Peter Kim is a Chicago-based comedian and self-described “fabulous husky gaysian” and he has something to say about the subtle tones of white supremacy he is forced to deal with on a near daily basis.
Kim recalls going to an audition where a man complimented him for being “almost white.”
“Me, an Asian-American, being almost white? Meaning what?” Kim asks. “That I’m not black or Latino or any skin complexion darker than white? In saying so, he’s assuming that white people are the default race in this country, that I am almost normal.”
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“And this isn’t some ignorant racist,” he adds. “This is a liberal creative person living in Chicago.”
But it doesn’t stop there. Kim says the problem is everywhere.
“You see, this happens to me all the time, even in places I never thought would exist,” he explains. “See, I’m a Korean man who’s also gay. And when I finally came out and downloaded the dating app Grindr–spoiler alert, ain’t nobody dating on Grindr–I was overwhelmed by profiles saying no fems, no fats, no Asians.”
“And I would say to myself, well, that can’t be me, because, according to my mom, I’m not fat, I’m husky.”
Related: Asian Man Fed Up With Being Ignored By The “White-Painted Gay Community”
And then there is the question he can’t seem to escape no matter where he goes.
“When I get asked the question where are you from, and I respond, ‘Oh, New York,’ most of the time, well-meaning white people get upset and ask, ‘You know what I mean. Where are you from-from?'” Kim says. “My boyfriend, who is from Minnesota, whose family has roots in Sweden, never has to explain where he’s from-from.”
Watch below.
h/t: PBS
Kangol
I get where he’s coming from, but if you’re so against “white supremacy,” what are you doing with a white man whose family’s roots are “from Sweden”? Girl, come on!
MacAdvisor
Just a wild guess here, I don’t know them, but Mr. Kim is with his boyfriend because he loves him. Maybe?
Binary Void
So, if you’re a person of color against “white supremacy” you can’t be with a white man from Sweden? Being “White” and being a “White Supremacist” are two completley different things, girl.
Binary Void
I’m sure you’re joking.
Jack Meoff
Bitch Please!
Gusteau
Well, a way of not having “white” as the default race would be changing the slang. Why are words like “asian-american” and “african-american” so widely used and proudly embraced, but “european-american” isn’t? If the default word of “american” is also used to describe a white US citizen, how can it not be the very default race? Words have power, and so does consistency.
MacAdvisor
Yeah, there isn’t any Italian American, German American, Irish American, none of the that.
Holloway
So many hyphens and not enough simple allowing oneself to be American 🙂
Gusteau
Well, Irish American is not the same as African American. To me, using 2 specific nation names in a description denotes your parentage, meaning you are half/half (as in your parents, NOT your grandparents) or gt the citizenship of both countries, whereas African American is more a general term roughly describing heritage. Since white people aren’t indigenous to the Americas either, it would only be correct to also use “European American”.
But yes, how about only using American or USAmerican and ignore the others for consistency sake. Like that guy for example calling himself gaysian is kinda redundant. I was like “Gasp, you are?”….
Alan down in Florida
His bf is a lucky man.
Xzamilloh
And he likes white men. The fact that I have seen so many of these race-baiting articles and movements created by minorities who are found to be in relationships with white people is not something that is lost on me and is something that makes me instantly roll my eyes. There’s a reason I say half the things I do about black people as a black person, and that is because I’m black as all heck and have nothing to prove to anyone. I love black men and don’t care what anyone else prefers because it has no bearing on my life. Sorry, but I just do not care about white daddy’s validation the way some of these others do.
MacAdvisor
Well, he likes “a” white man. I am not sure one data point can be extrapolated to a whole class.
Kangol
Thank you, @Xzamilloh. It’s called mental decolonization. Like I said, I agree with his critique in the broader sense. But on a personal level, if you are not just critiquing r@cism but building a career by calling out white domination and oppression, isn’t it a bit ironic (I’ll leave hypocrisy off the table) to be all up under a white person?
Binary Void
You can be in an interracial relationship and still have opinions on race and race relations. Not every White person who dates a person of color is riddled with White guilt and not every person of color who dates a White person holds racial grudges. Just because I support BLM and equal representation in the LGBT community, doesn’t mean I avoid White people. My last three boyfriends were White and we held the same views on social causes including race relations. Not all interracial relationships include conflict cultural and racial conflicts.
NateOcean
Well he’s had his 15 minutes.
Next!
justyouandi
To claim that asking about someone’s heritage is “white supremacy” is to equate an innocuous inquiry with unimaginable cruelty. Such a comparison demeans those who have suffered the brutality of actual racism.
The Holocaust, slavery, Jim Crow–these are large-scale examples of racism, of evil. On a more intimate scale, there is the African American kid who gets called a n***** as she walks down the street, the Puerto Rican teen who gets beaten up at school because of his ethnicity, or the Jewish man who gets called a k*** for no reason. That’s racism, and it’s deadly serious. Using the word “racism,” or the phrase “white supremacy” to describe someone innocently asking about your ethnicity is a slap in the face to those who truly suffer.
Gusteau
True, BUT using the term racism to describe what happened to people of different religions is not correct. The old term “race” has nothing to do with religion, neither has “ethnicity”. That’s another example of “incorrect” usage of clearly defined terms that just baffle me. You do not change your race or your ethnicity by changing your religion or you nationality, hence the disconnect.
Just call it hate crime or prejudice if that’s what you mean, using a powerful term for all kinds of things takes away its power.
Sorry for the analness, but again, words have power, and wrong usage can take away from that power.
captainburrito
I don’t get it. You can’t complain about racism if you are in an inter-racial relationship?
Masc Pride
You can, but this guy is mostly just complaining about all the ways white people irk him, and I think that’s where his proudly proclaiming his BF’s Swedish heritage becomes a bit laughable.
Binary Void
Being in an interracial relationship means you can’t have any opinions on race? Groundbreaking. lol
KaiserVonScheiss
This man makes Conrad von Hötzendorf look like a genius.
Neonegro
Yes, white is the default race in a majority white country.
You want to be part of the default race, move to a majority East Asian country.
And yes you are fat.
rmarin776
Why show the clip and then be so dismissive afterwards? “Well, we’re going to remember that one!” ??
ingyaom
Did he say there will never be an Asian person in a car insurance commercial? How about this one:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/fc/33/2e/fc332e86c092459654f7856a490ae5a5.jpg
ingyaom
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/fc/33/2e/fc332e86c092459654f7856a490ae5a5.jpg
ingyaom
[file]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/fc/33/2e/fc332e86c092459654f7856a490ae5a5.jpg[/file]
arkcub
While it might be a stretch for some to buy the idea Peter Kim’s peddling, I can see where he’s coming from. Similar concepts towards African Americans/Blacks, American Indians, Asians, Hispanics, Indians, etc. not being “normal” like their Caucasian/White counterparts have been around for countless generations. The concept of “If you’re not white, you’re a blight.” is just as similar/prevelant as homophobia/bigotry…
I will say that I’m not sure what’s more offensive: The concept that being white is “normal” (because clearly there are no insane, deranged, or off-their-rockers white folks in the world) or the clearly homophobic, brainless, bigoted uppity WASP female reporter who completely disregards someone’s opinion with a condescending *SIGH* Well…” [laugh, laugh, laugh] “We’re gonna remember that one.”
Nevada_Summer
Hey you guys, there is nothing wrong admiring a specific race for their beauty. Let us embrace it and make peace with it. White is the current gold standard. Deep inside you know it. It doesn’t mean you hate yourself and yes there is beauty found in all races but white beauty many people find, is appealing, pleasing to the eyes. it boils down to attraction. This is effective in casual sex hook up but if you want to go further, if you have experienced and seen it all, you go for personality. Many if not all these beautiful white boys are shallow and pretentious in the long run this will give you a bitter taste in your tongue and you may want to expel him from your life. But attraction is where all it begins. Being Asian, I’m a peaceful person, I love peace and I love LOVE. Accept your fellow gay men and do not judge. Btw I’m an asian gay guy loves white guys and almost fought another asian for attention of a white guy and I can see how vicious and predatorial other asians can be when you are dating a white guy. Honestly, don’t fight over food, kids! 😀