No, it's more complicated than that. first, much of the original venom in 'big nose' has faded from casual over-use. Taiwanese often act surprised when cagey foreigners who overhear the term take offence, since to many it means foreigner only and carries no connotation good or bad. big nose or 'ah do gah' which is the fukinese variant I hear when my back is turned still counts as a racial slur as far as I am concerned, but many people find a fine tipped, shapely nose esthetically attractive as well as a sign of wealth and ehm, sexual vigor. Girls I have dated occasionally told me that my entirely unremarkable scottish nose was 'beautiful.' If you still dont believe me check out MUZI or any gallery of asian pop stars. Notice how few of them possess blobbish 'asian' noses.
You're right about one thing though. Many chinese pretend to consider Europeans inferior. Europeans are big, dumb drunken perverted brutes. Maybe we can forgive this prejudice as many of the expats here are in fact big, dumb drunken perverted brutes. I count myself proudly among them.
But would it surprise you to hear that these haters are compensating for feelings of inferiority? They believe, incorrectly I hasten to add, that asians are small and weak, lacking in culture and taste. It bothers them that Europe, as they see it, has dominated art science medicine industry and commerce for most of the last 600 years.
Did you know that china enforces strict height requirements for government interpreters? Wouldn't want to look small next to those strapping foreigners.
Or that local papers routinely print stories designed to massage the fragile egos of race-obsessed chinese? 'Foreigners also worry about penis size!' 'Japanese youth exceeding americans in stature!' These stories made BIG news in taiwan a few months back.
Educated chinese, the same ones who always are always ready to deliver an edifying lecture about the 5000 years of chinese culture, brag on teenagers they've sent to study at western universities, pepper their speech unnecessarily with impressive sounding english phrases, and flaunt western tastes and values as proudly as they tool around in borrowed BMWs.
'Ming ming eats toast for breakfast! How exotic! She learned it in America, doncha know.'
'Oh, I don't like chinese tea, Guest- Could you bring me some Sleepytime herbal tea from America?'
'I really feel that kung fu is useless. If you learn american style boxing you will do much better in a real fight.'
'I don't like that girl, she's too dark, and her eyes are so small and chinese-looking.'
'Guest, let me give you some advice. If you want to learn good chinese, you have to think like a chinese. Illogically.'
'I know you probably wouldn't want to marry me, Guest, because chinese girls are low class.'
I hear this crap all the time, from people inside and outside of the english-speaking subculture, from people who should know better, from people who know they should know better.
oops, i see this post has turned into a rant...no time to close it gracefully as i'm actually procrastinating my chinese homework. Here's as good a line as any to end on: China, give yourselves some credit ferchrissakes.
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