4 ms·

I'm Chinese American. I won't claim to represent everyone and everything Chinese, here are my two cents. China is what happens when you enclose a really big po

by vtange 10y ago

I'm Chinese American. I won't claim to represent everyone and everything Chinese, here are my two cents. China is what happens when you enclose a really big population in a box. And this box is really comfortable; you have little incentive to go outside of it. You have the company of millions of other Chinese folk, and Chinese culture and its derivatives (to this day many of us see Korea and Japan as copies of Chinese culture) can entertain us indefinitely. The average Chinese has little incentive to run off and seek interaction with other races, other bits of culture. I suspect (but might be wrong) language barriers also play a role in this. Even today in places outside China, you can notice how Chinese will naturally gravitate toward each other into little "bubble" communities. The fact that there are just so many of us makes this very easy. I know other cultures do this as well, but like I said, we have the population advantage. Chinese are racist because we have very limited experience with other, non-East Asian cultures. Oftentimes you will see Chinese follow straightforward stereotypes regarding ethnicity. For example, Chinese attitudes toward blacks easily stem from what they see in the news or media (Movies, crime reports, etc.). Confirmation bias does play a bit in here: Chinese culture already has a pretty simple ideal in which darker-skinned people are unfortunately shafted and considered undesirable. When it comes to history, Chinese people again suffer from the box-syndrome - many are proud and fervently study Chinese history, and thus barely scrape the surface of world history. My immigrant father could recite many Chinese emperors by name, but knows nothing about American, European, even Japanese history (except WW2, of course). One thing I found interesting was that my dad is totally fine describing the brutality of ancient and medieval Chinese rulers, but as we get closer to the present, the spotlight turns to Japan and then things get quieter. Even today he watches media pretty much exclusively on Chinese apps - no Youtube, etc. I can tell there's so much there for him, he has no incentive to look elsewhere.

analyst74 10y ago
About your last point, I think that is slowly improving, with more black athletes and business people living in China, racism against black people is probably subsiding, especially in bigger cities and among sports fans. Hopefully, as more Chinese traveling overseas, and China attracting more foreigners into the country, local populace are exposed to more diversity, and start to form their own opinions based on personal experiences instead of biased media reporting and hollywood.
- Redditshill 10y ago
  Exactly! With Stephon Marbury getting his own statue and museum in Beijing, I really think people's mindset will change.
Red_Tarsius 10y ago
I think your comment is somewhat removing agency – and therefore responsibility – from your fellow Chinese. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but you seems to imply that China's attitude toward black people is white people's fault. However China's history is not devoid of ethnic and cultural issues. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_issues_in_China https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_issues_in_China But I appreciate reading an 'insider' point of view.
pmarreck 10y ago
Between this and http://shanghaiist.com/2015/11/19/study_says_china_least_honest.php http://shanghaiist.com/2015/11/19/study_says_china_least_hon... (many other references to this phenomenon such as https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/culture-matters-chinese-asians-liars-dr-vivencio-ven-ballano https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/culture-matters-chinese-asian... and https://thelinguafranca.wordpress.com/2008/03/25/do-the-chinese-lie-that-depends/ https://thelinguafranca.wordpress.com/2008/03/25/do-the-chin...), it doesn't make China look that fantastic. Debating whether it's lying or "lying" seems a lot like debating whether it's racism or "racism."
- frozenport 10y ago
  And then these students tell me that in China what they did wouldn't be considered cheating. And then they come to work as graduate students and visiting scholars, and tell me that what they did wouldn't be considered violations of academic integrity.
  - pmarreck 10y ago
    I bet Chinese marriages are awesome. /s
ngcc_hk 10y ago
You are so wrong. I am a hong king "chinese". I would say your way of thinking is what causing a lot of trouble. You says chinese is one race. You mean Hans. If not we are not of one race. You cannot have your culture hans and fighting Mongolian, tibetian, manuchuain ... all your thousand of years literally. Then suddenly they are chinese because in the last 100 years someone decided to occupy these people's land then they are chinese. What is china? Heard of Great Wall. Why is there a Great Wall. Has the Qing emperor thought the Hans are not enemy to be killed and contained. We may say you are European. But let us not kid ourselves when thing boiled down you are english, French, ... We may say we are Soviet Union. Brotherhood ... And these we are chinese under communism is shameful. There are more than politics. But killing culture, suppressing people, ... I am ashame to be associated with this gang. I know more than you, I love my poems from tong down to mao. I share my many dreams that one day we will kick this communist ass out and we will .... But who are we. That is a question. As to chinese minge with their own. Do you know all chinese education now has a foregein language and also most top guys descendent run. They do not feel comfortable with each other over there. Or here. Btw, Korea and japan may get a bit from us. But like china people copy apple to make little rice does not mean they are American. A lot of our vocabulary is coming from japan. Chinese do not have the word for society. We are all human. At least for now (well we are in the hacker group). We do not deny our heritage. But not recognise who you are ... you love nazi because you are germany, do you? Let us be human first. And do not look at a black face and then say he is africn American. He is human first. He may come from a part of Africa you do not know. But do not think first he is an African. I am not chinese. You are not as well.
- sandworm101 10y ago
  Agreed. China is imho very diverse. Not as diverse as India, but certainly more than neighbouring nations. The government just don't like to admit it, instead promoting an image of unity in all things.
  - anyphoton 10y ago
    Yes, it is not environment stimulating free mind and its products.. Confusing, is not it?
chj 10y ago
> Chinese are racist because we have very limited experience with other, non-East Asian cultures. I disagree with the assertion that Chinese are racist. You will never see a restaurant in China that says "No ---- and dogs" except in early 20th century Shanghai. I agree that Chinese are usually less sensitive about racial topics. They will carelessly call a foreigner "洋鬼子", but that's as bad as "Yankee" goes IMHO. I've heard that in US Chinese guys usually date Chinese girls. But really can we blame that they are racists? > When it comes to history, Chinese people again suffer from the box-syndrome - many are proud and fervently study Chinese history, and thus barely scrape the surface of world history. Disagree again. If you really study Chinese history, you won't find much pride there.
- idra 10y ago
  > You will never see a restaurant in China that says "No ---- and dogs" except in early 20th century Shanghai Very poorly chosen example, because "No Japanese and dogs" signs are incredibly common across China. [1][2][3] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Japanese_sentiment_in_China#/media/File:Japanese-and-dogs-are-not-allowed_statement_from_a_restaurant_in_Higher_Education_Mega_Center_2007.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Japanese_sentiment_in_Chi... [2] http://beijingcream.com/2013/02/no-dogs-but-also-no-japanese-filipinos-or-vietnamese-allowed/ http://beijingcream.com/2013/02/no-dogs-but-also-no-japanese... [3] http://chinahopelive.net/2012/09/17/japanese-and-dog-no-nearing http://chinahopelive.net/2012/09/17/japanese-and-dog-no-near... > They will carelessly call a foreigner "洋鬼子", but that's as bad as "Yankee" goes IMHO. "洋鬼子" literally means "foreign devil". Are you serious?
  - jimmywanger 10y ago
    > "洋鬼子" literally means "foreign devil". Are you serious? Way to not take connotations into account. If you take everything literally, you'll be offended everywhere. I call some of my best friends "bastards". Am I implying that they're born out of wedlock?
  - powerapple 10y ago
    not really. Translation doesn't work that way. I think you can translate that into "foreign foxy man". Probably from the time westerns did business in China. I don't know for sure. But translation doesn't work that way. Sometimes you just cannot translate a word from one language to another. Especially names. It is a culture thing.

by vtange 10y ago

analyst74 10y ago

About your last point, I think that is slowly improving, with more black athletes and business people living in China, racism against black people is probably subsiding, especially in bigger cities and among sports fans. Hopefully, as more Chinese traveling overseas, and China attracting more foreigners into the country, local populace are exposed to more diversity, and start to form their own opinions based on personal experiences instead of biased media reporting and hollywood.

Redditshill 10y ago
Exactly! With Stephon Marbury getting his own statue and museum in Beijing, I really think people's mindset will change.

Red_Tarsius 10y ago

I think your comment is somewhat removing agency – and therefore responsibility – from your fellow Chinese. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but you seems to imply that China's attitude toward black people is white people's fault. However China's history is not devoid of ethnic and cultural issues. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_issues_in_China https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_issues_in_China But I appreciate reading an 'insider' point of view.

pmarreck 10y ago

Between this and http://shanghaiist.com/2015/11/19/study_says_china_least_honest.php http://shanghaiist.com/2015/11/19/study_says_china_least_hon... (many other references to this phenomenon such as https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/culture-matters-chinese-asians-liars-dr-vivencio-ven-ballano https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/culture-matters-chinese-asian... and https://thelinguafranca.wordpress.com/2008/03/25/do-the-chinese-lie-that-depends/ https://thelinguafranca.wordpress.com/2008/03/25/do-the-chin...), it doesn't make China look that fantastic. Debating whether it's lying or "lying" seems a lot like debating whether it's racism or "racism."

frozenport 10y ago
And then these students tell me that in China what they did wouldn't be considered cheating. And then they come to work as graduate students and visiting scholars, and tell me that what they did wouldn't be considered violations of academic integrity.
- pmarreck 10y ago
  I bet Chinese marriages are awesome. /s

ngcc_hk 10y ago

You are so wrong. I am a hong king "chinese". I would say your way of thinking is what causing a lot of trouble. You says chinese is one race. You mean Hans. If not we are not of one race. You cannot have your culture hans and fighting Mongolian, tibetian, manuchuain ... all your thousand of years literally. Then suddenly they are chinese because in the last 100 years someone decided to occupy these people's land then they are chinese. What is china? Heard of Great Wall. Why is there a Great Wall. Has the Qing emperor thought the Hans are not enemy to be killed and contained. We may say you are European. But let us not kid ourselves when thing boiled down you are english, French, ... We may say we are Soviet Union. Brotherhood ... And these we are chinese under communism is shameful. There are more than politics. But killing culture, suppressing people, ... I am ashame to be associated with this gang. I know more than you, I love my poems from tong down to mao. I share my many dreams that one day we will kick this communist ass out and we will .... But who are we. That is a question. As to chinese minge with their own. Do you know all chinese education now has a foregein language and also most top guys descendent run. They do not feel comfortable with each other over there. Or here. Btw, Korea and japan may get a bit from us. But like china people copy apple to make little rice does not mean they are American. A lot of our vocabulary is coming from japan. Chinese do not have the word for society. We are all human. At least for now (well we are in the hacker group). We do not deny our heritage. But not recognise who you are ... you love nazi because you are germany, do you? Let us be human first. And do not look at a black face and then say he is africn American. He is human first. He may come from a part of Africa you do not know. But do not think first he is an African. I am not chinese. You are not as well.

sandworm101 10y ago
Agreed. China is imho very diverse. Not as diverse as India, but certainly more than neighbouring nations. The government just don't like to admit it, instead promoting an image of unity in all things.
- anyphoton 10y ago
  Yes, it is not environment stimulating free mind and its products.. Confusing, is not it?

chj 10y ago

> Chinese are racist because we have very limited experience with other, non-East Asian cultures. I disagree with the assertion that Chinese are racist. You will never see a restaurant in China that says "No ---- and dogs" except in early 20th century Shanghai. I agree that Chinese are usually less sensitive about racial topics. They will carelessly call a foreigner "洋鬼子", but that's as bad as "Yankee" goes IMHO. I've heard that in US Chinese guys usually date Chinese girls. But really can we blame that they are racists? > When it comes to history, Chinese people again suffer from the box-syndrome - many are proud and fervently study Chinese history, and thus barely scrape the surface of world history. Disagree again. If you really study Chinese history, you won't find much pride there.

idra 10y ago
> You will never see a restaurant in China that says "No ---- and dogs" except in early 20th century Shanghai Very poorly chosen example, because "No Japanese and dogs" signs are incredibly common across China. [1][2][3] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Japanese_sentiment_in_China#/media/File:Japanese-and-dogs-are-not-allowed_statement_from_a_restaurant_in_Higher_Education_Mega_Center_2007.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Japanese_sentiment_in_Chi... [2] http://beijingcream.com/2013/02/no-dogs-but-also-no-japanese-filipinos-or-vietnamese-allowed/ http://beijingcream.com/2013/02/no-dogs-but-also-no-japanese... [3] http://chinahopelive.net/2012/09/17/japanese-and-dog-no-nearing http://chinahopelive.net/2012/09/17/japanese-and-dog-no-near... > They will carelessly call a foreigner "洋鬼子", but that's as bad as "Yankee" goes IMHO. "洋鬼子" literally means "foreign devil". Are you serious?
- jimmywanger 10y ago
  > "洋鬼子" literally means "foreign devil". Are you serious? Way to not take connotations into account. If you take everything literally, you'll be offended everywhere. I call some of my best friends "bastards". Am I implying that they're born out of wedlock?
- powerapple 10y ago
  not really. Translation doesn't work that way. I think you can translate that into "foreign foxy man". Probably from the time westerns did business in China. I don't know for sure. But translation doesn't work that way. Sometimes you just cannot translate a word from one language to another. Especially names. It is a culture thing.