Sincha / Cynthia (23) Born in the Netherlands and founded in the Zaanstad. My parents are both from Hong Kong and have emigrated to the Netherlands from an early age for their own business. I have completed the event management course and am currently still discovering what I want to do next in life. Besides building different kinds of experiences within various sectors, I stick with clothes and I like to travel to new places.
What kind of upbringing did you have? There is also a term: “Tiger parents or Tiger mom”. Did you have a similar upbringing?
No, I did not. My parents were always laid back and chill and I never got pushed by them to reach certain goals or follow a certain education. I was always free in whatever I wanted to do in life and did not receive much stimulation to push through schools or careers. Many are surprised when they discover this about my family background and sometimes It would’ve been nice if my parents were a bit more like tiger parents but it is what it is and I’m grateful for my childhood 🙂
Are there any taboos or things that you can’t discuss with your parents?
Tattoos are a no go for my parents. Because according to them it’s impure for your body.
Do you feel close with your Asian roots or not?
Yes I certainly do. I always long to go to Hong Kong and see my family and my “own people” around me, to hear my mother language just makes me feel at home in an instant.
Did you ever feel ashamed of you being Asian?
No
Did you ever had a role model when you grew up?
My sister
What do you think of the Asian representation in The Netherlands?
It’s growing and I like it, I would love to engage myself more with it by participating in events or acting/modeling gigs.
Do you feel like you’re the ‘The Asian Model Minority Myth’? x
I don’t know what that is
What made you who you are now?
My past experiences and the ones I have and had around me.
Have people also made comments about you being Chinese? How did you react to this, what did you feel?
Fortunately, I didn’t get bothered a lot. When covid-19 started I received a few dumb comments and it made me feel a bit upset about it.
What are stereotype Asians in your opinion and where does that come from? Do you see other Asians like those stereotypes?
Short, slit/monolid eyes, small, small dick, nerds. I don’t see other Asians like those stereotypes, maybe because I live in an area here within the Netherlands where there’s diversity and because of online social media platforms.
What stereotypes and comments have you heard about your appearance? Do you identify with that too? How do you see yourself compared to how others see you? What do you feel and how do you feel when people make such comments?
I used to get a lot of comments about my body, eyes, height and nose. My body and height because of my length and size. Lots of people tend to think of petite people when they think of a Chinese woman and think of slit/monolid eyes when it comes to drawing or imagining what a Chinese person looks like. It used to bug me when I was younger and I was insecure about my nose till I became a teenager. But soon I became proud of my appearance because I discovered my beauty and uniqueness.
What racist remarks and discrimination have you experienced? Have you experienced it before? Where, when, how? Which experience do you remember most? So has it gotten worse with the Coronavirus? What do you feel and how do you feel when people make such comments?
Most asked question I’ve got when I was younger was if I ate dogs and cats. And if I ate Chinese take-out everyday. The most recent one I got was one year ago, I got freaked out by a large bug and the boyfriend of my friend said “oh but that shouldn’t matter, you people eat everything!”
What is a funny trait or tell something that not everyone knows about you
I am Asian and I secretly do want a rich husband so I can be a Chinese trophy wife. Give me spending money and me will love u long time x
In Asian culture, it is normal as a woman to get married as soon as possible, have children, and become a housewife. Because when you have a husband, you have children, you have “made” it in life. How do you see it?
This is traditional and outdated nowadays but if this goal works for some, that’s totally fine by me.
Where do you stand now and what are your plans for the future?
I am still figuring this out, at this moment.
What do you want to give to the readers?
I hope that there will be more awareness about how amazing it is to work on your self-development. There would be much more peace if people could be more open and not so judgemental towards each other and everything!
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