Is the author of Stuff White People Like an Asian male?

A commenter named "Tom Sawyer" left a very long comment on the Stuff White People Like blog explaining why he thinks the author of the blog is an Asian male. It's such a good comment it deserves to be read in it's entirety by more people, so I reproduce it below the fold.

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I am in total agreement with the posts above…the author of this blog is ASIAN.

This blog reeks of

“Asian American (I am almost 99% it is Korean-American) Guy who realizes that the Fixed Action Patters of Upper Middle Class, Urban, Liberal White People” is the standard target and pinncale lifestyle to which almost all wealthy and educated people in America strive….and is a bit peeved at it so decides to poke fun of it in a light, but still somewhat derisive manner”

For all of you who mistakenly believe that the author is black or hispanic, I quote the famous SNL skit: “Nigga Please!”

Although Black or hispanic people poke fun at and find much of white culture quirky and hilarious, they do not write blogs which dive so deep into showcasing white culture and critique in a way that exudes insecurity or a vent-up “grudge” as this one does. You can see that that none of the items in this blog are really far from fact. Alot of the items of in the list do indeed apply to a very large section of white population in America. The author does not really lie or distort reality. However, that’s just it. Only Asians find the reality of white culture to be bothersome to their pre-programmed prejudices of what is superior. Hispanics and blacks would be more likely to make up and totally distort the reality of white culture and make jokes about it and leave it at that since they really don’t care what white people do as long as it doesn’t infringe upon their enjoyment of life. In other words, Hispanics and blacks are perfectly fine with the whites wanting to recycle, drive Priuses, live by the water, shop at Whole Foods or what not because if they were making as much money or obtaining the same level of financial comfort, many black and Hispanics would probably want to do the same thing too. Or, they would choose not to, but it doesn’t bother them. Simply put, black and hispanics are comfortable being themselves and with white people being different. They really don’t have any dreams or illusions of black or hispanic culture dominating the “stuff that white people like culture” and really don’t get annoyed that liberal, urban white culture is what it is.

However, with Asians, it is a completely different story. Asians have this strange underlying “grudge” or I should say, “inferiority complex” with any culture or people that are different from themselves but hold a dominance in the society in which both live. Thus, this reality does not fit well with the natural competitive and insecure nature that personififes so much of the Asian immigrant culture in the western world. Unlike black and hispanics, the Asian population in western countries has already reached the same level of economic/financial success that white people hold, and in Asian culture, there is no greater feeling of enjoyment than seeing yourself becoming the dominant power. Thus, because Asians share pretty much the same socio-economic status as whites, they are much aware and exposed to white, urban, liberal blue-state culture since they probably work alongside these types of white people and probably have gone to the same wealthy, high ranked, hippie universities full of white people that this blog ridicules. Not too many black and hispanics have reached this position to be so close and neck to neck with the white population that is the target of this blog. That is the diference.

Thus, Asians see that in this country (USA) or whichever country in which Asians and whites are neck to neck, that despite sharing almost the same economic status with that of the white population, the standard for hipness, wealth, and whatever is considered “cool”, fashionable or trendy is basically “stuff that urban, progressively-minded white people like”…not stuff that “rich, successful, science/engineering background-minded Asian people like.” This reality conflicts and does not bode well with what these Asians have believed throughout their entire lives from birth which is that “Our Asian culture is superior to any caucasian culture because our race is the most intelligent and most beautiful in the world”. It is a commonly known fact that Asian culture in the form of parents, schools, media drill this message of racial superiority into their heads from birth. Thus, when these kids grow up and actually see that reality of the world is totally different from what their masters in their little Asian enclave of racial superiority has told them, they get confused, jealous and spiteful to the point where they need to find tribal comfort in congregating with other Asians and finding humor in telling each other how funny it is that white people’s culture is so different from theirs.

The irony is, however, that in secret or behind closed door amonst themselves, alot of Asians actually yearn for the same things found on this list…especially living by the water or shopping at high end groceries. However, they are just irritated that they came from a culture in which their families could not afford to or did not give a rat’s ass about the environment, recycling, helping poor people in third world countries, eating organic food, helping causes, going snowboarding, renovating a house, throwing dinner parties, travelling to exotic locales, etc., Granted it is not their fault because as immigrants to a new country, their parents did not have the time nor luxury of doing these things because they were too busy trying to make money or push their kids at school to learn Calculus by age 10.

Instead, these Asian kids grew up seeing TV shows from their motherland countries and their families living a different culture: obessing about money, buying expensive designer name brand goods with the label on the front to show off (Gucci, Guess, Dolce Gabanna, etc.), smoking cigarettes in front of their girlfriends, driving nothing other than Mercedes Benz and BMWs, listening to cheezy ballad or R&B based pop music, striving to be a rich doctor, never thinking about travelling to third world countries (only places where they want to travel is K-town in LA, NYC, or anywhere which is considered “fashionable”), etc. Becuase they grew up seeing this type of lifestyle and culture as what is cool and what every normal person strives to acheive, they are heartbroken and angry when they realize that noone in upper class America considers this type of lifestyle to be “cool” or reflecting of high class or wealth. Thus, you get the grudge and blogs like this.

Now of course, before anyone jumps on my back, I know I did ALOT of racial stereotyping and applied a huge range of broad labels to Asians in general. However, my response to that is, “I really don’t care.” Why? Because I can. The reason is that although I am not a member of this group, I spent almost all of my 34 years growing up surrounded by Asian Americans with almost 70% of my childhood friends being Asian, going to school with them side by side, eating dinner and spending weekends upon weekends at their houses with their families, and just knowing their culture inside out. I can even speak Mandarin and Korean even though I am a white boy. Now, I will say that almost half of my close friends now are Asian. However, none of these people subscribe or are victims to the mental disease of insecurity and inferiority complex which I described above. In fact, these guys are “whiter” than me in so many ways and unlike the Asians which I describe above, they really don’t care that “white culture” is different from what they grew up with and really don’t care that it is the dominant standard for what is considered trendy and characteristic of wealth and high-class. In other words, they are absolutely comfortable with themselves. Thus, I want to say that NOT ALL ASIANS ARE LIKE WHAT I DESCRIBE ABOVE.

However, I would like point out three points in the list of this blog that are dead giveaways that the author is Asian and not black or hispanice. Here they are:

#68 Divorce

- Please. I think more blacks or hispanics get divorced than whites. No black or hispanic would be foolish to cite this as something characteristic of being something only a white person would do. However, I can’t even count how many times I have heard the endless adage from Asians saying how terrible and inferior white American culture is because the divorce rate is so high in this country. They insist that Asian culture is that of higher morals because divorce is uncommon. Well, I guess it would be that way since the only other alternative for an Asian women would be to become a prostitute and outcasted by society for the rest of her life since a divorced woman has as much value as a slab of T-bone steak 10 days past the expiration date. No wonder you see so many loveless Asian couples who stay together just for superficial face value while the husband goes and screws whores at the hostess bar on a weekly basis while the wife flies to Europe or Thailand with her girlfriends for a romp in the sack with locals. Meanwhile, the kids grow up seeing such a screwed up household and become permanently scarred for life so they end up jaded, angry, and insecure. Thus, many of them end up writing blogs like this. Oh well, but according to them, this type of relationship is waaaay better than divorce.

#47 Art Degrees

- Again, while in university, I was astounded by the number of Asian students who told me how they hated courses in English lit, history, or any of the humanities courses which required them to write. Thus, it’s not surprising that I found the opportunity to make alot of good money from Asian high school kids who would pay me to write their college application essays since they had no writing skills whatsoever to complement their 800 math SAT scores. I’m not talking about international students either but rather Asian-Americans. It’s strange that even with the privledge of having grown up in an English speaking educational system, so many Asians have difficulty in expressing themselves outside of number or equations. I think this stems from the fact that they are conditioned within their families to think that the only respectable disciplines or professions are ones that use science and math. Any other academic discipline such as arts and the humanities is for the inferior white race. Thus, this becomes ingrained in their heads. However, the caveat is that when it comes time to apply to Harvard or Princeton, they realize that their high grades in math/science and 800 math SAT scores don’t mean jack when they also carry poor grades in English or low verbal SAT scores. I guess that’s where I come in. In any case, many an Asian student who was denied his/her chance at Harvard, Stanford or Yale because of their weakness in the arts or humanities has expressed to me their utmost hatred in all of their high school English teachers, college essays, etc and vow that they would like to exterminate any person who majors in such disciplines and gets a better paying job (probably a lawyer) than themselves. Dead giveaway. Blacks and Hispanics don’t give a shit about who majors in what.

#42 Sushi and #58 Japan

- Actually, these two may be more of a confirmation that the blog writer is definitely NOT Japanese but most likely Korean or Chinese American. However, that in itself serves as a strengthening evidence that the writer is definitely Asian and not hispanic or black because there is no way in hell that a black and hispanic would know or even care to subdivide the Asian fetish that alot of white people have. To black and hispanics, a white person fawning over anything Japanese is just an “Asian fetish.” However, to a Korean or Chinese person, a white person fawning over anything Japanese is just one more cherry on the top of the pudding of insult to their own culture which they believe to be superior to that of Japan’s. To Korean-Americans and Chinese-Americans, Japanese are pretty much at the same level as white people are in terms of targets of jealousy, insecurity, disdain and their grudge. I really don’t think any black or hispanic would give a frog’s fat ass whether or not white people preferred Japanese culture/food to that of Koreans or Chinese but for the Koreans and Chinese, it’s just makes them squirm even more with rage and jealous grudge. Spend any time with a Korean or Chinese and they will tell you that the thing that they hate more than Japan itself is the fac t that Japan enjoys a very popular image throughout the first world and is considered “cool” and “hip” among wealthy, urban, intelligent whites. They really don’t like it that kimchi, soju, Korean soap operas, turtle boats, and Panda express do not conjure up the same image of elegance and chicness that sushi, “Lost In Translation”, samurai and sake do for white people. Definitely, it would not be on this list if it was a non-Asian.

For a better idea of what I am talking about, look at the website below. It’s chock full of Asian American males who are venting their anger and frustration at being the little man on the totem pole in American society. Their posts describe their laments but also their dreams and fantasies of finally being able to turn into the second Ming Emperior who will destroy all white males and reestablish themselves as the ultimate alpha males in society. It’s a good laugh.

http://www.thefighting44s.com/

Comments

[tommy]

I noticed the "Stuff White People Like" blogger deleted my comment suggesting that he expand on his great idea by considering a "Stuff Black People Like" blog. He also deleted a comment seconding that suggestion. I guess such a blog would be too politically incorrect in his opinion.

For all of you who mistakenly believe that the author is black or hispanic, I quote the famous SNL skit: “Nigga Please!”

On a related theme:

"More 'Nigga Please' Please!"

tommy,
Not unless a black person does it! Assuming, of course, they know how to use a computer.

[keil]

That comment rings true about asian american culture, very good.

[Vim]

"It’s chock full of Asian American males who are venting their anger and frustration at being the little man on the totem pole in American society."

Haha. I know a site kind of like that one but not with Asian males.

"Not unless a black person does it! Assuming, of course, they know how to use a computer."

You wonder how bitter a person has to be ...

[margaret mead]

The site is written by a pair of erstwhile whitepeople, which explains why the articles are so deadly accurate--like Lisa Birnbach's "Official Preppy Handbook"

[SFG]

Yeah, you got it. They're basically the Jews of the 21st century: made it into the upper middle class, barred from the upper. If their strengths were verbal rather than mathematical they could produce lots of funny movies making fun of white people, but they're engineers not lawyers.

[Peter]

Not unless a black person does it! Assuming, of course, they know how to use a computer.

Well that was certainly a most inappropriate comment. Made in true Keyboard Warrior fashion, anonymously over the Internet. Would you say that face-to-face to a real black person?

[Peter]

but they're [Asians] engineers not lawyers

Good for them!

[agnostic]

They're basically the Jews of the 21st century: made it into the upper middle class, barred from the upper.

Who is barring them?

[Andrew Yates]

@agnostic "Who is barring them?"

It's not an active process. It's as simple as not sharing the same culture as the existing upper class.

"Well that was certainly a most inappropriate comment. Made in true Keyboard Warrior fashion, anonymously over the Internet. Would you say that face-to-face to a real black person?"

Peter, are you suggesting that black people would react violently if they heard something they didn't like and possibly physically assault someone? That is a pretty sweeping (and inappropriate) statement to make.
Also, let me know when you post your full name, home and work address on your website. It is almost like you don't want anyone to know who you are.

[Lauren]

Tom Sawyer is correct. Although there are multiple writers for the stuffwhitepeoplelike blog, the author of the divorce, sushi and asian girls entries (among others) were all written by one mylosh. A quick google search of mylosh reveals the number one hit is a flkr collection of the same mylosh (male from toronto that likes football- just as the SWPL blog says.) There you can find pics of an asian male eating asian food http://www.flickr.com/photos/mylosh/465898386/ as well as hundreds of photos of a very diverse group of people (white, black asian, indian, biracial couples.) I say interesting because I found mylosh's SWPL postings more racist than funny.

[Rob-0t]

Lauren, is that you?

[wongba]

lol. overanalyzation from a whiny white guy ftw.

and btw lauren, tom is not correct. tom was "99%" sure mylosh was korean. the mylosh in those pics is not korean.

[Rain And]

the author of the divorce, sushi and asian girls entries (among others) were all written by one mylosh.

Actually, the sushi one (along with 90% of the entries) were written by clander.

Clander is, in fact, a white male from Toronto, living in Los Angeles.

http://www.myspace.com/clander

(see his blog entry from 2006 on the white hipster hop fan)

So the mystery is solved. The writer of most of the SWPL entries is a white male, with a minority of the less funny entries by an east Asian male.

[Rain And]

Clander's Asian buddy from Toronto, Mylosh, had 9 entries:

Divorce
Juno
Lawyers
Asian Fusion Food
Public Radio
Snowboarding
Wrigley Field
Yoga
Asian Girls

Meaning that Sawyer was right only about 'Divorce'. All the other posts listed as evidence for an Asian author were written by the white guy.

[Rain And]

In 2006 Clander was simply referring to white people as 'hipsters', meaning white people in college towns and cities:

"At the behest of Myles, I will continue my ongoing series in trying to document the various types of people one will encounter in either a) a big city, b) a college town...I know nothing else..."

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=2618466&blogID=104080024&Mytoken=D32FCC1E-E078-4919-900FFB5F867E94411469512

Clander's real name is Christian, and he is the guy in the recycling picture on SWPL, and in many of the photos on Jess's photo stream on the side of the blog.

[zuwr]

I figured out a first and last name for Mylosh. I am thinking that Mylosh is a Chinese-Philipine mix based on his facial features and last name.

[jewish mind control]

One minor disagreement, actually black people do envy/disapprove of "white" consumer items and activities. I can't even count the number of times black people I knew made snide references to espresso machines, salad spinners, grinding your own coffee, running with a golden retriever on the beach...I used to innocently reply, but all this stuff is cheap! This coffee grinder cost $15, if you want one why not get one? Why shouldn't people run on the beach with a dog, you live here too, if you had a dog and ran on the beach with him, no one would have a problem. I don't bother anymore...maybe because I no longer have black friends.

[Cameron]

It seems like this "Stuff White People Like" blog is attacking white-middle class-liberals exclusively. Probably because so many of them tend to be "weak," and are thus an easy target. Anyone can pick on environmentalist, whole foods and wild oats loving hippies. I practically eat people like that for lunch.

Rich, conservatives are hard to attack because they don't have any quirks like recycling and hybrid cars. Also, they are superior socioeconomically and educationally in comparison to most other Americans.

ALSO:

"They feel guilty and sad that poor people shop at Wal*Mart instead of Whole Foods, that they vote Republican instead of Democratic"

How many poor people actually vote?

[Half Sigma]

Cameron: "It seems like this "Stuff White People Like" blog is attacking white-middle class-liberals exclusively."

SWPL is attacking UPPER-middle-class white liberals exclusively.

The middle class doesn't eat sushi or shop at Whole Foods.

[Dragon Horse]

"Asians have this strange underlying “grudge” or I should say, “inferiority complex” with any culture or people that are different from themselves but hold a dominance in the society in which both live. "

Can someone define Asian?

Are you talking about everyone from Turkey to Indonesia (West Asia to Southeast Asia). Are you talking about Central Asians, Indians, Southeast Asians, North East Asians?

Are you just talking about Chinese, Koreans, Japanese, and Indians.

I've grew up around "Asians" all my life and I can say pretty safely that Filipinos (by and large) don't hold these type of views. I would say that South Asians (in my experience don't either). This sounds like people from Confucianist based societies (Chinese, Koreans, Japanese...maybe Vietnamese).

[Dragon Horse]

"It is a commonly known fact that Asian culture in the form of parents, schools, media drill this message of racial superiority into their heads from birth"

Can someone define "Asian culture" what the hell is that? This would go along with Asian above.

Do Indians people, Malays(Indonesians), and Chinese have the same culture? If they do why were the rioting in the streets of Indonesia, Malaysia, and even Singapore at various times last century?

I think Half Sigma might come off about 50X more intelligent if he stopped making broad based statements about a continent and spoke specifically about cultural groupings. This sounds a lot like how those blue collar low brows on Stormwatch talk.

[tschafer]

I just don't get all the "Angry Asian Male" stuff. The comments on "Stuff white people like" are hardly angry rants - many are so low key and gentle, some of them are not even all that funny. I can only surmise that a lot of this furor has been generated because the group targeted (upper-middle class urban hipster liberals) are not used to being made fun of, and they take themselves way too seriously. Personally, I don't see what the ethnicity of the posters over at "whitepeople" has to do with anything - the observations are spot-on, and pretty amusing...

[Dragon Horse]

"However, that in itself serves as a strengthening evidence that the writer is definitely Asian and not hispanic or black because there is no way in hell that a black and hispanic would know or even care to subdivide the Asian fetish that alot of white people have. To black and hispanics, a white person fawning over anything Japanese is just an “Asian fetish.”

Aren't you a little old to be writing nonsense like this on the internet?.

Ni shuo hua ma? Zhende? Wo shuo shenma? Ni xuexi zhongwen zai na(r)li? Gaosu wo...shuo a bendan! Ni shuo bu heiren zhidao? Zhende ma? Ni zhidao, zai er ling ling ba nian duoshao heiren de yingwen laoshi zuo zai Dongjing?

[wongba]

cameron said: Rich, conservatives are hard to attack because they don't have any quirks like recycling and hybrid cars. Also, they are superior socioeconomically and educationally in comparison to most other Americans.

really? i think colbert does a pretty decent job.

[Vim]

Usually I have something to say about unnecessary stereotyping but I think many have already expressed the sorts of thoughts that are going through my head quite well.

There is a point where the impulse to stereotype (to which we are all prone) stands so monumentally and so habitually in the way of good reasoning that it borders cognitive impairment.

'Asian' probably describes 60% (low estimate) of humanity. Something to think about.

It could be rebutted that we all know what Asians are being talked about. However, imprecise terminology leads to imprecise reasoning and incorrect conclusions.

[keil]

Dragon horse, you're reading comprehension is trash. You have misattributed the author.

[superdestroyer]

Hs,

You should look at the Washington Post Sunday business section about personal finance and the middle class. I loved the 50-something couple with an alleged $170K per year family income that did not have any savings and has $10,000 of debt. The spent their money of cards, clothes, and houses instead of at Whole Foods, REI, etc.

P.S. you should add Wegman's to the list with Whole Foods.

cards...

cars or cards (as in gambling)?

[Cameron]

Your right wongba. I should have said "hard to attack in the sense the 'Stuff White People Like' website is using."

[Christy]

That blog is hilarious, it's like the blogger can see into my soul!

[Gamma Man]

For real Angry Yellow Men, see here:

http://www.bitterasianmen.com/

[SFG]

cameron said: Rich, conservatives are hard to attack because they don't have any quirks like recycling and hybrid cars. Also, they are superior socioeconomically and educationally in comparison to most other Americans.
Rednecks and Christian fundamentalists have a higher SES and educational status? Or do you just mean the guys at the Club for Growth?

I should also point out that it's quite possible to lampoon the rich, and comic writers and comedians have done so for years.

[SFG]

Your right wongba. I should have said "hard to attack in the sense the 'Stuff White People Like' website is using."
Give me a few years in Alabama and I'm sure I'll have a long list of things to mock. Really, these things are easy to do because any group has lots of preferences and tastes that seem silly from outside.

[superdestroyer]

cars,

See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/02/16/ST2008021601110.html?sid=ST2008021601110?hpid=smartliving

Better than gambling, I guess.

[Cameron]

When I say rich conservatives, I don't mean rich hicks with no education or class. Rather, I mean people who aren't into the whole hippy-liberal culture like environmentalism, increasing taxes, and helping poor people. Who are also higher up on the status ladder than just the upper middle class. Essentially, people who are powerful.

If the people writing "Stuff White People Like" are so sure of their own superiority to whites, why cant the writers attack types I mention instead instead?

[celeriac]

why cant the writers attack types I mention instead

are you making some kind of advanced joke here?

[Ken]

Oh, please.

The reason why white men aren't considered whiny and placed into the group of "bitter and angry white men" is because they control everything in this country. They're represented in all facets of North American society. I love how white men such as "Tom Sawyer" take the "holier-than-thou" attitude when they're at the top. If one is dressed in gold, they're never going to know what it's like to be dressed in silver.

Also, don't even go the route of "if you don't like it here, you can leave" bit. Minorities were born here and deserve just as much as whites do. This means, they deserve to be represented and entitled to every bit of American privilege that white men do. Or, we can compromise. For instances, minorities don't need to be treated equally. However, make it so that they don't have to pay federal taxes.

I actually think minorities are dealing with their situation quite well; if white men every had to swap situations with Asian men, they'd commit mass suicide in the streets. Either that or burn down cities.

[Cardinal Virtue]

Also, don't even go the route of "if you don't like it here, you can leave" bit.

Related to this, which Asian countries currently have significant and growing European minority populations? Austrailia doesn't count so don't even go that route.

[Tris]

Half sigma:

"SWPL is attacking UPPER-middle-class white liberals exclusively.

The middle class doesn't eat sushi or shop at Whole Foods."

Definitely. It's going after Bobo culture, not "white culture".

I know Asians who shop at Whole Foods and drive Hybrids. I think the author of the blog is probably white, just not Bobo.

If this was written by an Asian upset because he's not in the UPPER class, he'd be calling out WASP culture.

[toast]

You're missing the point that this blog is written by CANADIANS. Let's try substituting "Tom Sawyer"'s rant with the actual identity of the authors:

However, with Canadians, it is a completely different story. Canadians have this strange underlying “grudge” or I should say, “inferiority complex” with any culture or people that are different from themselves but hold a dominance in the society in which both live. Thus, this reality does not fit well with the natural competitive and insecure nature that personififes so much of the Canadian immigrant culture in the US. Unlike black and hispanics, the Canadian population in the US has already reached the same level of economic/financial success that American people hold, and in Canadian culture, there is no greater feeling of enjoyment than seeing yourself becoming the dominant power. Thus, because Canadians share pretty much the same socio-economic status as Americans, they are much aware and exposed to American, urban, liberal blue-state culture since they probably work alongside these types of American people and probably have gone to the same wealthy, high ranked, hippie universities full of American people that this blog ridicules. Not too many black and hispanics have reached this position to be so close and neck to neck with the white American population that is the target of this blog. That is the diference.
Thus, Canadians see that in this country (USA), that despite sharing almost the same economic status with that of the American population, the standard for hipness, wealth, and whatever is considered “cool”, fashionable or trendy is basically “stuff that urban, progressively-minded American people like”. This reality conflicts and does not bode well with what these Canadians have believed throughout their entire lives from birth which is that “Our Canadian culture is superior to American culture because our race is the most intelligent and most beautiful in the world”. It is a commonly known fact that Canadian culture in the form of parents, schools, media drill this message of racial superiority into their heads from birth. Thus, when these kids grow up and actually see that reality of the world is totally different from what their masters in their little Canadian enclave of racial superiority has told them, they get confused, jealous and spiteful to the point where they need to find tribal comfort in congregating with other Canadians and finding humor in telling each other how funny it is that American people’s culture is so different from theirs.

[Oscar]

There are at least 2 people writing that blog, clander and mylosh. I'm pretty convinced they are white.

[Rob]

Toast, it's really funny when you substitute Canadians, because then it's totally true!

Mylosh is likely Asian, like the guy in mylosh's flickr photos

[sarah]

who cares who the authors are

they're both hot, I'd do them both

[donna]

Um, PS3 and anime much?

Asian culture does indeed become quite "cool" here, especially with younger people.

[Michelle]

Speaking of Asians, I just found Stuff Asian People Like: http://www.stuffasianpeoplelike.net