Are you an ABC or FOB?
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From: Baltimore
Are you an ABC or FOB?
I read this article with interest: http://www.olagrande.net/~webguy/writings/...s/jlcthink.html
And of course, for those people in the know, ABC means American Born Chinese. FOB is NOT Free On Board, but a more sinister acronym.
I was born in Taiwan (the "other" China), but spent 20 of my 30 years in the states. I grew up feeling that I'm an American, loving America, and enjoy everything about being an American. A few years back I got into a row with a friend of mine who called me a FOB, which I found offensive at the time. So, do you feel that you're fobby? Or do you feel as natural as an ABC? I've met quite a few people like myself - born in HK, Taiwan, China, Singapore, etc. but came over at an early age. We all speak, for the most part, accent free English, but most of us are also bilingual or even triligual due to our backgrounds. Shouldn't there be a new category for people like us? We've BEEN OFF THE BOAT for crying out loud, I came on a freakin' Pan Am 747 for crying out loud, no boats were involved.
So, are you an ABC, an FOB, or you're like me, stuck in the middle without a "proper" identity?
And of course, for those people in the know, ABC means American Born Chinese. FOB is NOT Free On Board, but a more sinister acronym.
I was born in Taiwan (the "other" China), but spent 20 of my 30 years in the states. I grew up feeling that I'm an American, loving America, and enjoy everything about being an American. A few years back I got into a row with a friend of mine who called me a FOB, which I found offensive at the time. So, do you feel that you're fobby? Or do you feel as natural as an ABC? I've met quite a few people like myself - born in HK, Taiwan, China, Singapore, etc. but came over at an early age. We all speak, for the most part, accent free English, but most of us are also bilingual or even triligual due to our backgrounds. Shouldn't there be a new category for people like us? We've BEEN OFF THE BOAT for crying out loud, I came on a freakin' Pan Am 747 for crying out loud, no boats were involved.
So, are you an ABC, an FOB, or you're like me, stuck in the middle without a "proper" identity?
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From: SF Bay Area
Haha, I'm like you. I was born in Taiwan, but came to the USA before my 3rd birthday, and grew up in Missouri. I've only been back to Taiwan once, so America is pretty much all I've known.
To top it all off, my grandparents were the folks who fled mainland China during the Japanese invasion, so "our people" aren't always fully accepted in Taiwan, either. We're the guys who live in Taiwan and can only speak Mandarin, not Taiwanese (you Chinese folks will know what I mean). We're just displaced, period. In America, we're considered foreigners from Taiwan; in Taiwan, we're considered refugees from China; and in China, we're considered foreigners from either America or Taiwan, take your pick.
It's all relative, though. To the hardcore FOBs, I'm a big honkin' ABC. But to the hardcore ABCs, I certainly exhibit some fobbish characteristics.
To top it all off, my grandparents were the folks who fled mainland China during the Japanese invasion, so "our people" aren't always fully accepted in Taiwan, either. We're the guys who live in Taiwan and can only speak Mandarin, not Taiwanese (you Chinese folks will know what I mean). We're just displaced, period. In America, we're considered foreigners from Taiwan; in Taiwan, we're considered refugees from China; and in China, we're considered foreigners from either America or Taiwan, take your pick.
It's all relative, though. To the hardcore FOBs, I'm a big honkin' ABC. But to the hardcore ABCs, I certainly exhibit some fobbish characteristics.
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From: seattle
hehe... not Chinese - but Asian mutt. Japanese/Korean and prolly some Hawaiian. American Born Asian.
Back in the day - there used to be some serious conflicts between the non-American Chinese guys in our school with the Filipinos in particular and other American born Asians. I hung out with everyone so it was a pretty uncomfortable time.
The Chinese guys were the best fighters but the Pinoys were better armed...
It blew over after a couple of years but that was an ugly time. One of my best pals got stabbed and a couple other guys I hung out with got shot.
That school was really mixed racially 1/3 Asian 1/3 Black and 1/3 White.
Ironically - I graduated from a high school that was 80% Black - there was much less racial trouble. The only serious ass kickings were typically the jocks beating down the wannabe pimps/dealer types.
Back in the day - there used to be some serious conflicts between the non-American Chinese guys in our school with the Filipinos in particular and other American born Asians. I hung out with everyone so it was a pretty uncomfortable time.
The Chinese guys were the best fighters but the Pinoys were better armed...
It blew over after a couple of years but that was an ugly time. One of my best pals got stabbed and a couple other guys I hung out with got shot.That school was really mixed racially 1/3 Asian 1/3 Black and 1/3 White.
Ironically - I graduated from a high school that was 80% Black - there was much less racial trouble. The only serious ass kickings were typically the jocks beating down the wannabe pimps/dealer types.
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From: Alpharetta
I moved to the US when i was 3, but i still consider myself an ABC. Even though I was pretty much raised here in the US, i don't find myself completely assimilated within the American culture. I find that more and more true when I hang out with my caucasian boyfriend and his family.
On a funnier note, I went back to Taiwan for the 2nd time in my life about 4 years ago. My dad informed me and my brother to not say a single word while we were in the cabs, so that they can't tell that we weren't raised in Taiwan. Anyways, as soon as we got into one cab, the driver turns around and says, "you're from the US, right?" My dad asked how he knew, the driver said, "Your kids are so much taller and bigger than the natives here...it's from all the McDonalds that you've been eating, huh?"
On a funnier note, I went back to Taiwan for the 2nd time in my life about 4 years ago. My dad informed me and my brother to not say a single word while we were in the cabs, so that they can't tell that we weren't raised in Taiwan. Anyways, as soon as we got into one cab, the driver turns around and says, "you're from the US, right?" My dad asked how he knew, the driver said, "Your kids are so much taller and bigger than the natives here...it's from all the McDonalds that you've been eating, huh?"
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From: I'm everywhere
FYI
FOB=Freight on Board. Not free on board.
That being said FOB can also stand for Fine Oriental Babe and of course, Fresh off the boat.
BTW, I'm not ABC nor a FOB. I'm full Japanaese but I'm considered 4th generation. That being said though, I'm fluent in the language and know the culture really well.
FOB=Freight on Board. Not free on board.
That being said FOB can also stand for Fine Oriental Babe and of course, Fresh off the boat.
BTW, I'm not ABC nor a FOB. I'm full Japanaese but I'm considered 4th generation. That being said though, I'm fluent in the language and know the culture really well.