So I'm on my morning commute into the city, this black kid (probably 16) gets up behind me to get off and I thought I heard him say "ni hao ma", which I automatically assumed was directed at me since there wasn't any other Asians that I saw (maybe there were, but I was too pissed to notice). So I run up to him and tell him "hey buddy, next time just say how are you don't try that ni hao ma crap". He seems confused at first then pissed off and starts yelling at me as he gets off the train. A few stops later he pops back up after having caught the express and confronts me about it. He's so pissed off and admant that he didn't say "ni hao ma", I'm starting to almost believe him. The situation ended peacefully after I acknowledged my fault in not at first confirming that he had indeed said what I thought I heard him say by asking him directly. My wife thinks I severely overreacted because there were indeed other Asian students on the train and he might have been joking with them (if he did say it), and he was so adamant about not having said that in the first place. What would you do if you thought you heard someone make a racial remark towards you?
Doesn't that just mean "hi, what's up?" You didn't see him say it? You assumed he both said it and meant it to be derogatory/mocking? To me, sounds like you did over react a good bit. Evan
what does ni hao ma mean? if you got on a train next to me and said hello...or even slainte...i wouldn't be offended. but i don't know if ni hao ma is something other than a greeting.
I do the other way around. If someone sees me on the train, and says some "racist" or "ethnic" remark about me being Mexican, whether they intend it as a bad thing or not, I turn it around. I f*ck*ng hate it when people post "don't be upset, amigo" on this board when telling me something... F*CKERS, there's an ENGLISH word for that, you don't know it, or what? Anyway, check it: I was once at a baseball game, and some dude goes: "Hey, AMIGO, qué pasó?" (half-ass and sh*t) I turned, looked at him, and went: "Oh, qué onda, [expletive], qué estás haciendo por estos rumbos, loco? Parece que... [blah blah]" The dude was surprised and stopped me and goes: "Oh, man... hold on, hold on... sh*t, I don't know what you're saying... " "Well, then, why you act like you do by starting this...? " "Sorry, man! " "OK, cool. "
people think i'm asian (although I'm not), and I've gotten my share of "ching chong ho ma ching wong" but I just smile sarcastically and ignore it. i guess it's different though, cause...well, i'm not asian.
Apparently, "ni hao ma" has become a racist joke among teenagers. I'll let someone with first hand knowledge fill us in on the rest.
Also, wouldn't it have been more offensive if they had said cao ni ma? Atleast you only heard a greeting...
"ni hao ma" means "how are you" in Chinese. For as long as I can remember, it's been a racist taunt used by other races aimed at Asian people, mocking the accent and the language. I guess it would be similar to a white guy going up to a black kid and saying "what up blood" when he doesn't even know him. It's not as bad as "ching chong ching wa" but definetely something you want to stay away from if you don't know the guy personally.
Me too. Unless the person said that to my face and made it obvious that he was addressing me, I would have let that go hotballa. Besides, you never know what some people may have on them (weapon wise). Losing your cool with a stranger like that is probably not a good thing to do.
My wife said the same thing. I can't stop myself when it comes to these kinds of things. I had to constantly defend myself from these types of things growing up right next to the projects (literally, they were across the street from me). My anger and overreaction is something I definetely need to work on.
I had no idea it was offensive. At first reading the thread, I thought it wouldn't have bothered me. But if it has became something used in a condescending manner, then I might have asked him if he said that, rather than assume he did. I wouldn't worry about a person having a weapon though. Odds are that they don't, and even if they did, you should always do what you think is right. They are the ones responsible if they have the weapon, not you.
If the guy said that was he a jerk? Yes Did you overreact and possibly put yourself in danger? Yes Walk away -- whether you confront him or not he's still a jerk. Don't wrestle with a pig -- you both get dirty and the pig likes it.
