We stereotype the Chinese because it's just easier that way. We lump them in with Asians, in general, which is offensive both to the Chinese and to other Asians. We make jokes that they're intrinsically good at math, they're all short, and we even used to believe their slanted eyes made them all nearsighted and night-blind.
Like all stereotypes, these have a crux of truth to them, if only a small crux (except for that last bit about the eyes, of course, which is patently false). The math deal comes from China's emphasis on advanced math education in early childhood; junior high students in China have a much harder math curriculum than those in the United States.
Chinese parents who grew up under this system and immigrated to the U.S. generally apply the same standards to their children.
As for height, Asian folks are generally shorter as a matter of genetics, but both the tallest player in the NBA and the tallest man in the world are Chinese.
We already know that we shouldn't stereotype, but for curiosity's sake, what about the other side of the coin? What stereotypes do the Chinese have of us?
Eating noodles one day, I was beset upon by a local student. Since his English was far better than my Chinese, I lucked out. When he found out I was a college student, his eyes lit up and he laughed, exclaiming, "American college student! American college student love party, right? Drink real hard?"
I replied politely that we probably love parties as much as the next country, but we're not just a bunch of sots drinking away our four (or five or six) years - most of us aren't, anyway.
Still, he just grinned and winked at me, repeating, "American love party." So that's stereotype one: We love partying.
In grammar class, the teacher, an otherwise sweet lady, used an example: "Americans not only eat greasy food, but are also fat."
That got a lot of laughs, especially from the Iraqi guy in class (and yes, it is very awkward sitting next to him, especially being in the American Air Force).
I would have corrected her, but then I remembered all those Texas Double Whopper commercials and felt that she had a point.
Stereotype two: We eat bad food and get fat.
Meeting with my tutor one morning, she remarked with a wry smile, "I'm surprised you can meet me at this time - don't Americans hate getting up early?"
This seems to be connected to a more general 'Americans are lazy asses' theory; another friend of mine commented that young Chinese are becoming more lax in their familial duties and "more like you."
Now, in Chinese culture, to make a remark like hers implies a good deal of friendship, not impoliteness - they only poke fun at people whom they consider their buddies.
Still, it speaks to a third stereotype: Americans aren't hard working.
Finally, there's a stereotype that bites me every time I try to go bargaining at the market: Americans are loaded. At least in China, this one is true. I'm a student of only middling means, but I have enough cash in my checking account to buy two years of tuition at Beijing University - about $1,300.
Most of my friends here are pretty good about letting me forget that I'm in the top 1 percent of the Chinese population, ranked by wealth.
So after lengthy unscientific research, that's it; the Chinese stereotype of an American is a rich, lazy, fat guy who loves partying. Bring on the onion rings wrapped in greasy $100 bills.
Reach the reporter at: spate@asu.edu.
