"Mi madre es de las filipinas y mi padre es de hawaii"

Here is a typical conversation (translated) that I have about once a day, or about every time I met someone new from here:


person- o where are you girls from?
taylor- the United States
me- the United States
person- (with an intrigued look on their face) o really? both of you? (pointing to me) I thought you were from China. Where in the states are you from?
me- Wisconsin, it's a state kinda near Chicago, up north close to Canada
person- well where are your parents from?
me- (smiling because I knew this is what they were wondering about from the beginning) o well my mom is from the Philippines and my dad is from Hawaii (hence the title of this post)
person- o you're not from China or Japan? I thought you were
me- (still trying to be polite and smile) no. I am not. I'm from the United States
person- (still with an intrigued look on their face) o ok... well nice to meet you. bye 'Chinita' -translation: little chinese girl...

As kinda obvious with this convo, I am still getting used to the fact that people here just call people out by their physical appearances. In the states no one would ever just call me 'la chinita' because of how I look, or at least call me that and get away with it. If someone did call another person out by a racial/physical difference in the states we would label that person rude or a racist in a heartbeat, but here it is part of the culture to nickname someone just by their physical attributes. They do not mean it in any kind of racial or demeaning way. This significant cultural difference is something that I am still learning to cope with and respond to. I am not gunna lie, it's hard for me to not get mad when something thinks I'm from the movie The Karate Kid just because I am asian and happen to be wearing a belt. But the Lord is gracious and kind. He has been giving me patience to try and respond in love and through a cultural lens to people here that label me right off the bat as "la chinita". I don't think I'll ever fully be ok with it, but I am learning to see and accept it as a term of endearment in this culture. Continue to pray for patience and kindness for me as I grow in this area.