Confessions of a Chinese-Dutch Woman

I have worked as a waitress for over a decade, primarily in Asian restaurants (Korean, Chinese, Malay and Japanese). The sexist and racist shit I hear and have to put up with is sufficient enough to write a mocking memoir. I have had rude Dutch guests touch or hold my hand because they thought I’m a sweet little lotus flower who wouldn’t couldn’t possibly defend herself even if she wanted to. I have encountered both Dutch men and women who ‘complimented’ me on my porcelain smooth skin because it reminded them of ’those geishas’ you always see in the movies. All this while I was running and sweating like a pig trying to serve everyone their sushi on time… They feel that they’re entitled to set rules for the Chinese population about what is considered racist and what is not. The Chinese themselves have no say in this at all. The Dutch like to claim that they are open-minded, progressive and certainly not racist towards the Chinese. They compliment us on how hardworking we are, how sturdy we are as a people.

KaiLe Chung in Confessions of a Chinese-Dutch Woman (Kailechung.blogspot)