I can’t tell.

[Achilles 1-1]

Okay, guys. Anybody who played Overwatch knows who Mei is. Mei is arguably the biggest troll in all of Overwatch, and is apparently Chinese.


I don't see it. Do you? Below is a picture of Mei. (I personally think she's really pretty:]) if you don't see the Chinese part of her, tell me what nationality you think she is! I personally mistook her to be American until i figured out her name was
Mei-Ling Zhou, LOL.

 

[Mikawa Ossan]

This is not as easy a question as you may think. You see, my wife was born in mainland China but is American. She is also Canadian. My sister-in-law was born in Taiwan and is also American, although none of the rest of her family is. I have a good friend who was born in India, who is also American. I had a co-worker from Ghana who was also American. I had a coworker from Haiti who was also American (I think...I'm not actually sure about him, but since his kids were born in the USA, I know for sure that they are American at least). I had a coworker whose parents were from Mexico. He was American. I knew this kid in high school who dressed a little differently, but otherwise looked the same as everyone else in my rural town. Swedish. Another such girl. French. In college there was a kid who I was shocked to learn was actually from Hong Kong.

So what's the point, right? The point is you can't tell if someone is American just by their ethnicity. You need to be more precise.

Ironically, not all Chinese even look similar, contrary to what you might have been led to believe. China is a big place with a lot of people and various ethnic groups. When you think of what Chinese look like, you probably think of Han Chinese. Not everyone in China is Han, however.

So I imagine your question is, does she look Han Chinese or not? To me, sure. Why not? In animated style, people look all different types of ways.

But you know, even if she is Han Chinese, she could still be American. They are two different issues, which where the discrepancy lies.

This is especially a salient point (or it really should be) in the USA. Even those who came here to New England on the Mayflower were immigrants, after all.

 

[Achilles 1-1]

This is not as easy a question as you may think. You see, my wife was born in mainland China but is American. She is also Canadian. My sister-in-law was born in Taiwan and is also American, although none of the rest of her family is. I have a good friend who was born in India, who is also American. I had a co-worker from Ghana who was also American. I had a coworker from Haiti who was also American (I think...I'm not actually sure about him, but since his kids were born in the USA, I know for sure that they are American at least). I had a coworker whose parents were from Mexico. He was American. I knew this kid in high school who dressed a little differently, but otherwise looked the same as everyone else in my rural town. Swedish. Another such girl. French. In college there was a kid who I was shocked to learn was actually from Hong Kong.

So what's the point, right? The point is you can't tell if someone is American just by their ethnicity. You need to be more precise.

Ironically, not all Chinese even look similar, contrary to what you might have been led to believe. China is a big place with a lot of people and various ethnic groups. When you think of what Chinese look like, you probably think of Han Chinese. Not everyone in China is Han, however.

So I imagine your question is, does she look Han Chinese or not? To me, sure. Why not? In animated style, people look all different types of ways.

But you know, even if she is Han Chinese, she could still be American. They are two different issues, which where the discrepancy lies.

This is especially a salient point (or it really should be) in the USA. Even those who came here to New England on the Mayflower were immigrants, after all.

She's definitely pure blooded Chinese. You can hear it in her accent, and even a few of her voice lines are in traditional mandarin.

 

[Mikawa Ossan]

A person can be more than one thing at the same time. She could be "full blooded Chinese" and still American...just like my wife, who also speaks Mandarin natively.

 

[Achilles 1-1]

A person can be more than one thing at the same time. She could be "full blooded Chinese" and still American...just like my wife, who also speaks Mandarin natively.

 

[MarieCherry]

A person can be more than one thing at the same time. She could be "full blooded Chinese" and still American...just like my wife, who also speaks Mandarin natively.

ik this is off topic but i bet ur wife is pretty

 

[mdchachi]

You seem to have missed it but he's pointing out that you used the term "American" to mean White/Caucasian which is not uncommon but also insensitive because it implies that if you don't look like the stereotypical white American then you don't belong. Same with saying that because she has a Chinese name, she must not be American.

Here's Meiling Jin who is ethnic (pure-blooded) Chinese and American as well. Just one example out of millions.

 

[Achilles 1-1]

You seem to have missed it but he's pointing out that you used the term "American" to mean White/Caucasian which is not uncommon but also insensitive because it implies that if you don't look like the stereotypical white American then you don't belong. Same with saying that because she has a Chinese name, she must not be American.

Here's Meiling Jin who is ethnic (pure-blooded) Chinese and American as well. Just one example out of millions.
View attachment 119940

How about you take a look at that second picture I posted.

I'd also like to point out I know mostly everything about the Overwatch lore, and I play the game. I use Mei almost every time i play Overwatch, I'm very familiar with the Chinese accent (which she has) owing to the fact one of my friends lives in china, and is Chinese. (He's a foreign exchange student)

Come to think of it, I think Meis' brown hair is what threw me off, I've always associated Asians with black hair, and never really considered the fact that Asians have different hair colors, LOL.

 

[mdchachi]

How about you take a look at that second picture I posted.

I did. You ignored his point. On top of that you said "She's definitely pure blooded Chinese. You can hear it in her accent, and even a few of her voice lines are in traditional mandarin." as if to say if these things are true then she can't be American. But there are many people who are pure-blooded Chinese and speak mandarin and are American too. Perhaps you meant natively born American but you didn't say so.

 

[Achilles 1-1]

I did. You ignored his point. On top of that you said "She's definitely pure blooded Chinese. You can hear it in her accent, and even a few of her voice lines are in traditional mandarin." as if to say if these things are true then she can't be American. But there are many people who are pure-blooded Chinese and speak mandarin and are American too. Perhaps you meant natively born American but you didn't say so.

I edited my last post. Check my edit.

 

[Achilles 1-1]

@Deadvincent i know you be lookin at this thread.

 

[Mikawa Ossan]

Sorry, @derekiscool , but @mdchachi is correct on this one. I was mostly responding to text that you have since changed. What do you think it means to "look American"? My point was that based on ethnicity alone, there is no way to answer that question. And in many ways that sentiment applies to other countries as well.

 

[Achilles 1-1]

Sorry, @derekiscool , but @mdchachi is correct on this one. I was mostly responding to text that you have since changed. What do you think it means to "look American"? My point was that based on ethnicity alone, there is no way to answer that question. And in many ways that sentiment applies to other countries as well.

And my question was nationality, not ethnicity.

 

[Mikawa Ossan]

Oh, in that case, every person on the planet looks American in some way, so you weren't wrong about her looking American in that sense! LOL

 

[mdchachi]

And my question was nationality, not ethnicity.

Then the whole premise of your question was off. You can't tell nationality by looks, especially for "American."

 

[Achilles 1-1]

Then the whole premise of your question was off. You can't tell nationality by looks, especially for "American."

Oh yes you can.

 

[mdchachi]

Oh yes you can.

How?

 

[Mikawa Ossan]

 

[Achilles 1-1]

How?

It's all about paying attention to small features. I'm better at it than most, since i have a more watchful eye. It's a secret technique though, makes me unique, so I'm not sharing it.

 

[mdchachi]

It's all about paying attention to small features. I'm better at it than most, since i have a more watchful eye. It's a secret technique though, makes me unique, so I'm not sharing it.

Can your eye tell that these people are American?

 

[Achilles 1-1]

Can your eye tell that these people are American?
View attachment 119946

Obviously they are, I know tricks like these, its a trick question. They're American, but nice try.

 

[nice gaijin]

What on earth is going on here?

This whole thread was predicated on the supposed nationality of a video game character... which the OP thought he had guessed correctly but found out was wrong.

And then went on to claim to be really good at guessing nationalities...

 

[Achilles 1-1]

What on earth is going on here?

This whole thread was predicated on the supposed nationality of a video game character... which the OP thought he had guessed correctly but found out was wrong.

And then went on to claim to be really good at guessing nationalities...
View attachment 119977

Not proven wrong by these guys. There's something called the "Overwatch Wiki"



I'd recommend you guys read the Mei section on the Overwatch wiki, then go read about her on Wikipedia, and maybe even the heroes wiki.

Then tell me if everything I've said about her is wrong.

 

[Achilles 1-1]

Links to the wikis I mentioned.

Mei (Overwatch) heroes wiki.

Mei (Overwatch) - Wikipedia Wikipedia

Mei Overwatch wiki.

Enjoy!

 

[mdchachi]

You're pointing to non-primary sources. It doesn't really matter what the Wikis say. Just because something is written there doesn't mean it's correct.