in my line of work there are 3 Asian languages that everybody wants to learn/ is envious of other people for knowing: Chinese, Korean, Japanese. These are the 3 largest countries in Asia.....and as I wrote this statement, I knew i was off, but I'm amazed at how off I was: China is the most populous country in the world, but India and Pakistan are not far behind, Japan is 11th in the world, while S. Korea is at 27th......Japan and Korea aren't even 2nd and 3rd in Southeast Asia, aka "oriental" Asia, with that honor belonging to Indonesia, with the 4th largest population in the world (that is actually truly, truly surprising. 260 million people rivals even that of the U.S. Gotta go to Indonesia one day, if I can ever find it on a map.....)
Anyway, despite my way-off calculation of the significance of CJK (Chinese Japanese Korea), they're certainly major players in the Asian economy if not the world economy, and have a signficiant world presence, especially here in the US (judged anecdotally by the number of tourists that belong to each of those countries). They also share something else in common: language. That's right, I've probably stated it before, but CJK languages are like a triangle: they all borrow from each other, and have various similarities, not just in the kanji (each of the 3 languages uses some of the pictograph-like characters in its native language) but also shared grammar (Japanese and Korean), and sounds of words (Japanese, Chinese, and Korean all have words that sound very similar, just slightly nuanced). My dream, of course, is to one day master all of these languages, and I'm already on my way there! Some might argue I can barely speak English, which I wouldn't dispute on some days,
There's also stereotypes/ biases within each Asian community, which when I grew up was lost among some of my American friends: "aren't you Japanese or something? They would ask. Oh Chinese? All the same." They're not the same, and there's a lot of tension between the 3 countries and cultural differences and political turmoil, but I can understand how a 10-year kid living in America wouldn't be able to comprehend that. Heck, I barely do now.
One other thing they share in common: facial features. Google "alllooksame.com" and there are websites showing pictures of CJK people and asking viewers to decide which nationality each Asian person is, I always get one wrong. It is really hard to tell, and it makes sense: all coming from the same ancestors, the histories of the people are intertwined with each other, the physical proximity of the countries also lending to the similar features. There are slight nuances, and I defer to my girlfriend to make guesses, but to me it's really shallow way, and a better way is just to talk to them. What language they speak is a pretty good indicator!
I mean I might as well just start making a list of similarities, they're coming to me so quickly.
1.) rice-based food/ noodles
2.) superiority at net sports: ping pong/ badminton come to mind
3.) starting to develop baseball talent in Major League baseball: well Korea and Japan are ahead in this field, but Chinese people......have Ching Mien Wang (still pitching in the MLB as late as this year!)
One day, I hope to appreciate all 3 cultures. I understand I am in a unique position to understand all 3 from a neutral perspective and many who live in those countries aren't offered that opportunity due to parental influence, growing up, reading through history, etc., but I think all 3 languages and cultures are very enjoyable to learn for a America-raised banana like me! (My girlfriend probably disagrees) I hope to be versed in the power triangle of CJK soon!
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
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