I don't think they get it

Thought of the day:

In a homogeneous society such as Japan where 98.6% of the population is pure Japanese, it's no wonder my students don't get that I'm Chinese American. It never fails; every time I tell my students that my parents are Chinese, they react as if I've just told them I'm part African. Seriously. I think the initial confusion of me looking "Japanese" (due to the fact that I'm Asian) passes their minds quickly, because I am supposed to be "American." They've just accepted the fact that I'm American, without ever asking/wondering why I look "Japanese" as well. If I tell them I'm Chinese American, they'd think I'm mixed. It's hard for them to grasp the difference between ethnicity and nationality, because to them, they're one in the same.