Being Asian in Honduras

Means…

You are Chinese. Even when you thoughtfully explain that your biological father was born in Vietnam and your mom is a gringa, you are misunderstood. When you further explain that Vietnam is a country to the south of China, it is then assumed that you are in fact Japanese.

To get your attention on the streets of Tegucigalpa, people yell “china” (Chinese girl).

Your closest Honduran friends lovingly refer to you as “chinita” (little Chinese girl).

When they see the scene where the Chinese girl dances in the latest Karate Kid movie, all the girls scream your name.

Children ask you if you can do karate and tell you to put your hair in a bun “like they do in your country.”

Adults ask you if you are related to Bruce Lee. You say no, you are related to Jackie Chan.

You start to make off-color racial jokes because it is so normal here (see above).

When you are making a sample coat of arms for the first grade “Who am I?” unit and you draw in one of the squares what you want to be (in my case, a mom), your teaching partner edits the drawing of you and your baby so that they have slanty eyes. Seriously.

You despair when one of the abuelitas tells you that you must not be from the United States because you look different. You then have a little personal celebration when she says you don’t look Chinese, but CATRACHA!!!