That Time Someone Mixed Up Awkwafina With Ali Wong
Not again.
Rapper and actress Awkwafina took to Twitter Wednesday to describe an encounter at a CVS that’s, unfortunately, all too relatable for many people of Asian descent.
The “Crazy Rich Asians” star explained that a man approached her, telling the actress that she’s his favorite comedian who “inspired him to follow his dreams.” Except he wasn’t referring to her at all.
A man came up 2 me at CVS and told me I’m his fave comedian n how I “inspired him to follows his dreams.” I was v flattered by his words, even felt a lil emotional. He then asked if i was actually pregnant during Baby Cobra bc this bitch rly thought I was @aliwong
— AWKWAFINA (@awkwafina) April 10, 2019
C’mon dude. Awkwafina and Ali Wong don’t look remotely similar. After the actress shared her story, however, several other Asian-Americans, including celebrity chef Dale Talde and renowned food writer David Lam, shared their own stories of being mixed up with other Asians. It’s just all too common.
Once I took an Uber, and the driver couldn’t stop talking about how much she loved me on @BravoTopChef, and how I should have won. I said thank you. Then she asked if I would sign an autograph for her niece who is the biggest Sheldon fan. She thought I was you @chefwonder
— Dale Talde (@DaleTalde) April 11, 2019
I once had dinner in a restaurant next to a couple who paid their bill, left, then came back 2 minutes later to say to me, "I'm sorry, I just had to come back to say I am a huge fan!" I smiled and she said, "I LOVE Momofuku!!"
— Francis Lam (@Francis_Lam) April 11, 2019
I was also at CVS and someone came up to me and said, I love all your movies you’re so funny, they then turned around took their shirt off and said “hey can you also check this rash out?” @kenjeong
— Boon Z. Quah (@BZQuah) April 10, 2019
Some kid thought I was the Yellow Power Ranger. (late Vietnamese American actress Thuỳ Trang). It must have been the straight black hair.
— Candy T (@CandyKhai) April 10, 2019
In January, fellow “Crazy Rich Asians” stars Ronny Chieng and Remy Hii called People Magazine out for royally screwing up the names of the cast members in a photo at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Hii explained that mixing up names and faces represents a larger issue.
“When you fail to recognise our faces, when you consistently misattribute our names as though any asian performer is interchangeable, you erase our identities & you erase our humanity,” he wrote on Twitter. “You negate our achievements & talents with your ignorance. We’re not going to take it. Do better.”
So, for the people in the back: Not all Asians look the same.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost.