Chinese people think every western men with beard are muslim or arab!

[tallcity]

I am very ethnically ambiguous. I have family from Poland, Quebec, Netherlands, Caribbean, Africa, South America, even some distant Chinese via the Caribbean.

 

In Colorado, I am considered a Jew.

In New York, I am a Puerto Rican.

Among Italians, I am southern Italian.

Among Hispanics, I am Colombian or Argentinian.

Among Euros, I am Algerian.

 

As for Chinese..

When the hair grows out, I become the Crazy Russian, or the Xinjiang.

When I worked in a cultural office, the work study tutors would talk about my arm-hair in Chinese.

They told me often to shave it all.. I refused, saying I am not a 13 year old boy. Shut them up quick.

I get a better response from Koreans, and Korean girls find curly hair somewhat attractive when you maintain it well. For me, that means using Moroccan Oil shampoo. I highly recommend it. It fits an image and is not too backpackerish.

 

Chris

[Saxondale]

I'm half Arab and have a beard but in the 5 years i've been in China, i've only had 3 people think i was Arab.

[muyongshi]

I have a beard and never have I been thought to be Muslim.

However, when I speak they assume I must be from xin jiang because "your Chinese is too good for a foreigner" (but implied that it's bad enough to be from Xin Jiang?).

[DernierVirage]

A few months ago I was in a small restaurant in Beijing, just me, one other customer and the restaurant owner. The customer was explaining to the owner that I was American, so when he had finished I asked him (in a friendly way) how he knew I was American. The look that came over his face still cracks me up, I wonder if he is still sitting there trying to find the answer !! Still, it was good friendly fun, I am not bothered by stuff like this !

[The_]

.

[Mouseneb]

 

My husband Erik (who is also American) often gets interesting reactions, people assume or ask if he is from Xinjiang, or some middle eastern country, mostly Iraq or Iran! This greatly amuses him, and he especially loves getting mistaken for Xinjiang ren! When we eat together at a Xinjiang style or other muslim owned restaurants (which we often do, yum!) we often get handed the halal menu. When I eat at the same restaurants with other friends, if Erik isn't there, we get handed the regular menu! Doesn't really matter to us, we enjoy the food whether it has pork or not.

 

Other than assuming he is middle eastern, the most interesting thing that people often do is to tell him his beard is sexy!

 

A really interesting thing happened at his last visa renewal though... The Haikou PSB airbrushed his beard out of his official visa photo!!! Too funny. This is much better than asking him to shave it though, so no problem, ha! 

 

 

[Angelina]

haha this is really funny

[roddy]

"The Haikou PSB airbrushed his beard out of his official visa photo!!!"

That's brilliant.