Practically my entire life, I've always known that I did NOT look like the majority of the Asian people I had encountered. I grew up in a 100% Caucasian town (we were literally the only minority there). My interaction with other Asians was limited to one day out of the week, twice a month, for a few hours. It wasn't until I was in HS that I was really exposed to other Asians as my HS was bussing them in from a different city. Don't even get me started on that whole non-sense.
Anyway, it was always quite clear that people knew I was Asian (usually Chinese or Korean) and thought perhaps I must have been mixed European as well. "Eurasian" if you will. Now, I don't deny that many generations ago, when the French occupied Vietnam, there could have been a bit of dabbling in the blood line. As far as I am concerned, there has been none. My parents' families all look like the same with the double eyelids, higher nose profiles, softer cheek bones (albeit, still large and not as chiseled), and very fair not-quite-olive skin.
What I don't get is why they keep on saying Asians try to look more "Western". Why would you call it Western when the desire is really to just look a little bit better? To look more MAINSTREAM? Is it because in America, we have this insane belief that we are all the best and everything about us is just bigger or better? Because if you asked me, if I were to have plastic surgery, it would not be to look more "Western", it'd be to look more beautiful or "mainstream". Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with the way I look, but I often wonder if that has something to do with the fact that I was already born looking more "mainstream"?
Why not say we're trying to look more Swedish? So many Asians dye their hair blonde and wear blue contacts. Why not say we're trying to look more Singaporean? Many women there have large, round-ish eyes with high noses and more fair (less olive) skin. Why not just say we want to look a little better than we do now?
When Americans get plastic surgery, we don't immediately label them as trying to look more like someone else. It's just them making themselves look "better". Personally, I am often annoyed with the whole "trying to look more Western" categorization. I wish people would just call it like it is - they're insecure with their looks and a different look makes them feel better.
Why not say we're trying to look more Swedish? So many Asians dye their hair blonde and wear blue contacts. Why not say we're trying to look more Singaporean? Many women there have large, round-ish eyes with high noses and more fair (less olive) skin. Why not just say we want to look a little better than we do now?
When Americans get plastic surgery, we don't immediately label them as trying to look more like someone else. It's just them making themselves look "better". Personally, I am often annoyed with the whole "trying to look more Western" categorization. I wish people would just call it like it is - they're insecure with their looks and a different look makes them feel better.
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