Editor’s Note: This is the second in a four-part series about labels and stereotypes used for different races and ethnicities. This series explores the use of different terms and definitions and attempts to answer what labels are appropriate and why. The subjects in the series were chosen for their diverse backgrounds and include sources born in the United States and abroad from a variety of cultures.

For Kay Souvatrat, it’s not so much the label as the stereotype that comes with it. As an Asian-American, she occasionally receives someone’s best ninja impression as they ask if she knows karate.

“That’s just the people assuming from what they see in the media,” she said.

Aside for the occasional kung fu imitation, she tends to be oblivious as to how people look at her, because labeling isn’t something she looks for, said Souvatrat, senior in journalism and mass communication.

When an opportunity to label her arises, she’s not picky about which labels are used, nor, usually, are her friends.

“The Asian community that I hang out with, we don’t find it a big problem,” she said. “It’s not something we worry about.”

Personally, Souvatrat said, she thinks her ethnicity or race shouldn’t come first when labeling her.

“I’m a person,” she said. “If you have to call me something, I’m Asian-American, but I’m flat out American.”

She cautions people that there isn’t a “correct” label for all people of Asian heritage. What’s acceptable to one might not go over well with someone else.

Graham Huisman, senior in marketing, said labels are generally not a problem for him either and agrees the stereotypes warrant more concern.

Many people think all Asian and Asian-American people are good at math or are computer geeks, he said.

It’s not necessarily the case.

Labeling himself as Asian-American seemed a natural choice after years of filling out bubble sheets, he said. He proudly claims his Korean heritage, though he admits he doesn’t know much about Korean culture because he wasn’t raised in an Asian household. Huisman’s adopted parents are Caucasian, but they have always encouraged him to learn about and be proud of his background, he said.

Many people don’t mind being called Asian rather than a specific nationality, but some international students may prefer their nationalities, Huisman said. Being labeled as an Asian-American is a source of pride for some, he said.

Using Asian-American rather than just American helps people hold on to their heritage; it helps show their unique backgrounds, he said.

“They want to be proud of who they are,” he said.

Ming-huei Lam, minority liaison officer for the College of Education, said she views racial and ethnic labeling as a lack of respect. Rather than asking when they want to know her ethnic heritage, people tend to guess.

“[A student] asked me, ‘Are you Chinese? Japanese? Korean?’ He just went down the list,” she said. “I was bothered by that — the guessing game.”

The guessing shows ignorance and a lack of skills to ask the appropriate questions, she said.

The assumptions upset Lam, especially when people assume she is Chinese, because her family came from Taiwan. The country’s people have long struggled with China for control of its island nation.

Asia is a big continent, with many different ethnic groups. Some people may prefer to be known by a specific nationality rather than the more general Asian or Asian-American, she said.

Others may choose to completely leave American out of their identity. After a banquet, Lam mentioned Asian-American to a group of students of Asian descent.

“They corrected me. We’re just Asians, not Asian-Americans,” she said.

“The term American actually offended them.”

Lam said the students were probably first-generation immigrants that still felt a tie to home. Though they understand they have a specific ethnic heritage, acceptance of American culture increases with second, third and fourth generations, she said. Her own family is an example of changing preferences for personal labels.

Lam said her parents, who came to the United States as adults, strongly identify as Taiwanese. As a 1.5-generation immigrant, meaning she was raised in both countries,

Lam said she still holds onto her Taiwanese roots even as she uses Taiwanese-American. Lam’s daughter identifies herself as Asian-American because it allows her to claim both her father’s Chinese heritage and her mother’s Taiwanese heritage.

Souvatrat said she doesn’t discuss labels or stereotypes with her parents. Her parents also immigrated to the United States. Their English wasn’t perfect, and people weren’t always understanding about it. Souvatrat said she knows they had bad experiences, even if she doesn’t know exactly what they were.

“They just realize it was just something they had to learn to accept,” she said. “Their theory has always been let people label and judge you as long as you can prove them wrong.”

Another label sometimes used in reference to Asians or Asian-Americans is Oriental. The term was used by Europeans to describe things from the Orient. Europeans considered Europe the center of the world and described places based on their locations relative to Europe. Doing so conveyed superiority to other cultures, Lam said.

Oriental is a label for objects and is offensive when used in reference to people, she said.

Terminology has different meanings to different people, Lam said. She said she tries to remember it’s their meaning, not hers. To them, it might not be negative, and they may not understand how it makes her feel. Rather than getting upset, she’ll try to explain her point of view, Lam said.

“I try to take the best out of it,” she said. “I try to inform people instead of getting angry.”

Huisman said he gets angry when someone uses a derogatory term toward him. Sometimes, Huisman said, he’ll return an insult.

“Sometimes it’s hard to explain to people who don’t want to listen to that,” he said. “If they’d be willing, I’d like to explain.”