I get nervous when people say to me, 'I just can't tell any of you Asians apart!' Um, why do you have to tell us apart? Are we gonna be separated for some reason? I can't tell us apart! I was not born with a chip in my neck that would automatically identify every Asiatic person that I would come across. 'beebeebeebeebeep Filipino.'
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Cho highlights the absurdity of expecting individuals to distinguish every person of a shared ethnic background, pointing out that such expectations rely on stereotypes rather than individual recognition.
- In plain terms
- It is unreasonable to expect people to tell apart every person who looks similar to you.
- What can you take from it?
- Avoid assuming all members of an ethnic group are identical.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Why do we expect others to recognize us instantly?
- How does racial bias shape perception?
Another view
People can notice ethnic similarities without intending offense.
More from Margaret Cho
The only thing that was sort of Asian [as a role model] was Hello Kitty. I don't want to model myself after Hello Kitty. She has no mouth.
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