The American culture is so different from Chinese culture, so I felt like an outsider at first because they all understood each other, and I didn’t understand anyone. It made me think that they were all very similar. As a freshman living in the dorms amongst many American students I have learned that there is a lot more diversity than I had assumed there would be.
Zhu Feng, conducted by Kelsey Gallagher: Zhu is a third year Chinese international student studying economics at the University of Oregon. He was born and raised in Lanzhou Shi, Gansu, China.
Ethnicity: Chinese
Born: Lanshou Shi, Gansu, China
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Major: Economics
Grade: Junior
Living Situation: Off campus apartments with two other Asian international students
How long have you been going to school in the United States?
This is the third year I have been a student in the U.S.
What made you decide to come to the United States for school opposed to staying in your native country?
I came to the U.S. for university because only the top students in China are accepted into the universities. I also was not sure of what I wanted to study and universities in China make you declare when you apply.
Has the transition to an American education system been easier or more difficult than you anticipated? What do you like and dislike about it?
I knew the American education system would be different than in China because I have older friends who have told about their experience. The classroom dynamic at the U of O was the most difficult to adapt to. The professors here are accepting of their student’s opinions and encourage more of an interactive lecture where students shared their thoughts with the class.
What do you notice to be the biggest difference between American students and Asian international students?
Chinese international students are different than American students because it is harder for us to participate in a class discussion when we are sometimes unfamiliar about the subject. In China, the education system will only try and prepare you to take the Gaokao (college entrance exam), and in the U.S. teachers expect students to construct their own analysis.
What do Asian international students generally think of American students?
The American students think we do not want to communicate with people who are not international Chinese students. They also think all of the Chinese international people are rich and have nice cars.
What do you think American students generally think of Asian international students?
The Chinese international students that I am friends with think the American students are crazy partiers, drink a lot of alcohol and do drugs.
Have you ever been stereotyped because of your race/gender/ethnicity? What were the stereotypes?
I think I have been stereotyped as being very smart and rich because I am a Chinese student.
Describe the people you consider to be your closest friends at the University of Oregon.
I have become very close friends with my two roommates who are also international student from China because we have the same interests. I make an effort to get to know some American students I meet in class but it doesn’t seem like we have very much in common.
How do you decide who you befriend?
It is easier to relate with other international students, so I tend to befriend them rather than a American student.
How many of your close friends are American students?
I have met a many American students in class, but it is hard to interact with American students outside of class.
Do you notice much diversity in American students, or would you consider them to be highly similar? (In terms of academic interests, social activities, political views, participation in school events, etc.).
From the American students I have talked to in my classes, everyone seems very talkative and to have strong opinions. When I have worked with American students during group projects I have noticed that there is diverse opinions and ideas. It is hard for me to see the other elements of diversity when I am not surrounded by or interacting with Americans too often.