What Ching Chong Actually Means (Regarding Racism)

Fact: I'm Chinese. I speak the language, look the part, and act the part.

I came to the US when I was six. In fourth grade, I was riding the bus when these two obnoxious girls behind me made a remark obviously directed at me: 'ching chong.'

I decided to be the better person and ignore them; eventually they tired of saying the phrase over and over and became silent. I was tempted, back then, to hurl back their way one of several choice of insults about their obesity or overly large noses, some of the many stereotypes Asians have about Americans. I decided not to, however, because I knew the true meaning of 'ching chong.'

Now, think of the worst possible insult you could make about yourself. Something so heinously awful that it would make Hitler or Bill O'Reilly burst into tears. Yup, that's right. That's what 'ching chong' means.

Trollface: U mad, bro?


Trolololol, I keed I keed. 'Ching chong' means absolutely nothing at all - it's not even a Chinese word/phrase. Failsauce. Now comes the question, "What does this have to do with the book I'm reading?" Well, I was getting to that.

I'm currently reading a book called "American Shaolin" by Matthew Polly. The book is about an American who, obsessed with kungfu, travels to China to learn kungfu from the original masters: the Shaolin monks. Side note: to see how awesome the Shaolin style of kungfu is in relation to modern day life, watch Shaolin Soccer - with subtitles, of course.

Soccer and mortal peril sometimes don't mix. In this case, they do.


Anyways. What this book has to do with my blog post is this: in the book, there's a moderate to extreme amount of white stereotyping. The Chinese people in the book consider Americans to be either obese, arrogant, condescending, big-nosed, or giants in matters of height. Obviously, this doesn't apply to all whites.

If the Chinese stereotyping of whites leaves a sour taste in your mouth, consider the other side of the story. There's this overwhelming assumption in the US, I've found, that Asians have tiny slanted eyes, a preference for dog, small reproductive organs, a lack of hygiene, and/or a tendency to be loud.

Obviously, none of this is universally true. For instance, while most Asians have said physical features; like with any race, there are exceptions. But meh, I'm just stating the obvious. Let's talk about dogs.

Personally, I've never eaten any animal you could consider a pet in my life, and neither have my parents. (We HAVE, however, eaten chicken feet, jellyfish, beef small intestine, and pork tongue. Don't judge.) Recently, Chinese citizens have been protesting the presence of dogs at the dinner table (only in some regions of China and more dominantly in Korea) due to more and more of the Chinese nouveau riche owning pets. This is good. Definitely good.

A succulent dish of jellyfish.


There are other stereotypes which I won't bother dispelling because they'd be too awkward and because I'm tired. If you're smart, you'll look them up and be rewarded with knowledge. (And a virtual cookie.)