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Nuuon
Regular Poster
Username: Nuuon
Post Number: 70
Registered: 03-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 02, 2008 - 02:33 pm: | 
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China Has a Racist Society and a Racist Government
While the world gears up for the Olympics in China, it seems important
that folks be reminded about racism in Chinese society and racism as it
is practiced by China's government. The problems that China has in Tibet,
to cite just one example, is not really about Chinese nationalism-- it's really
all about Chinese racism.
Remember years ago when the students of China were considered "heroes"
for demanding freedom and democracy from their government? Remember
all those stunning photographs and that amazing video footage of all those
"courageous" students standing up to those armored tanks?
Yet how many people know this hard fact: That the student rebellion actually
started as an ANTI-AFRICAN protest which had thousands of Chinese students
marching through the streets screaming: "Kill those black devils!" The anti-African
protest quickly evolved into an anti-Government protest (for allowing all those
"niggers" into China to study at its universities). After murdering thousands
of its children and jailing thousands more, the Chinese government got their
children to shut up and return to school by throwing bald-face capitalism in their
faces. It appears the students traded in their freedom for a McDonald's
hamburger: a Faustian bargain that will surely come back to haunt them.
I have included an article below that explains the history of the "courageous
Tiananmen Square" rebellion in China and its connection to Chinese racism
of the most vicious variety. A reading of this history reminds one that while
an increase in China's economic and political power may be a good thing in that
it counterbalances the out-of-proportion power of the United States and Europe--
this increase in Chinese power will not necessarily be a good thing for the African
diaspora in the long run. I also included some information on what life is like on
the street for any Black or African living in China (I personally know of a Black
woman who was spit on simply because she wanted to eat at a restaurant while
she was a student in China).
Think about this the next time you order some Chinese food or by some
Chinese-made goods from Walmart.
What follows: 1) The article on the connection between the student rebellion and
racism, 2) Some comments on that article, 3) An article on living in China as a
person of color, 4) Some information on the "ban" on serving alcohol to Black
people during the Olympics, and 5) How Chinese websites (that are usually
heavily censored by the Chinese government) responded to Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice upon her visit to China (they had more to say about her race
than her policies).
Remember this iconic photograph of the lone student standing
up against tanks as they arrived to crush the "Student Rebellion" and
the many laudatory stories about the "Students of Tiananmen Square?"
Well that "student rebellion" actually started as large and violent
Anti-African protest.
Anti-Black racism in China
by Erin Chung
From moderntribalist.blogspot.com, April 12, 2005
From December 1988 to January 1989, students in Nanjing, China waged violent protests against visiting African students. These protests became the precursor to the nationwide pro-democracy movement in the spring of 1989, which resulted in the massacre of Chinese students by armed troops in Tiananmen Square. Displaying an uneven combination of racial tension, nationalism, and reformism, the Nanjing protests fused mass hostility toward visiting African students with official nationalist discourse to create the momentum for a popular movement for political change. At the same time, they marked the denouement of China's proclaimed leadership of the "Third World" with long-term consequences for Sino-African relations. Yet, these protests were neither isolated events, as the Chinese government claimed, nor simply outbreaks of general xenophobia directed at all foreigners. Frank Dikötter has traced various discourses of race in China from the late nineteenth century based on myths of origins, ideologies of blood, and narratives of biological descent that have been central to the cultural construction of Chinese identity. Barry Sautman attributes the rise of anti-Africanism among the Chinese intelligentsia in the reform era (1978-present) to the return of racial stereotyping and elitist values dating back to Imperial China that link and denigrate those who are dark and those who are poor.
Hostility and violence against visiting African students had erupted for various reasons since their arrival in 1960 as part of a government-sponsored program that provided full scholarships for nationals of friendly countries. Following its rise to power in 1949, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) abolished the official discourse of race and embarked upon an intensive campaign to establish close ties with the newly independent African nations. As early as 1955, Premier Zhou Enlai declared that racism was uniquely absent in China. Friendly relations with Africa and African-descended peoples were central to the CCP's "Third World" coalition during the 1960s. Mao Zedong proclaimed that the Chinese would lead the historical struggle against "white imperialism," linking the problem of class with that of race in foreign policy. In the early 1960s, small groups of African students arrived in China with full scholarships and relatively generous stipends compared to those of their Chinese counterparts. However, most of the students returned home within a year or two due to poor living standards, lack of social opportunities, and the politicized environment of the Mao years. According to an account by a Ghanaian who studied in China during the 1960s, African students regularly encountered racial discrimination by their Chinese hosts, although racial hostility was the least important reason for their return.
The Chinese government restored the African scholarship program in the mid-1970s and began sending African students to universities outside of Beijing. As China opened itself to the capitalist world market with a series of reforms initiated by Deng Xiaoping from 1978, its Third World identity became little more than a propaganda tool. In contrast to official statements supporting revolutionary movements in Africa and the civil rights movement in the United States in the 1960s, the CCP in the late 1970s and 1980s markedly downplayed Third World themes in the media. In addition, local authorities often excused, and sometimes justified, anti-African prejudice among Chinese students. For example, the Shanghai incident of July 1979 was triggered by complaints of loud music played by African students and culminated in an attack of the foreign student hall in which the African students lived. Although Chinese press commentaries admitted that the Chinese students attacked the African students, they also implied that "drunken and womanizing" Africans were prone to troublemaking. Moreover, contact between African men and Chinese women was the source of numerous clashes between Chinese and African students in the 1980s as well as the grounds for arrests and deportations of Africans.
The Nanjing protests in December 1988 were triggered by a series of confrontations between African and Chinese students at Hehai University. The conflict intensified on December 24 when two African male students who were escorting two Chinese women to a Christmas Eve party on campus were stopped at the front gate and ordered to register their guests. A new university regulation that restricted registration procedures for guests visiting foreign students had been implemented in October of that year to stop African male students from consorting with Chinese women in their dormitories. A quarrel between one of the African students and the Chinese security guard escalated into a brawl between African and Chinese students that lasted until the next morning and resulted in the injury of eleven Chinese and two Africans. On the next day, 300 Chinese students, angered by a rumor that a Chinese man had been killed by an African student the previous evening, stormed the African students' dormitory chanting, "Kill the Black Devils!" The police arrived to restore order two hours later. Fearing for their safety, over 60 African students left for the railway station to reach their embassies in Beijing. Local authorities prevented them from boarding the trains in order to retain those involved in the Christmas Eve brawl. In response, about 140 foreign students, including other African students in Nanjing and a dozen non-African foreign students, sat-in at the train station to demand that they be allowed to board a train for Beijing.
Meanwhile, Chinese students at Hehai University mobilized students from other universities in Nanjing to protest what was perceived as special treatment for foreigners and to demand justice for the alleged murder of a Chinese man the night before. Approximately 3,000 students marched in the streets, singing the national anthem and chanting, "Down with Black Devils!" On December 26, the student demonstrators from Hehai University marched to the provincial government office to demand that the African students be held responsible for their crimes according to the full force of Chinese law. Holding a banner that read, "Protect Human Rights," the demonstrators demanded the reform of a corrupt legal system that privileged foreigners at the expense of ordinary Chinese. That evening, a group of more than 3,000 Chinese students marched to the railway station with banners calling for the protection of human rights, political reform, and justice. The African students were immediately sequestered by the police to a military guest house in Yizheng, 60 kilometers northeast of Nanjing. The police declared the student demonstrations illegal and, with the help of riot police from neighboring provinces, quelled the demonstrations in the next few days. By early January 1989, the authorities arrested and deported three African students from Hehai University who were suspected of instigating the Christmas Eve brawl and sent the remaining students back to Nanjing. The African students were instructed to report to their school authorities before leaving their campuses and to not go out at night. Furthermore, the Hehai University president, Liang Ruiji, announced that African students were required to continue registering their guests at the front gate and were restricted to no more than one Chinese girlfriend whose visits would be limited to the lounge area.
*** Some comments to this posting follow:
At 8:52 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...
this does not surprise me in the least. i am am a british born black professional person. i once visted hong kong with a friend and was astounded by the amount of racism i met from virtually everyone. i have an english accent and am always well presented, in a nutshell we were treated like shit. i have travelled the world and have stayed a long time in places such as germany and sweden, and also in remote villages in england and scotland. i have never experienced any type of racism like this, even growing up in england during a period of extreme right wing parties gaining a foothold.
At 1:58 AM, Anonymous bankangde said...
When I lived in Taiwan in the early 1970's I met a guy who was there studying medicine. He was born in Ghana while it was still a British colony and grew up in 1960's South Carolina. In spite of all the discrimination he had faced before, he told me in no uncertain terms that he learned the true meaning of racism in Taiwan.
At 8:39 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...
dear anonymous: whenever you read about chinese racisms against blacks don´t read between the lines. just take it blank. at the incident 1988 christmas I was there when it happened, I was a foreign student then. I am not black but I had lots of black friends. of course all of them spoke chinese very well, this was a prerequisite to study there. and in the 1980th it was not funny to be black. there was severe discrimination, every day. and there also is a direct but fine connection to the tiananmen massacre, because that time, chinese were in the revolting mood. the liked to go to the streets. in nanjing 1988/89 they were out in thousands in the streets shouting: kill the black devils. it was scary, and i never forget it in my life.
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Racism in China
by Richard Fisher
Shanghai Star. 2003-04-17
URING my stay in China all I ever experienced were racial taunts, blatant discrimination and general loathing from the majority" says mixed-race Canadian teacher David Szykulski,
"Han Chinese people are the most openly xenophobic people I have ever met."
Many will tell you racism doesn't exist in China, and evidence is certainly hard to find within a native population of more than 1 billion, but could prejudice against foreigners - especially non-whites - be simmering beneath the surface?
If looking for evidence of racial discrimination one may struggle to find it and examples of actual hatred are even rarer. In fact, as many will state, the Chinese are well known for their politeness and respect towards foreigners.
Many rarely encounter those from abroad - especially those with dark skins - so quizzical curiosity (or reticence) is common, and often misinterpreted. It is certainly true that to clumsily extrapolate race issues in the West onto China misunderstands the people and their beliefs.
But is there an underlying discrimination towards non-whites; maybe rarely exhibited because of infrequent contact, but present nonetheless?
Status discrimination
The word racism evokes images of hate, violence and antagonism, but its definition extends to a belief that some races have an innate superiority to others. Or, as a comment from a student at Chengdu University succinctly demonstrates: "There is no racism in China because there are no black people."
Sociology Professor Yu Hai, who has studied at Fudan University for 17 years, believes a long-standing Chinese tradition of discrimination according to "status" has created an atmosphere conducive to racial prejudice.
"According to your status in society you receive different benefits and power. Rural people and city people; ordinary people and officials. In such a social structure, we can predict that the Chinese will have very strong feelings of racial discrimination."
Yu believes dark-skinned foreigners are likely to face more obstacles than whites, as many Chinese see them as inferior.
Many have ingrained impressions of African wars, famine and disease from the mass media, says the sociology professor. Plus a perception of a dichotomous West with exclusively well-educated and prosperous whites, and poverty-stricken ethnic minorities.
One city resident told the Shanghai Star that "crime is so low in Shanghai because there are no black people."
Other possible root causes could be the perceived "uncouth" behaviour of a minority of African expats during the eighties, which created a negative stereotype. Unfavourable portrayals of dark-skinned characters in movies is also widely cited as unhelpful.
Indians and Filipinos may face prejudice because of a perceived history of subservience to whites, says Yu Hai. And the Japanese are often reviled because of a long history of conflict with China.
There are cultural reasons too. A popular saying "one white covers up a thousand defects" describes a Chinese preference for lighter skin, and its association with beauty and prosperity. Many consider paler skinned women to be more attractive.
David Szykulski believes his skin colour stopped him getting a teaching job, despite his suitable qualifications. On the Hard News Cafe website Indian American Leon D'Souza describes a similar experience.
"I asked if my race would pose a problem. There was dead silence on the other end of the line. With a faint stutter, the principal of the school replied, 'Frankly speaking, we would like our teachers to look professional. I mean, please don't get me wrong, but we would like a white teacher'."
Teaching recruiter Tony Lee confirms that it can be difficult for non-whites, however he says Western English speakers usually encounter fewer problems. More common in teaching circles is discrimination against Africans, Indians and Asians - especially in sophisticated cities like Shanghai. This is based on a perceived view that Western English is "proper" English.
Professor Yu Hai says most will be respectful or even humble when encountering Westerners - even non-whites - but will look down on foreigners from poorer parts of the world. Prosperity and wealth can have a weighty influence. So could country of origin be more important than race to the Chinese? The words zhongzu ("race") and minzu ("nation-race") are distinguished in the Chinese language. However, presumed racial genetic features can transcend "nation-race" according to Chinese History Professor Frank Dikotter at the University of London.
Yu Hai suggests the clearest example of this is a belief that intimate relationships with non-whites are unnatural, irrespective of country of origin.
"If a Chinese woman dates a white man it is social climbing. If she is with a black man, it is 'stepping down'. In this situation, the Chinese will express very strong feelings about ethnicity."
Potential trouble
Today's Chinese students, like Fudan University's Diana Cheung, seem far from outraged however, saying that because cross-cultural relationships are rare in China, the resultant attention and staring they attract is curiosity, not disdain.
She and her fellow students socialise with foreigners of all races, and while agreeing that racial prejudice exists in those with "older ideas", they say that it is seldom seen amongst their contemparies.
As for the future, opinion differs about the impact of an escalating number of foreigners entering China. Interaction could break down false conceptions about non-whites; conversely the influx may evolve in many people's minds into a so-called "threat". Worryingly Yu Hai agrees with the latter prediction.
"Racial issues could become a serious problem as China develops and more foreigners come here seeking a job. Then we would have some conflict."
Whether racial prejudice will become more prominent or prove neglible as many believe it already is, China is continuing to tempt foreigners of all races to its shores, so increasing contact will certainly force the issue further into the open.
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Bars forbidden to serve "blacks" and Mongolians, outdoor tables banned
07/18/2008 17:12
CHINA, Beijing
Asianews.it
Many bans and restrictions, with serious inconveniences for the population. The first "leaks" on the grandiose inauguration on August 8, with an unprecedented fireworks display.
Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) - For "reasons of safety", bars are forbidden to serve "blacks"" and Mongolians or place tables in the street. Street musicians are being banned, and so is buying medicines containing "stimulants" without a prescription. Prohibitions are on the rise for the Olympic capital, while the first leaks reveal a grandiose fireworks display for the inauguration.
Bar owners around the Workers' Stadium in downtown Beijing say that public security officials are telling them not to let in "blacks" and Mongolians, and many of them have even had to sign a pledge. The official reason is the fight against drugs and prostitution, dominated in the past by Mongolians and persons of colour. Moreover, public places must close by 2 a.m., for security reasons, and the bar owners are being asked to remind their clients that they must always have an identification document with them. There is even doubt over whether the bars within a radius of two kilometres from the Olympic buildings will be able operate, or whether they will have to shut down for the entire period. In some areas, tables are not permitted outside, because "the presence of too many foreigners gathered outside could create problems". There is also an attempt to shut down outdoor musical concerts, to prevent disorder.
Jazz musician David Mitchell says that it is increasingly difficult for his band to find places to play in Beijing "Everything is aimed at creating stability, but they don't understand that is precisely the unfounded prejudice that foreigners have of Chinese society - that it is a highly controlled and not a very cultural place. It seems completely self-defeating". . . .
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China's Internet censors allow racist/sexist Condi posts
Special to World Tribune.com
EAST-ASIA-INTEL.COM
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Chinese Internet sites recently attacked Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice using racist language, according to Hong Kong press reports.
The South China Morning Post reported that while the Beijing government closely monitors Chinese Internet sites, there are no limits on statements deemed politically correct in the communist country.
Beijing has sought to portray the Chinese as victims of racism, and Chinese officials regularly denounce the United States as racist.
However, numerous Chinese web sites heaped venom on Rice following her recent state visit, focusing on her race, sex and nationality.
"She looks like an orangutan, and talks rubbish; send us a beautiful woman next time," stated one contributor to Sina.com.
"This black woman is not welcome!!!" stated another.
"She looks absolutely like a witch!" said a third.
Racist thinking nurtured by political isolation is believed to be widespread in China.
One Internet site mocked Rice, who is single, for having "no sons, and not grandsons, just several mad dogs."
Other reported comments:
"Black devil"; "black pig"; "black whore"; "black female dog"; "You're not even as good as a black devil, a real waste of a life"; "Her brain is blacker than her skin"; "Really ugly"; "The ugliest woman in the world".
The statements were gathered by Chinese dissident, Liu Xiaobo. |
Ntfs_encryption
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Ntfs_encryption
Post Number: 3362
Registered: 10-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 02, 2008 - 05:28 pm: |
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Oh well...No surprises here. What did you expect......? |
Abm
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Abm
Post Number: 10176
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: 
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 02, 2008 - 07:46 pm: |
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Nuuon,
I dare you to toss everything you own made by the Chinese and NOT buy or use anything made in China.
Go on. I DOUBLEDARE ya. |
Nuuon
Regular Poster
Username: Nuuon
Post Number: 71
Registered: 03-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 02, 2008 - 08:49 pm: |
|
Yep,
No need to dare me because I have already contemplated this dilemma. I discovered that I couldn't "toss" much-- not even my Afro-pick. |
Ntfs_encryption
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Ntfs_encryption
Post Number: 3363
Registered: 10-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, August 03, 2008 - 05:19 pm: |
|
"No need to dare me because I have already contemplated this dilemma. I discovered that I couldn't "toss" much-- not even my Afro-pick."
And there ya have it........... |
Nels
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Nels
Post Number: 1193
Registered: 07-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, August 03, 2008 - 06:58 pm: |
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Buddha Heads. Noodle-suckin' bastards. Next subject. |
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