The future for Japan?

[cstaylor]

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Oh Blue-Eyed Thais, Flaunt Your Western Genes!

"I'd be walking down the street and people would basically point their fingers and yell, `Farang! Farang!' " she said. "It was really blatant. They were laughing and pointing. It was very hard for a young kid to take."

Farang is the Thai word for a Westerner, and Sirinya was the daughter of a Thai mother and an American father. She was the only blue-eyed child around.

Two decades later, at 23, she is famous and beautiful, but it is an ugly duckling story with a twist. The duckling still looks the way she always did; it is the idea of beauty that has changed

[GomiGirl]

That go-getting brain is another sign of change; half-Thais are valued for their "Western" character as well as their looks. "They are more confident, more opinionated," said Wanee Tangjitmankongchai, a casting director for music videos. "They are more natural as actors."

This is a huge over generalisation... but I hate the term "half" I prefer "double". It gives kids the wrong message to describe them half - half what - half human - I don't think so. It is better that kids look on themselves as having a double heritage and to be proud of both.

And yet, as much as these Thais may be prized for their looks, character or skills, they are never completely embraced.

That sounds sadly familiar!!!

[kamome]

I think people of mixed heritage, particularly children of Asian-Western heritages, usually are beautiful. If they're lucky, they can inherit the best physical virtues from both ethnic groups. So I'm not surprised that the Thai media have embraced these mixed "half-Thais".