Looking The Same

“All Asians look the same.” Many people know this phrase, and it’s usually taken as a light hearted joke among friends. Among those who are unfamiliar with the different Asian nationalities and cultures, I’m sure it can be very difficult to tell where someone is from. But, generally, for those who are familiar with that area of the world and its people, you can tell where someone is generally from. People from China look different from those who are from Korea. The same goes for many if not all of the Asian countries. Each country has something that gives the people something special, and generally people from a country can identify others of the same nationality. Unfortunately this does not seem to apply to me.

Now, I’m a Filipino, and I can definitely tell when someone is a Filipino, but almost nobody can tell by looking at me. Even other Filipinos! This strikes me as odd because I always thought I did. It can be funny sometimes to walk up to some Filipinos and pull out the Tagalog out of nowhere and see their reaction, but it gets old after a while. Pretty much all Filipinos mistake me for being Chinese, which is odd because a lot of Chinese people seem to disagree.

These mix-ups didn’t really bother me in Canada; it was something that I was more curious about than anything. But during my travels, it has been quite problematic.

Probably one of the most irritating things I’ve encountered is on the planes I took to Japan. My first flight was through Korean Air, mostly because it was cheaper than the other alternatives. “This is nice,” I thought, “Just me and another Filipino in a row for three, window seat, good movies, and decent food.” But then it began. Because my fellow Filipino was on the end of the row, he would get asked what he wanted first, and then I would come next. He was asked in English, which was normal, but then when she asked me it was suddenly Korean. And this happened every time. I’m sure that there are a lot of people on the planes to remember everyone, but every time? And apparently I looked nothing like a Filipino because the one beside me got English EVERY TIME. And the fun doesn’t stop there.

After making it through the terribly long flight to Seoul, I had to run to my connecting flight. This time I was seated next to an old Japanese couple, which was fine. This flight also had many Filipinos (we’re everywhere!). I thought that this flight would be better. I look nothing like a Japanese person. None of the Japanese people I’ve met in Canada have ever said anything of the sort.

Apparently I was wrong. The same problem thing happened on this flight. I’m sure it didn’t help that I was sitting next to Japanese people, but I looked nothing like them. The worst part was, when I got the immigration form on the plane, they gave me the Japanese one! I even asked for it in English!!!

Actually, I lied; the worst part was getting off the plane and lining up to the immigration desk along with all the Filipinos and then noticing them all having the English ones. AND they all thought I was Japanese after I asked them about how to get the English one.

Since I’ve been here, I’ve been asked on a number of occasions if I am Japanese, or of some grandfather was Japanese. I’ve also gotten shocked face reactions from people when I go to talk and they realize that I’m a foreigner. I’m sure I could use this to my advantage if my skill in Japanese improved enough. All I’d have to worry about is how to explain why my name is “Patorikku”.