What nationality IS Janet, anyways?

[jtg3885]

She makes that snide remark to Fury when he proposes Lucy Liu (sp?) play her in a movie, and so I'm left wondering if we know exactly what nationality she is? What nationality is Lucy, too? Cuz I imagine we can at least cross that off the possibility list.

 

[ProjectX2]

Well, she's obviously something Asian, but she also said she grew up in a German army base...

 

[jtg3885]

*shrugs* So I'd lean towards her being the product of a Japanese shore leave accident, but that's still not very telling. All Germany means is that she's a military brat, not that she's German.

 

[cmdrjanjalani]

It hasn't been mentioned beyond that she's Asian. It is possible she is simply half-Asian since her last name is still Van Dyne.

 

[Fuzzy Birds]

Call it a fault on Hitch's part, but to me, she's never looked fully asian to me. I always just assumed that she was American Japanese.

I've worked in tourism before, and when you really look, it's pretty easy to tell the difference between Japanese and Chinese, or even Malaysian. To me, while you can hardly go on an artists interpretation, especially one who seems to be occassionaly inconsistent in the facial area, she does seem to be more Japanese that anything, probably the skin colour that implies that for me.

 

[Ice]

We should (hopefully) know for sure with the Handbook this December.

 

[The Overlord]

She seems half Asian and half Dutch to me. Van Dyke is a Dutch name.

 

[Fuzzy Birds]

She seems half Asian and half Dutch to me. Van Dyke is a Dutch name.

Van Dyne mate. Janet Van Dyne.

 

[Fredrik Martinsson]

She seems half Asian and half Dutch to me. Van Dyke is a Dutch name.

Van Dyne mate. Janet Van Dyne.

Must have been wishful thinking
Ooooh, here comes the sweet thoughts of Janet, Scarlet Witch and Black Widow. See you in awhile!

 

[The Overlord]

Van Dyne mate. Janet Van Dyne.

Whatever she still seems Dutch.

 

[Hawkeye101]

I was under the impression that one parent (obviously the father) was white, and the other was asian (mommy), and both parents were several generations in from wherever they came from. So if daddy is dutch and mommy is Japanese? I highly doubt she'd partake in any of the customs of either parent's ancestors.

Oh anf for the record, Lucy Liu is also half white and half asian.

 

[eroz]

Oh anf for the record, Lucy Liu is also half white and half asian.

No. Her parents were/are Chinese immigrants. She was born in Queens.

 

[jtg3885]

So Chinese is off the list. Lends more credence to the "dad knocked up someone while stationed in Japan" theory. And I doubt the handbook will tell us jack ****; the UFF/USM one didn't mention anything that wasn't explicitly stated in the comics.

 

[Hawkeye101]

So Chinese is off the list. Lends more credence to the "dad knocked up someone while stationed in Japan" theory. And I doubt the handbook will tell us jack ****; the UFF/USM one didn't mention anything that wasn't explicitly stated in the comics.

It did tell citizenship, but I doubt that will tell us what nationality Janet is.

 

[Fuzzy Birds]

Whatever she still seems Dutch.

If it was Van Dijk or Van Duyne, then sure. But I have yet to encounter anyone with the family name Van Dyne. If it's Dutch, it's gotta be an old name from generations and generations ago, a quick gander in the local phone book comes up with no cases.

 

[ourchair]

I think we mean Janet's 'ethnicity'. To ask what 'nationality' she is, is asking what country she calls her mother/fatherland.

To wit: Janet is an American citizen, of vaguely Asian ethnicity, and may or may not have been once of Asian nationality. And is a mutant. That lays eggs.

 

[The Overlord]

If it was Van Dijk or Van Duyne, then sure. But I have yet to encounter anyone with the family name Van Dyne. If it's Dutch, it's gotta be an old name from generations and generations ago, a quick gander in the local phone book comes up with no cases.

Its likely an name from when her father's family moved to America in the 19th century.

 

[ourchair]

Its likely an name from when her father's family moved to America in the 19th century.

I've always been under the impression that "Van Dyne" was a name that Stan Lee completely made up/chose that sounded appropriately old-rich enough and that he didn't want to have a name-recognizable old rich family from New York like say, the Vanderbilts or Rockafellers share the Wasp's surname.

 

[compound]

Janet is an American citizen, of vaguely Asian ethnicity. And is a mutant. That lays eggs.

... and Captain America. Victory Joe! She love him long time.

I've always been under the impression that "Van Dyne" was a name that Stan Lee completely made up/chose that sounded appropriately old-rich enough and that he didn't want to have a name-recognizable old rich family from New York like say, the Vanderbilts or Rockafellers share the Wasp's surname.

Seriously,though, you're probably right (as usual), my friend. But if there's a real nead to identify Ultimate Wasp's ethnicity, I have a possible exxplanation: she's Vietnamese, or from somewhere else in Indo-China (maybe Cambodia or Burma). Her original family name could be Van Diem or Van Dien, which sound convincingly native to that region. She, or her family, then 'Romanized' or 'Westernized' their name accordingly, upon immigrating to the US, perhaps while fleeing the abuses of the Communist regime.

Also, keep in mind that we have no evidence whether or not she's adopted; all we know is that she grew up on a military base in Germany, yes?

 

[ourchair]

Seriously,though, you're probably right (as usual), my friend. But if there's a real nead to identify Ultimate Wasp's ethnicity, I have a possible exxplanation: she's Vietnamese, or from somewhere else in Indo-China (maybe Cambodia or Burma). Her original family name could be Van Diem or Van Dien, which sound convincingly native to that region. She, or her family, then 'Romanized' or 'Westernized' their name accordingly, upon immigrating to the US, perhaps while fleeing the abuses of the Communist regime.

You should write the book on superhero diaspora.