ray,
i go by chinese, or taiwanese, but i prefer taiwanese-american!
as for not taking chinese at face value, that is something that is endemic throughout east asia, where saving face/politeness are valued above blunt honesty/being forthright in the US.
but are the chinese or taiwanese or japanese a deeper, more profound race than others on account of that? not at all!
i have dealt with too much idiocy and short-sighted thinking in all those countries, and sometimes idiocy is idiocy, whether it comes obliquely or forthrightly!