CHINAMAN，CHINK，之类是对华人侮辱性用辞在中学时已经知晓。到2006年还拿出来当头条新闻，好像已经连煽动反主流的效果都所剩无几了。但是我们中国人很容易感觉自己被侮辱。其反应，没有 穆斯林在默罕默德被欧洲报载漫画时那么暴力，也有 黑人被称“NIGGER” 那么激动。

为什么英国裔澳洲人被称POMMY有反感，但没有喊打喊杀呢。其根源就是自信。为什么希腊裔澳洲人几十年都被讥为WOG，反而能对WOGS AT WORK 一剧中的WOG称谓赞赏有加，诋毁无几呢。一切源于对自己民族素质的自信。有自嘲的自信，才能有幽默感。

当中国人在被称为CHINAMAN报以一笑之时，是中国人自信达标之日。

                                                             My reply to a reader in WXC:

Thank you for following the story so attentively.But it is not as attentively as I would like you to. Judging from your level of English proficiency, you should have what it takes to gather the following in America:

1. On personal level, she recalled my humorous comment and appreciates my flirting with her on that day. So the Chinaman comment happened in a setting similar to a buddy-buddy one in a pub. I am glad she treats me as her buddy. One wonders what comes next once becoming a buddy!!!
2. On social level, she is of lower-middle class. Many pool shop owners were in the business of servicing pools. It is expected that the language can be less up-tight. I used to deal with building workers. I have been called worse. I am glad I can be as good as a blue collar.
3. On cultural level, there is no animosity between Chinese and the mainstream. You were absolutely right. Try Nigger with a black. Or try to make a derogatory comment on Muslins with religious reference. I am glad that we Chinese are in the right category.

I hope I can put your patriotic sentiment to rest.