Asian Students To Their White Classmates, “We Are Not Related”

By Shirley N Lew

These Asian students gave a final message to their white classmates in their yearbook.

According to Yahoo, these students pulled off a stunt that earned the witty award in my opinion. The four students with the same last name, Nguyen, appeared in their high school yearbook with a message to their white classmates, “We are not related.” What a way to say goodbye to your fellow white classmates, huh?

Yahoo reported that this first surfaced on Reddit on February 2 and posted by imgur.com. It has generated lots of comments since then.

The post makes no mention of the school these students attend or if it is actually current. However, it is similar to a 2012 stunt that eight Presentation High School students in San Jose, CA did. They also all had the same last name, Nguyen.  The message in their yearbook strung together under their photo read, “We know what you’re thinking, and no we’re not related.”

In my high school year book, another Ng was right next me. I knew her since kindergarten and we lived on the same street in Chinatown. We’ve been friends since then. We now live in the same town in New Jersey. And whoa, we are not related! My friend hated her photo by the way and I was tempted to post our high school photo,  but I don’t think that would have been a great idea.  She’d kill me.

As an Asian, it is very annoying that some would think you’re related to another Asian with the same surname or would think you know their Asian neighbor. Come on, this is the 21st century. The Asian population is so large how could I possibly know each and every one of them, let alone be related?

I can only imagine what these young ladies must have endured during their whole academic life. If they lived in the same community, they possibly attended school together all their lives. How many people must have wondered if they are sisters or cousins? And, how many times they’ve must have said, “No!”

These girls pulled off a witty stunt and I commend them on their humor. Oh yes, Asians have a sense of humor.

More importantly, because many may still feel we are just a small group of people, this may give reason to believe we are all related or must know each other. So not true. Asians are the fastest growing minority and I can’t possibly be related to so many. However, I wouldn’t have mind saying Bruce Lee was my relative, but for some reason, I don’t think anyone would have fell for that anyways. Hey, aren’t we Asian? Ha ha.

I applaud these young ladies for being so brilliantly witty. They will certainly have something to talk about when they reminisce with their yearbooks later in life, And, I hope they will be lifelong friends just as I have been with my Ng “sister.”