I too experienced many points of friction when visiting and working in China. My nationality and ethnicity was often either positive (Singaporeans are so good at English and Mandarin!!) when geo-political relations were good, or absolutely tragic (you are all hanjian race traitors!!) when they were not.
I’m suspicious of all attempts to bring us into the ‘Chinese fold’.
Anecdotally I find these things happen with much more frequency with northerners. It could also be a cultural clash of north and south (most in the Chinese diaspora are from specific parts of the coastal south). I find when I meet someone from the south, no one ever chides me on Mandarin (coz let’s be real, it sucks). And also tends to have more cultural affinity towards.. the rest of the world, and other ways of existing as a ‘Chinese’ person that isn’t just, Xi’s China.
English is also imprecise. The words are just ‘Chinese’ (nationality) or ‘Chinese’ (ethnicity). In various Chinese languages there are different words. ‘Zhongguoren’ (citizen of the PRC), which we never use to describe ourselves because we are not. Also the PRC didn’t exist when most of our ancestors left. Huaqiao / huashang / huayi / tang ren (overseas Chinese, of varying degrees of China centrism). I prefer the terms we use in SE Asian or S Chinese languages rather than Mandarin, though.
"Filipinos have been in Alaska for 236 years... We are the state’s largest immigrant minority, but there are few records for us to learn from. It’s an uphill battle, trying to share our community’s stories the way we feel is right."
TASHA ELIZARDE (SHE/HER)
Co-founder of media collective Mana Alaska; executive producer of oral history project Mga Kuwento
Juneau, #Alaska
This is the first tempeh I’ve had on the west coast that tastes like tempeh to me. I feel like when most people here say they don’t like tempeh they really mean they haven’t had decent tempeh.
This brand is from Eugene, OR and available at Rainbow Grocery in SF and other retailers
Indonesians should look away from the price to avoid excessive shock to the system
(I don’t know what the tempeh situation is on the east coast but since there are many, many Indonesian grocery stores there I imagine it’s better)
The difference between Indonesian tempeh : Surata tempeh : Whole Foods / Trader Joe’s tempeh is like amazing artisanal cheese : pretty decent deli cheese slices : Kraft cheese (in this analogy the expensive Whole Foods tempeh is the Kraft cheese)
Just like tofu isn’t something only vegetarians eat in most of Asia, tempeh also isn’t only for vegetarians in Malaysia / Indonesia. Most people would be shocked / surprised to hear it has vegetarian / vegan connotations
Obviously it can be used by veg people, but they are not often prepared in veg ways there