WE ARE THE CHEESE

On a few of the social media pages I follow, a discussion has been raging among Asian Americans about the model minority thing. Not being Asian American myself I have remained almost completely silent, because the people there are contributing more to a worthwhile discussion of the subject than I possibly could, better, eloquently, and with more actual and personal involvement.

I am not a member of a model minority in any case.

If anything, I'm horrid.

As a Dutch-speaking Dutch American (of several generations in this country), I feel that I am rather representative of a perfectly bad example minority. There aren't many Dutch-speakers here (so you should count yourselves lucky), but we are, ALWAYS, right.

Have you EVER known a Dutchman to admit that he was wrong?

And silent Dutchmen are rare too.

See?


My apartment mate is not Dutch, but Cantonese. No, I am NOT going to inform her of that discussion, because I am the nearest thing to her that looks and sounds like Anglo American, and while I'm tough, I am not foolhardy. And I already know enough about cursing and swearing in Cantonese for any occasion when I might need it. Suffice to say that she is as good as a Dutchman of my generation in math (might be better, but I'm determined not to find out, this is where the Dunning Kruger effect will keep me happy), and has enough experience dealing with stupid white people to last her a life time. As we all have, lord knows they aren't few in number, but Asian Americans, as a model minority, frequently get assumed to think just like white people.

Which they don't.

Different backgrounds, different experiences as Americans.

The white experience is not universal.


Anyhow, the discussion is telling me a lot about people with whom I do not identify, that being the aforementioned stupid white people, and probably also illuminating stuff about myself of which, because of a certain level of Dunning Kruger, I shall remain blissfully unaware.

Besides, I am at times guilty of "whitemansplaining". Which I do very well, about several subjects, and mostly to other white men.
I am Dutch. So I'm always right, and rarely silent.



As an afterword: being a food maven as well as a Dutch American (which is altogether rather contradictory, I admit), I remain permanently outraged at what America has done to Chinese Cuisine. Yeah, we're beyond chop suey, finally, but Kung Pao every damned thing under the sun, General Tso's Chicken, and whatever that damned noodle dish is, are not any better.

This illustration proves my point: La Choy Chicken Chow Mein.

This does not contain noodles.
What the actual heck.



Final note: Crab raccoon.
What?!?!?



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