Do you feel all Asians look like the same?
By mermaidivy
@mermaidivy (15395)
United States
August 16, 2009 9:18am CST
I have heard that from lots of caucasians that they feel Asians look very similar, they cannot tell which is from which countries. They all have same facial features, do you agree with that?
I am a Asian, we have lots of whites in my home country, I always couldn't tell what they are all from because they all have same features as well juts like the way white look at Asians I think. And now I couldn differentiate some by listening to their accent.
What do you think about this topic? I think it is very interesting, I hope I can receive your comments :-)
27 people like this
162 responses
@danrunsfast614 (1396)
• United States
16 Aug 09
Hahah. I am caucasian and I definitely disagree. I don't think they look any more alike than two white or black people. That being said, I know some friends who do agree with you. I think it all just depends on the person.
1 person likes this
@pupupd (1515)
• India
16 Aug 09
I am Asian and I don't have difficulty in distinguishing between two people from my own country (INDIA) but I find it a bit difficult to identify people from China and Japan, I feel they all look similar and relatives of each other.
If any 2 random person can look alike then what about their family members, they will all be twins
1 person likes this
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
16 Aug 09
hm I do think 2 white or 2 black looks very similar..
1 person likes this
@agv0419 (3022)
• Philippines
17 Aug 09
Yes sometimes I'm also an Asian but we can distinguised who are Filipinos. In some Asian neighboring countries it is hard to tell who are Japanese, Chinese and Koreans because they look all the same. Same with the Europeans it is also hard to tell which country they are from if you refering to their appearances. Filipinos are recognizable because of the accents and even we are mixed of some races we can be easily distinguised.
@LetranKnight25 (33121)
• Philippines
16 Aug 09
what's the difference with the Caucasians and Blacks?? there was a black Guy i mistook for denzel Washington and a white whom i thought was Tom Cruise.. Yes, I admit that most look the the same; between A) Filipinos, Malaysians,and Indonesians B) Between Japanese, Koreans, and Chinese aspects..when i watch a certain event in Indonesia and Malaysia, I mistook them for a Pilipino... where almost all look a like.if you look closer..
Have a great Swim Mermaid
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
16 Aug 09
They are really somehow similar and the resemblance of the features of the faces, skin, height, even eyes are enough to mislead an observer that they are from the same races judging from their appearances. we only know them better when they started to speak in their own languages, it is then you could identify from what countries they belong..
1 person likes this
@LetranKnight25 (33121)
• Philippines
16 Aug 09
I check your profile, since your from India, you're kinda belong to the Middle Group right? uhmmm.let's see Iraqi's,Israels,pakistanis,Iranians, and probably your country had also some similarities..and i too get confused
@comfort55 (1574)
• India
21 Aug 09
No, all Asians don't look alike. As you said, I can't differentiate whites and am unablt to tell to which country they belong. I was unable to differentiate between Chinese and Japenese till I had visited these two countries few years back. First I had been to Japan and then Hong Kong and Bangkok. Their i found the difference in looks between people of these countries.
1 person likes this
@ptrikha_2 (46947)
• India
21 Aug 09
Well, Asians differ from region to region . A West Asian would look different from a South Asian ,while the East and South East Asians have another look .
Also,the people from Central Asia would have a different look and a bit closer to Europeans .
Regards
1 person likes this
@sophisticated_boy (1457)
• Indonesia
16 Aug 09
I'm Asian, and yes sometimes I even feel hard to differ one Asian to the others, but it depends on the territories. For example, it's hard to differ East Asian person (especially girls) such as Japanese, Chinese, Singaporean or Korean girls cause they have quite the same features. White skin and small eyes. You have to look better to look where they came from. Usually I think Korean has round jaw and sharper nose, Japanese girls can be differentiate by looking their style (there's something unique about there style, like harajuku, although not all Japanese people dress like this). But I cannot differentiate Chinese girls, they all look like the same. I remember funny experience from interview in my current workplace. When I was being interviewed by my boss who is Philippines, I thought he's also Indonesian, so there's some misunderstanding happened cause I thought he knew about the city very well, I was explaining where I grew up etc, then after he keeps speaking English with a thick accent, then I realize he's not Indonesian lol.
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
16 Aug 09
I agree that Asian girls are hard to distinguish, I have asked if I was Japanese before but I am Chinese.
@pupupd (1515)
• India
16 Aug 09
I completely agree with you. The gals from Japan, china, Singapore , Korea etc, all of them look similar to me, I can't identify them even after close look. It becomes very difficult for me, I have a very hard time recognizing characters in Chinese movies
You seem to have done a lot of study to recognize them, good for you, but you still got confused with your boss
@KMlynarczyk (10)
• United States
18 Aug 09
Yes, I agree. But it is not just Asians, I think it is that way with every race. I am white and I could not distinguish a white person from America from a white person from another country, just by looking at them!
@thepohms09 (111)
•
18 Aug 09
i am sorry if i seem racist by saying this but... yes . to me anyway i cannot tell the difference. But i guess all whites look alike to your self so, swings and roundabouts.
1 person likes this
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
19 Aug 09
Hmmm... I think I don't get it, what does it mean? Is it American expression?
@prashanthalva (2272)
• India
18 Aug 09
Asians .. Can You Single Out .. I Don't Think So .. Well You Are Confusing The Mylot Population By Saying Asians Are Similar .. I Think you Are Talking About the South East Asians Being Similar ..
Am Saying this Because Indians, Pakistanis And A Few Other Asian Inhabitants Don't Resemble Anybody from China, Japan Or Indonesia .. This is What I Feel ..
1 person likes this
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
19 Aug 09
That's what I heard from the people, didn't know what areas they were thinking, I guess they were talking about Chinese, Japanese and Koreans.
@bjcyrix (6901)
• Philippines
20 Aug 09
Hmm, that would really depend. If I would look at each person one by one I can tell the difference from the other but as to guessing what nationality they are,..? I sometimes mix up Singaporeans, Malaysians, and Filipinos. Same thing with the Koreans, Chinese, and Japanese. Though I see a lot of Koreans, Chinese, and Japanese people on tv that I often guess correctly.^_^
As for the Caucasians, I could never tell Americans from Canadians until I hear them say specific words. Id also have to make great effort to hear certain inflections between English/British and Australian accents, so as to tell them apart.
And yeah, I do agree that to other people, a certain group of people can definitely look very alike most especially if they are from near places.
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
24 Aug 09
Yes, it is not easy to tell Americans and Canadians until they talk.
1 person likes this
@LovingLife139 (1504)
• United States
16 Aug 09
I'm caucasian and I find it very hard to tell Asians from one part of the world from other Asians. I usually just don't ask or assume. If they tell me, then I know.
I can almost always tell between Vietnamese and Chinese people. The reason being that the people I know from some local Chinese restaurants, and then the people who work at the nail place down the street that I use to go to (who told me they were Vietnamese), look a lot different. It's not only their eyes but their complexions. It seems to me that Vietnamese people have a more yellowish tint to their skin while Chinese have a very light pink tint.
On the same note, I couldn't tell you the difference between some white person with Italian backgrounds and some white people with other dark haired backgrounds such as Hispanic, etc. My dad has Serian in his roots, but he looks Italian to me. I have Native American in my roots (I was adopted), but I'm one of the palest people you'll ever meet.
I guess you can't really know for sure until the person tells you. :)
1 person likes this
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
16 Aug 09
Oh yea... it is the other thing that I cannot tell - American with Italian background, my honey is an American but he as Italian background, when I first met him, I couldn't tell he is an Italian at all! Because most of them still speak very fluent English, I though tItalian 's accent is different.
1 person likes this
@advokatku (4033)
• Indonesia
16 Aug 09
All asians look like the same ??? I am a male asian can distinguish
@realan (518)
• United States
17 Aug 09
I've been lucky to have grown up with friends from origins all over the world. Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Indian, Pakistanian, Filipino, different European countries, Russian, Latin American, African. I like to think that I can usually tell the difference between many Asians. Different countries have different features. It gets harder here with all the different intermarriages etc. My Godson is Chinese and European. One of my other great friends is Korean and Polish. Regardless, everyone is beautiful no matter what their background.
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
17 Aug 09
I must be interesting to know from all around th world, knowing their countries and cultures :-)
@mtvmtv (600)
• India
16 Aug 09
No..no. It's not exact truth if is a matter of continental.Because one can easily identify people of some particular country.Like people of china,japan,hongkong and even pak can be identified by their faces even.Even asian can identify the people from states or france.
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
16 Aug 09
I think I could try to recognise some but not all.
1 person likes this
@tristansite (92)
• Philippines
16 Aug 09
Asians are diverse people. North and Eastern Asians have fairer skin. Southeast Asians have fair to dark skin. South Asians (India, Sri Lanka) are dark-skinned people. Central Asians (Afghanistan, Eastern China) are mixed breed for East Asians and Caucasian looking people.
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
16 Aug 09
Oh I didn't know that different diverse people have different skin, I meant I didn't notice.
@erikandry (6)
• Indonesia
17 Aug 09
hahahaha....all asian look same??? I agree what tristansite says. there's a lot asian race. I was ask the same for western people (white people) that a lot of their faces are the same for me too.
@Nikigirl613 (131)
• United States
21 Aug 09
I am Caucasian, and I have to say that I don't feel that all Asian people look alike in the sense that I couldn't tell one person from another, however, I suppose I would say they look similar based on the fact that I could not see 2 Asian people standing in front of me and say oh, you are from China and you are clearly from Japan. But for that matter, I couldn't see 2 white people in front of me and say that you know, you are from France and you are from Australia, or the US. Accents help of course, but this is based on looking at 2 people. And for that matter, just because someone is black, it doesn't mean they are from Africa, so, my answer depends on how the question was intended. I don't feel that I can just tell by looking at people where they are from, but that doesn't mean that I just think that all people from a certain region are not individually discernible. Hope this makes sense to someone besides me!
1 person likes this
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
24 Aug 09
Yes, I think it is right to say we have similar features but not looking lik ethe same. Thanks for sharing :-)
@bellis716 (4799)
• United States
19 Aug 09
I do not think all Asians look alike, but I do believe that people native to each area of Asia look similar. The problem with caucasians' appearance is that they have been sailing around the world and intermarrying with the native population for so long that no one knows what the original native of that area looked like. For example, the population of the United States is so diverse that one can look like a person from any other country in the world, even an Asian, and still be a US citizen born and reared. The only true native American is the American Indian, and nearly all of them have some caucasian blood. In answer to your question, we don't all look alike, and neither do you.
@bellis716 (4799)
• United States
25 Aug 09
As you know, race and nationality are two different things. As I previously stated, a good share of Americans, probably most, are of mixed race. Yet, the US census and many other government forms still asks for a person's race. At least, they do now have a place to indicate mixed race.
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
24 Aug 09
Yes... that's why I cannot easily distinguish what race they are.
@shaiyoko (39)
• Philippines
20 Aug 09
No, they don't look the same. We only need to know how to distinguish one from the other. Many people think chinese, japanese and koreans look the same but they have different eyes. Chinese have the end of their eyes turned up, Japanese people have theirs turned down and koreans are in the middle.
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
24 Aug 09
Oh I never noticed our eyes are differnet this ways... I don't think so though , I am Chinese, my eyes are pretty big and the end is in the middle.
@aerous (13434)
• Philippines
19 Aug 09
perhaps all Asian is the same because they are in the same continent. But if you base in their facial there much more big difference even do there are some alike. like Japanese and the Filipino's they are not the same in facial. If you look someone that is alike Japanese because they have Japanese father or mother in reverse...
From what country you are, my friend?
have a great day!
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
24 Aug 09
I think we have similar features but not the same. I'm from Hong Kong.
@yourbetteroffasian (178)
• United States
18 Aug 09
That is a pretty racist comment from the caucasians. They might think that all asians are very similar because the stereotype is that all asians have small eyes and are so called "chinky". Not all asians are chinky. And we all have different faces, hair, eyes, nose, etc. So the so called fact that all asians feel similar can be easily refuted.
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
18 Aug 09
I think it is because they don't know much about Asians.
@virusxtreme24 (805)
•
18 Aug 09
Hi, don't mean to barge in but I feel strongly with you when you say that "Not all Asians are chinky." I have a friend who is full Asian, yet her eyes are just as big as a Caucasian's or African American's. In fact, they look bigger :o
@hankerChinese (205)
• China
18 Aug 09
hi, i come from China. Chinese feel all wests (who share the same racial)look like the same.it is a same problem for each other.
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
18 Aug 09
I think it is just because we don't see enough of them. I usd to feel like this before too.
@hankerChinese (205)
• China
18 Aug 09
So, i think communication between the east and the west is more and more important.