Where are the Asians?
POSTED BY: mojoeca
UPDATED: Tuesday, December 8, 2009 12:36
VIEWED: 18913
PAGE 3 of 6
Aiyah is *not even* Mandarin. It is completely a cantonese expression. No self respecting Mandarin speaker would even know about it. Besides the Chinese language has been so self contained that, the only changes in the last 600 years have actually only been in the last 2 or 3 years - with the introduction of the internet and popularizing all of the new phrases. Hehe, of course, it helped that the common people generally couldn't read or write until after the cultural revolution and the failed attempt to romanize the language (as the French - successfully, did with the Vietnamese language)...
In any case, linguistically speaking, languages would diffuse just as well as how the different racial make up would meld into each other. The blade runner scenario is actually the most accurate, we would actually be speaking a mish-mash of English, Spanish, and Chinese (yes, Japanese in the movie, but I am a bit partial).
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It's interesting that you said that about "Aiyah", because on the Official Firefly Websites, in Kelly's Weblog, she says "N-E-HOO", which I'm guessing sounds like "NAY-HOO"--a Cantonese pronounciation. A Mandarin speaker would probably say "NI-HAU" or "NI-HAU-BU-HAU".
I'm guessing whoever Joss is talking to about the Mandarin is mixing the dialects. Just my thoughts.
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Quote:
Originally posted by mojoeca:
We know Chinese culture will feature prominently alongside Western culture in FIREFLY. The characters even speak Chinese! (Which is way cool). But why aren't any of the regulars Asian? I've been thinking which characters could have been ...
--- Joe
Asians? What about the Indians and Pakistanis, they are considered asians too aren't they?
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Yesh, what about the Indians? Tell me where they are and we can talk about them...
And don't forget the Bangladeshis and Sri Lankans.
Southwestern Asian people don't like to be all lumped together into the Asian Indian category.
And Pllllleeeease, don't forget the Filipinos, Japanese, Koreans, Mongolians, and Vietnamese.
no sig. I am too good.
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Quote:
Originally posted by Haken:
It's interesting that you said that about "Aiyah", because on the Official Firefly Websites, in Kelly's Weblog, she says "N-E-HOO", which I'm guessing sounds like "NAY-HOO"--a Cantonese pronounciation. A Mandarin speaker would probably say "NI-HAU" or "NI-HAU-BU-HAU".
I'm guessing whoever Joss is talking to about the Mandarin is mixing the dialects. Just my thoughts.
Haken, I think she meant something along the lines of "anywho." You know all that internet lingo... writing things how they sound. "N-E-HOO" would be anywho.
I think.
--Dylan Palmer, aka NoVaGrAsS--
"Oh, shoot" - Mal
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Ah, you might be right! Didn't think about that.
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Answer to MOJOECA, "Where are the Asians?"
In Asia.
hee hee.
I had to, really. 
Obscure Tv show reference: "Harry, it's Cooper, meet me for breakfast, 7:00 am, at the hotel lobby. I know who killed Laura Palmer. (Pause) No, this can wait till morning!"
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Am I the only person on this site that doesn't know a damn thing about Asian languages?
Oh, and a thought about Mal supposidly mispronouncing his lines: Maybe English influenced the Asian languages just as the Asian languages have obviously influnced English. In other words, maybe in the future, Mal was giving the correct pronunciation.
Or maybe the actor wasn't hired for his linguistic abilities. 
________________
"I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life’s a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass." —Maya Angelou
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Just a note: I edited my original post to take into account that Morena Baccarin is Italian-Brazilian (according to her Playboy interview). So that Serenity crew is just a tad more diverse than I originally thought.
Still no Asians, though! Pfft!
--- Joe
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Quote:
Originally posted by Guantes:Quote:
Originally posted by mojoeca:
But now we need a Hispanic character!
Gina Torres is part Hispanic, and proud to be so, if her appearance in a recent Latina Magiazine would indicate. I am partial to the mixture of races idea. I don't know how intentional it was in the casting (and not trying to be stereotypical at all,) but both Mal and Kaylee have a slightly Asian appearance to their features. In addition, Simons mannerisms strike me as somewhat resembling Asian manners as well.
The only two that look blatantly, full-out Caucasian to me are Wash and Jayne, who, like me, looks a bit devolved and cool!
Just my dos pesos,
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