Does racism exist in China? If you are reading this, you probably care about this question. This is a complicated issue, so please read carefully and leave your thoughts below or respond with your own post – but keep the language clean, otherwise your comments won’t show up. This post is not meant to say that racism is worse in China than elsewhere – it is merely an attempt to describe the racism that does exist in China. Racism Against Black People in China Racism against black people may be the strongest form of racism in China. Many families in China would be horrified if their son or daughter married a black person. Some would even disown them outright. It can be difficult getting a job teaching English in China if you are black. This is because of the perception of many people in China that only white people are ‘true Americans’ or ‘true English’ people. Sadly, it’s often easier to get a job teaching English in China as a white person from a country where English is not a native language than as a black person from a country where English is the only native language. Many people in China think most black people play basketball and are violent. If you are black, many people from China will perceive you as African. If you are not, you will have to repeatedly explain that you are from another country. The most common slur against black people in Chinese seems worse than that used for white people – “black ghost” vs. “old ghost”. Many people in China also assume that if you are black, you have very little money. Racism against blacks in China is also strongly linked to the class divisions and racism that exists within Chinese society. This is not a justification for racism against blacks in China, but for thousands of years Chinese people of lighter skin looked down upon those of darker skin, who often could not afford to be anything other than a peasant farmer.
Posted on: Tue, 24 Sep 2013 12:02:45 +0000
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