I am not a ghost man
I didn't colonialize the East, I didn't enslave the South, I didn't conquer the West.I was born human. You say I was born white. I may look different than you, but I'm just like you. I don't see colors, I see people. And I'm friendly to anyone who's friendly to me.
It's not my fault that people who belonged to the same race as I commited so many crimes against humanity in the past. It's not my fault that people who belong to the same race as I think they're superior to other races. I won't be responisble for future crimes comitted by people who belong to the same race as I.
I am not an ambassador of my race abroad, nor am I an ambassador of my continent, my country, my hometown, my age group, my gender.
I am my own ambassador.
So how about instead of calling me khawaga, farang, barang, gwailo, angmoh, laowai, atoka, gaijin, kojangi, mat salleh, bule, puti... call me by my name?
[Photo taken in Penang, 2007]
38 KAFKAESQUE COMMENTS:
very well said, we should always take people as we find them and not judge according to anything else...not that i know what any of those names mean but i assume they're all very derogatory, in which case should be completely ignored.
October 8, 2009 3:12 AM
@Ax: These are all foreign expressions for a 'white person', most are neutral, but can be seen derogatory depending on the context.
October 8, 2009 3:35 AM
I agree with your sentiment; it is evocative of "What you see is me, and I am what I am and who I am". And yes, it is respectful to be called by our names, be they informal or formal ones.
I am glad you explained the meaning of the vocabulary you wrote, the words sounded (in my head) onomatopoeic.
October 8, 2009 3:41 AM
@ZACL: Thanks for your comment. I meant to write this post quite a while ago, but only managed to write it today :)
October 8, 2009 3:43 AM
hmm did someone provoke our dear nino in any way? :)
u dont have to care what others call you, as long as you're honest and sincere to them and to yourself, thats all matters.. we cant control what others think or speak :)
October 8, 2009 9:45 AM
Are you ok? Something happened? Don't think too much lo, an appellation is just an appellation, but you're who you're.
But I wonder that if they don't know your real name, how to call your name instead of using these impolite but general appellations? :P
Just kidding lo!
Btw, nice shot!
October 8, 2009 1:26 PM
@Sharon: Ah, nothing happened actually, nobody proveoked me... It's something I wanted to post long time ago. On a blog we once talked how some white guys behave badly in Asia and cast a bad light on all white guys and hence my post above ;)
(I can't always write: I'm happy, people will get bored :P)
@LilyChen: Hey, don't worry, I'm fine :) Yes, I don't mind, because some friends call me ang moh in a cute way and I really don't mind. This is a general thought.
October 8, 2009 3:35 PM
Very well said. As an asian, I'm being called lots of names too. And there are times I wanna smack something to ignorant people's faces to pieces. I think it depends on how they say it though and how close they are to me.
Please know if I call you "bule" next time I say it with clear affection. Although I prefer calling you "elf" but you don't mind, do you?
October 8, 2009 4:18 PM
@Andhari: Yes, I meant ignorant people who call you names, not those who are close to you.
Some people call me angmoh jokingly, I don't mind at all :) This post is not based on my personal experience, I just wanted to make a general point.
Yes, I like elf, haha. So unique :P
October 8, 2009 4:23 PM
hehe so what if you tell ppl you're always happy? no one is responsible for your own happiness but you yourself ;)
October 8, 2009 5:42 PM
@Sharon: Well, I like to cover various topic, I can't always be self-centred, hehe. Thanks for the encouraging words, though :)
October 8, 2009 5:45 PM
It was Dick Gregory (I believe) who said that we give words power. That we can also take that power. Although, I had first heard that Malcolm X was the originator of this concept of 'owning' words and the power they represent.
He was referring to the N word and to other painful words as well. The idea was that if we call ourselves by the name, then it loses the power to cause fear, to cause harm. To destroy our confidence in who we are. And isn't that the true target of name calling? To make that person feel that they don't exist as an individual? That they have been stripped to the barest minimum of stereo-type. And any display of anger or resentment only serves to confirm that they believe it also.
"Those of us who weren't destroyed got stronger, got calluses on our souls. And now we're ready to change a system, a system where a white man can destroy a black man with a single word —_____"
Dick Gregory.
That can be said of many of the names that society has given power to. The power comes from a history of violence and hatred that is entrenched behind the word.
Faggot. Lesbian. Negro. Bitch.
These words all get their power from their histories.
Oprah said once when asked about the N word that it will eventually lose its power, but not in this lifetime. When people can no longer remember the power that the word once had, when all those who have felt its power have died away. Then it won't mean anything to people anymore.
Personally I'd be happy to never hear these words again, but I do understand the idea behind using them in a way that takes away their power. A way that says 'You can't hurt me by calling me that, I call myself that. It's a name I'm proud of.'
Because my family is mixed I've been called names. I usually fight back using my favorite tool, public humiliation. I just yell at the person 'What did you just call me? Did you just call me a 'N' lover?' I say it as loudly as possible, and repeat it, until everyone turns around and looks at the person. Suddenly they get really sheepish and lose the urge to say anything else to me. Hopefully it'll make them think twice before throwing that word around again.
October 8, 2009 6:08 PM
@Tricia: Wow! That's a comment that could easily be a post. Thank you. What can I say, you put it brilliantly. Seems that you've contemplated on this issue a lot, so I'm glad you gave me another perspective on this.
You're a very intelligent and admirable woman and I think those who call you names, made a huge mistake.
October 8, 2009 6:17 PM
I wish people who do such things would put themselves in the same position. It's not very pleasant. When the poser "UglyYuBin" tweeted badly, there was a surge of retaliation from a lot of people that dealt collateral damage to the Korean community in our country.
Well said.
October 8, 2009 11:32 PM
@E: Thanks, E, for your comment. :)
October 9, 2009 12:11 AM
Well said. When are we going to see past grouping and history and just see the people? When are we going to stop discriminating? It's hard no matter what race you are. I'm white, and it's irritating to be held responsible for actions made by other white people in other places and years ago.
The ambassador thing I don't agree with though ;) I think we all are ambassadors for our countries.
October 9, 2009 1:07 AM
@Carina: You said it well, too :) Thanks ;)
October 9, 2009 1:30 AM
so well said :)
racism really annoys me. the population is multicultural over here, so it crops up sometimes *sigh*
Ditch the labels, celebrate the person I say!
p.s
Lol, i think together we'd OWN that girl in the ring ;)
There's no Halloween as such over here. some clubs might throw halloween parties, and some restaurants might do specials, but that's it really. that's too bad i think, i wouldn't mind getting a reason to binge on candy haha
October 9, 2009 5:41 AM
@Manju: Yea, seems like we'd be a great team: fighting racism and Sadako, haha. I wonder how your country looks like. I must explore your blog more :) My first thought would be: like heaven. Blue sea, perfect sandy beaches. I wonder. :) Glad to have a friend from there :)
October 9, 2009 5:52 AM
MKL : I'd probably call you "DUDE" if I saw you. But that's just me.
October 9, 2009 7:09 AM
gotta give me your name first though :)
anyway, about my latest post...
breast = hung (polite way of saying)
lin-ku is the crude way of calling breast... like you tits or boobs, more towards tits.
chicken = kai
rice = fan
so if you tell the aunty that you want kai-lin-ku-fan... it means you want chicken tits rice rather than chicken breast rice.
October 9, 2009 2:11 PM
@izso: Ok, dude! :-)
@zewt: My name will be found here here (see the top of the sidebar). Thanks for explaining the joke, so nice of you. And yea, glad you like my FB idea of two accounts, hehe.
October 9, 2009 3:16 PM
Very well said. I don't understand why people are always quick to judge like that.
October 9, 2009 11:20 PM
@Marie: Thank you :)
October 10, 2009 12:34 AM
that's so mean of them!!! i hate when my friends call anyone by color too. my canandian friends call the irish 'the white butt' and they call the canandian 'the brown'. like wtf. i see people too. not their color. i always find it rather offensive to label people by their color. even when they were just joking around, ya know.
October 10, 2009 1:40 AM
@the girl in stiletto: So true, totally agree with you. Only a girlfriend could call me 'white butt', haha :)
October 10, 2009 1:44 AM
Boo! If I'm not mistaken, farang and gaijin refers also to non-white foreigners?
October 10, 2009 1:54 PM
@The Envoy: Yes, I think these words can have more meaning and they depend on the context. I wanted to make a general point, I'm not really so sensitive, if I'm called gaijin or angmoh ;)
October 10, 2009 5:38 PM
hello nino. if you do come to malaysia again, give me a shout.
October 11, 2009 10:10 PM
@zewt:Hehe... ok, I'll shout from top of Menara :) I feel I'll return to Malaysia one day, even if only for a short trip :) I wanna meet some awsome bloggers, including you, of course.
October 12, 2009 1:02 AM
Wow, you know all the slangs.
I used the word "angmoh" too when I refer to Westerners. It's not meant as a degrading term, but I agree with you that when I refer to specific people, white men or not, I should refer to them by the personalised names that they are born with.
October 12, 2009 1:50 PM
@Shingo T: I knew some of these terms, but not all. I did some research to find most of them. I'm just trying to make a general point. I am sometimes called angmoh by some of my Malaysian friends in a joking way and I don't mind :-) Just depends on the context.
October 12, 2009 5:43 PM
you should come over and see it for yourself sometime ;)
and now i need to catch up on your blog
October 13, 2009 3:38 AM
@Manju: Ok, if I have a friend from a country, it's definitely on the list :) Who knows, I might come in the future :)
October 13, 2009 3:48 AM
yeap.we are all the same in the eyes of God. It will be peaceful if all people could giveing respect to each others..
btw, nice blog,
October 14, 2009 3:43 AM
@nando.gino: Terima kasih, kawanku.
October 14, 2009 3:51 AM
Thanks for directing me to this blog! I used to get really upset about stupid things other females did that made it harder for those of us who aren't stupid ;-) Now I accept that I'm an individual not responsible for their actions and that I don't need to try to convince others that I'm different from those stupid females.
October 22, 2009 8:40 AM
@Amy: Yes, true. Be yourself. If men judge you from their past bad experiences, it's not your fault. Then they're just narrow-minded.
October 22, 2009 4:25 PM
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