This is messing with my mind, it's quite cool to see though
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NMrqGHr5zE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NMrqGHr5zE
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Americans of Chinese heritage with southern accents living in the Mississippi Delta
- Thread starter Orkidea
- Start date
Yeah I visited Mississippi a decade or so ago to meet some family friends. First thing that shocked me was the Asian community. In the area I visited most grocery stores were owned by Asian-Americans with the southern accents. I told my gf about the experience and she didn't believe me. A friend of hers showed her this video a couple days ago and she was flipping out. I had the biggest "I told you" face.
Mammoth Jones
Member
Same thing I remember in North Carolina. Lifelong residents got the accent regardless of their ethnicity. Just how language works.
ShinMaruku
Member
That's nothing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEm2HoswmgA
Chinese man speaking Patois.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YW3TmlslGo
Chinese Jamaicans.
My father's best friend is a Chinese Jamaican and my grandfather's father was a Chinese Jamaican.
Chinese man speaking Patois.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YW3TmlslGo
Chinese Jamaicans.
My father's best friend is a Chinese Jamaican and my grandfather's father was a Chinese Jamaican.
ShadowSwordmaster
Banned
Loved his work when I was watching Comedy Central.
QisTopTier
XisBannedTier
AbortedWalrusFetus
Member
My wife's family all grew up in Brooklyn. The first time I met everyone it blew my mind. My eyes told me it was a Chinese family but my ears told me it was a bunch of Brooklyn Italians. It really makes you think about the expectations you develop. They've lived there all their lives so it makes sense that's how they talk, but it subverts expectations. I can also see why it's so frustrating to be a minority when you're saddled with those expectations
ShinMaruku
Member
Indeed. But I guess it would be a shock to some people who never been to other places.
Yeah I learned about that a few years ago, that there was a big population of Chinese in Jamaica. Like there is a big population of Japanese in Brazil
folks get in where they fit in
QisTopTier
XisBannedTier
I guess it's less that I've been places and moreso I've interacted with people largely by voice due to MMO's over the years
Seductivpancakes
Member
I love it. I've always loved the Southern accent, but hearing it from my people. Love it.
TimeEffect
Member
Haha this is cool.
I was on a bus and there was this really loud Sikh guy with the whitest Canadian accent ever. This is in the middle of a diverse city, so he was either screwing with people, or was brought up in some remote part of Canada.
I was on a bus and there was this really loud Sikh guy with the whitest Canadian accent ever. This is in the middle of a diverse city, so he was either screwing with people, or was brought up in some remote part of Canada.
Rice-Eater
Member
I'm Asian American and was born in California but spent most of my years in NC. I lived there for 21 years before moving to Georgia this year, although I might just move right back next year. Point is that from my perspective, I've never seen another Hmong speak with anything other than a basic American accent whether they were from California, the Midwest or the South.
I think for the most part we all sound the same because the ones born and raised in America stick to their own. We all learn the basic accent that most Americans are known for from foreigners. And since we still don't interact too much with non-Asians I think that's why despite living in certain regions we don't develop the local accent. Just my perspective since that's how my generation grew up and I don't see it differ too much with the newer generations.
I think for the most part we all sound the same because the ones born and raised in America stick to their own. We all learn the basic accent that most Americans are known for from foreigners. And since we still don't interact too much with non-Asians I think that's why despite living in certain regions we don't develop the local accent. Just my perspective since that's how my generation grew up and I don't see it differ too much with the newer generations.
RedAssedApe
Banned
i think old asian people speaking perfect english just kind of throws you off. happens to me quite a bit when i'm in japanese communities around los angeles
That's been my experience, as far as my interactions with Asians in the US. This video is trippy and making me nostalgic.
My friend was born in Costa Rica and another had close ties to Peru. There's a huuuuuge Chinese population in Latin/South America because a lot of them fled overseas for work or for peace.
A Pretty Panda
fuckin' called it, man
I'll be honest, even as an Asian American meeting an older Asian American who grew up here throws me off a little. I grew up in an area where all the Asian Americans were first or second generation.
As someone who grew up in Ontario, seeing people that old with North American accents is the only thing that is a bit trippy. I know tons of Asian Canadians under 40 who were either born here, or immigrated very young. All of them have the same accent that I do. But their parents almost exclusively have Chinese (or Korean, Filipino, etc) accents, having came here as adults.
It's cool that the community in the video has existed for so long.
ShinMaruku
Member
The Chinese part of my ancestry had fled during the Boxer Rebllion and found a good niche in Jamaica as part of that diaspora. It was very interesting to learn about that. It's quite similar to the Indians who live in those areas too.
NipplesAndToes23
Member
I hardly even see any here let alone that.
I think it's the fact that large-scale Asian immigration didn't really kick off until about the time in history where most regional American accents started dying out that makes this seem strange. You expect either a foreign accent or standard American, but for these people who arrived as part of the smaller wave of Asian immigration a century earlier, and to a place as isolated as the rural South, of course they picked up the local dialect.
I think I've heard similar things about Vietnamese immigrants in Gulf fishing communities, since a lot of them came over as war refugees and a lot of their skills were most applicable to those communities, so that's where they settled and picked up the Southern accent as well.
I think I've heard similar things about Vietnamese immigrants in Gulf fishing communities, since a lot of them came over as war refugees and a lot of their skills were most applicable to those communities, so that's where they settled and picked up the Southern accent as well.
Came for this. Was not disappointed.
HisImperialMajesty
Member
My cousins who live in Australia have a full on Australian accent. I met them for the first time a few years back and my mind was blown.
I feel like most Americans only expect us to have "Asian" accents, or the standard accent. Just look at the way we're portrayed in the media and it's no wonder why.
I feel like most Americans only expect us to have "Asian" accents, or the standard accent. Just look at the way we're portrayed in the media and it's no wonder why.
I know there isn't any malice behind this thread but yea the premise does kinda irk me. It's like a half step away from saying they are so eloquent.
I was raised in a Gulf community with a very large Vietnamese population. They definitely don't have a "standard American accent", but on the whole they seem to be lucky enough to be far closer to that than the local accent which is the worst I've ever heard.
capitalCORN
Member
I find it interesting how they are referred to as Chinese. but not Chinese American.... For a melting pot that is.
NipplesAndToes23
Member
A very informative video; thanks for sharing. I see this is part 2. Where's part 1?
Surely you mean inscrutable.
Gunslinger
Member
Reminds me of this WWE character:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2I4RVmlCZ4I
But in all seriousness it's pretty cool. And makes sense to me. The Chinese workers that used to work on rail roads probably on 3rd or even 4th generation now. Makes sense they are adapted to the culture by now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2I4RVmlCZ4I
But in all seriousness it's pretty cool. And makes sense to me. The Chinese workers that used to work on rail roads probably on 3rd or even 4th generation now. Makes sense they are adapted to the culture by now.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
There was a thread about the same video a few days ago, but I can't find the link.
It's on the channel and is a series about Chinese (food) in America rather than about Chinese in the south. There's three last I checked.
It's on the channel and is a series about Chinese (food) in America rather than about Chinese in the south. There's three last I checked.
I'm not quite sure why this is prejudiced. Minority communities trend towards either a unique accent or more neutral national accents.
Moreover there are more things that go into picking up one's accent than just location. We just tend to associate them with places. The assumption that would make this racist probably comes from a misunderstanding of what accents are more than anything else.
Plenty of white and black people from the south do not possess what people think of as the "standard" southern accent.
Moreover there are more things that go into picking up one's accent than just location. We just tend to associate them with places. The assumption that would make this racist probably comes from a misunderstanding of what accents are more than anything else.
Plenty of white and black people from the south do not possess what people think of as the "standard" southern accent.
NipplesAndToes23
Member
Oh the part 1 has a different title, I thought was something unrelated. I'm about to watch some more.
Gordon Shumway
Banned
Yup..folks just pick up the accents they're around.
A Pretty Panda
fuckin' called it, man
John Rabbit
Banned
They had me at "Southern-style Chinese food".