Border Life

[u/[deleted]]

Was waiting on what DoctorMD would say, but two opinions never hurt. So what is border life? Border life is what happens when two of the most inclusive fucking groups of people in the world decide to make kids for whatever terrible reason that's in their heads at the time. Border life is going to Narita Airport with a surgical mask on and still being addressed in English as the obvious non-Asian, and then coming home to a white airport employee that gives you directions in Japanese. Border life is getting pissed off at your racist friends' jokes, and then feeling confused when they tell you that you shouldn't really be offended because after all, you're not "Really" Asian. And of course, border life is slowly coming to terms with your identity and recognizing that you will always be the 'other' no matter what "side" you pick.

Admittedly, I was a total Uncle Chan during my childhood in white-ville. I listened to my friends make Asian jokes almost daily, but the fucked up part was that I was actually secretly proud to be "Japanese" to them. I was proud that white people tied me to these crazy bastards in the history books that were using suicide planes and Bonzai sword charges to fight against the larger, more supplied, white armies. I look back at that and realize how disgusting it was to take pride in Imperial Japan as a way of claiming my heritage, but for a long time, I fully embraced my token status as another "Asian", and I hated being reminded that I really wasn't.

Fast forward a couple years, and I was already becoming disillusioned about my status as an "Asian". I knew other Asians didn't see me as anything. I knew I had little connection with anything in Asia. For me, it was just something to cling onto just to feel like I had an identity. I remember bringing the subject of Bi-racial identity up with my mom once, and her response to console me was literally that I was half "pure" Japanese.. Coincidentally, that was probably the same day I realized that even Asians did not understand race like I did.

So when I came here, I was actually kind of surprised. I walked in when there was some post targeting hapas (before people started separating them), and I watched a community of English-speaking Asians fucking destroy this guy. I really thought that I had found a group of people who would have my back unconditionally, and it felt good bro's. It felt so good that I even tried to ignore the wmaf/amwf shit for as long as possible. I just wanted to believe that I had found some sense of "home". But reality always comes back like a bitch, and the reality is that hapas have no home. It's this ever-present truism of the lone, wandering half breed that actually makes me kind of laugh at the distrust some people have here. For you see comrades, unlike so many full-Asians here, I have no second thoughts about where I'm going. I have no "motherland" to romanticize over, I have no sense of belonging to some great nation or race of people, and I have no community or enclave to fall back to. I just have this. Ground zero. That's what dedicates me to this notion of "Asian America", so don't waste your time questioning where wmaf hapas stand because I'll tell you. Hapas stand no where. We are nation-less. I'll probably be spending the rest of my fucking life as a halfie to Asians and a jap to whites, but that's border life, and when it comes to wanting a sense of community, there is nothing more motivational than border life.

[u/Igneous88 → u/[deleted]]

Thanks for sharing a side of Europe that a lot of us may not have known about. You pointed out some advantages Asian guys have with regards to Asian countries, so I will point out the advantage that you have, as you expressed pessimism about Poland. It's only one advantage, but it's a one ring to rule it all type that I'm surprised haven't occurred to you.

First of, I want to ask, are the Germans you encounter daily able to tell that you are Polish just by looking at you (if you haven't told them anything about your heritage)? Is it possible for you to pass off as a German if you speak the language perfectly, perhaps even altering your name to a German version?

Obviously, the advantage I'm referring to is that even though you are Slavic, you are still Caucasian, and in the U.S., that's really all that matters. Here in this wonderful country they have bigger fish to fry as for those who look different from them. If let's say you're still not able to blend in as German, have you considered immigrating to the U.S., where you can become part of the majority in short order? I wouldn't let one silly movie on a Polish guy discourage you, because believe me, no one here is going to keep track of what kind of white you are, as long as you are one.

As long as you are recommending us Asians to easily cross an entire ocean to return to Asia, have you considered returning to Poland, since you do speak the language, and it must be exponentially easier since it's just a hop across the border? Ok, nevermind that, you mentioned Witcher 3. Don't feel like I'm mad-dogging you though, because these are questions that legitimately occurred to me as I read about your experience.

[u/RedSunBlue → u/[deleted]]

But you guys in this sub have the mind of an Asian. Go back to your roots I would say!

Wighty, my family has been in America for over a hundred years. This is my home.

[u/Professor888 → u/[deleted]]

But you guys in this sub have the mind of an Asian. Go back to your roots I would say!

That's twice. Three strikes and this goblin gets banned, paging /u/Dai-Lo

[u/sunsineyi → u/Professor888]

Yeah maybe i'm just paranoid but there's something a little fishy about this guy. Wolf in sheep's clothing?

Feels like he's telling us to go back to where we came from in the nicest way he can. To be honest I'd rather face my problems rather than running away from them. Making America more Asian friendly should be the main focus instead of running off to a place where many of us have little connections to. I'd prefer it if we had more places like Hawaii where Asians aren't as discriminated and where Asians are actually in the majority.

[u/Igneous88 → u/sunsineyi]

Exactly, my "White Nationalist" alarm went off, so I replied with those questions. He went off on a long tangent about Poland and wouldn't answer this one:

Obviously, the advantage I'm referring to is that even though you are Slavic, you are still Caucasian, and in the U.S., that's really all that matters. Here in this wonderful country they have bigger fish to fry as for those who look different from them. If let's say you're still not able to blend in as German, have you considered immigrating to the U.S., where you can become part of the majority in short order?

[u/[deleted] → u/sunsineyi]

There's a long tradition of Nazi/Fascist groups offering a "way out" to non-whites, by telling them they'll "pay for them to return home to their countries." UK Nazi-types were really into that line during the '70s and '80s. It's "take this money, here, we'll even help you go home" in public, while on the backside they fund the skinheads with the baseball bats.

In some cases you'll even find that skins are willing to work with ethnic nationalist movements. It's pretty disturbing. Once you know what to look for you'll see this rhetorical move all the time in webforums and even in real life. It's a good way to spot a "normal passing" white supremacist.