Oh China, why do we love to hate you?
So I'm starting to notice a trend here. I was at Salsa Caribe the other night for a friend's birthday bash and spent about twenty minutes trying to track down a few tequila shots. Sure, the bartenders took my money straight away, but trying to get the salt and the lemon and the actual frigging drink took ages. Normally, I'd chalk it up to bad service, but I couldn't help but notice that my whiter than white friends had no problems whatsoever and were served faster than you can say, well, "white on rice".
Is it because upon first glance (or until I speak any English), the majority of the Chinese waitstaff in Beijing just assume I'm "one of them"? Walking into a popular bar regularly frequented by foreigners early to meet friends usually leaves me sitting around with no drink menu and the need for a fog horn to get anyone's attention. Out for dinner with my (white) boyfriend at a mainly Chinese establishment will often end in some obnoxious businessman (usually in the import/export market) in white socks and shiny black loafers drunkenly trying to speak English to him while completely ignoring the fact that there's another person at the table. The most irritating thing about all of it is that the minute I start speaking English, the customer service seems to snap back into attention.
Maybe this is just the opposite end of the endless whispers of waiguoren and laowai that the whiter faces of China are faced with on an every day basis. There are a few obvious benefits, like not being made to play the "Lets rip off a foreigner" game every time I walk into a shopping center, but so far, China is one of the few places in the world that seems to treat their own people (regardless of "stature") with so much disdain. How do I win?
--Jenn Wong
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As I understand it, there's a deep sense or mixture of abandonment and jealously in many native Chinese minds when confronting ABCs, CBCs, etc. I've spoken to a few Chinese friends who reluctantly admit that now that China is on the rise, there's a cruel pleasure or sense of entitlement for them to look down on "xiang zhao ren" or hua yi milling about with other westerners. They're not able to speak Chinese but now live in a prosperous China with a western attitude and a Chinese face. That's my two cents. Don't know how much it may help, other than to suggest that ultimately, you should keep the higher moral ground instead of draw for your gun.
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I've heard this as well, but how about KBCs (Korean born Canadians)! Today when I got in a taxi and told the dude where I wanted to go, he started laughing at me and asking why my Chinese was so bad. Fantastic.
It's become a resigned fact that nearly every single taxi driver I meet (when I'm on my own) will automatically start a conversation about where I'm from. This leads to a fascinating 5 minute debate in which I have to convince them that I am in fact, not one of their fellow countrymen. "You look Chinese! I don't believe you! Whaaaaa! You really look Chinese! I thought you were!!"
erhm.
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Chinese predjudice is a global phenomenon! I was in Hungary a month ago at a bathhouse. When my white companion started chatting in Chinese with a group of tourists from mainland China they were enthralled. They then turned to me and asked if I was Asian. When I replied yes they asked where I was from. I then explained that I was born in Nanjing but my family moved to the States when I was only four so I grew up in America.
During this explanation I could see the woman's mouth forming into a taut line as if she was sucking on a lemon or a smelly shoe. Eyes narrowed she spat out, "So you're CHINESE. NOT Asian." Confused I stuttered that perhaps I misunderstood what she meant by Asian to which she retorted with a self satisfied "Boy, your Chinese is horrible."
Let's keep in mind that just minutes ago she was all smiles and complementing my white friend's Chinese which, honestly, is far and away worse than mine. Most confounding is when did China become it's own continent and stop being part of Asia? Apparently Chinese and Asian are mutually exclusive? Please stop the Chinese on Chinese hate, the world will be happier because of it.
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The situation gets even more confusing for me. I was born in Beijing but am Swiss by passport, and I feel both Swiss and Chinese. When I drive around in my car, I've a black license plate, so when I'm asked where I'm from, I go, "Swiss".
Nothing bad about being either Chinese or Swiss -- in fact, I've taken things to a new level. I'm doing stuff by in essence mixing the best bits of being both Chinese and Swiss. A western mindset, for sure, but add to that -- the very Chinese focus on the family.
One of the secrets about being a "huaren" on a foreign passport is that you can switch between languages on the fly. Me, I've been able to get away from being pulled over thanks to a bit of Swiss-German.
As for the "banana comment", I actually got interviewed once by local tech media and the interviewer suggested I was a "banana". I instantly turned the tables by saying that "being a banana is healthy". (Think nutrition!) ;-)
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Nice way of putting it, David. It gets even trickier for me since I was born in Korea to two Korean parents, but was later adopted by a Korean mother and Chinese father. So! While I was raised in a mixed household, I still identify as "Korean", although I have a Chinese last name. When I first got here, I'd try explaining that with my limited language skills, but gave up since the majority of local people seemed absolutely flabbergasted by it. Ergh. I'll figure it out one of these days!
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And then there's me, people that I correspond with think I am from Canton and am named Mak Lee. Then they meet me and find I am the white imperialist. Then I break into a round of "Wo de Zhongguo xin" and know more about Chinese history than they do (the Long March did not occur in the 1940's!)
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There are plenty of local Chinese that feel superior than the waiguoren....As Mak Lee pointed about the history knowledge of some Chinese...I have come across the same situations. Also, you may not believe it, but there are also plenty of overseas Chinese who do not speak any or speak very little Chinese -- of course they draw criticism from other Chinese -- "why did you never learn...?" "Didn't your parents teach you...?" common statements made. Well, you did not get service for your looks, I did not either -- but for the opposite reasons - I am a foreigner who is not pushy and does not jump a line... For example, imagine standing in line waiting to check out in a hotel (4 or 5 star hotel) and before you can even start, a Chinese guy with a cigarette buts in and asks the clerk at the counter for service....Once he is done and I have voiced my dissatisfaction the clerk continues to defend the Chinese guy with a statement "...well he is local, he does not like to wait in line..."
Not sure which one is worse..... -
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I am 100% agreed with you guys, I moved here from Chicago 3 months ago. 50% voluntary move to Beijing. Follow your love, right? Before I arrived at the airport, I am 100% agreed with you guys, I moved here from Chicago 3 months ago. 50% voluntary move to Beijing. Follow your love, right? Before I arrived at the airport, I saw the promo on CNN or some news on TV about Beijing Olympics, and how the locals prepare for the game. And specially interviewed the taxi driver and how fluent their English is. But that's not true; that's maybe one out of 1000 cabbies knows Basic English. They have been dropping me to the wrong place, extended route and refused to drop me off to the Beijing Fashion Institute. My 1st week of Beijing was confused; the 2nd week was frustrated (I try to speak my mandarin -" Half Cantonese") plus hand gesture. Being a day out is exhausting, mentally and physically, since cabbies drop me off to the wrong place (normally happens when I am not going to a tourist attractions, so I have to walk & look for the right address for new commercial building or even hotels. They translated all the English name by meanings not Pinyin. I still don't know what JW Marriott called in Chinese. 3rd week in Beijing, I got angry, I start to wonder why things work like this, traffics- many” Ring road", the cab ride could be 80RMB, same route the other direction is $25. 4th week in Beijing, I surrender for the fact that, only the street smart ones will make in the new Beijing. And I am one, so I have to adapt to be part of the locals, speak and work like them. I am a Chicago Fashion Designer and now I will be having my first trunk show in August 19th during Olympics. Go Global!
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I know what you mean, Jenn. Last week, I stopped by the Starbucks at Full Link with a few people. While we were waiting in line, we were chatting -- so obviously, we were together. I was behind my Canadian friend -- after he ordered and moved over to wait for his drink, I moved up and was about to tell the guy what I wanted -- when suddenly, just as I opened my mouth, the guy behind counter looks directly at the German guy behind me (we were all together) and says, "Hello!" A bit surprised at first, I just thought the guy was trying to be friendly and that he could proceed to take my order after saying hello. But when I tried again to order, he just moved away from me and smiled at to my friend behind me, and kept saying, "Hello! How are you?" My German friend looked at him and looked at me, then back and him, and said,"She's in front of me." Finally, the guy behind the counter looked at me and did the Chinese half grunt/half word, "Ah?" I looked at him and said, "Can I order my coffee please?" He looked at me, looked at my friend, and looked back at me, before saying in Chinese, "Ni yao shenme? (What do you want?)" . . . He insisted on speaking Chinese to me even when I spoke in English to him, and despite that he spoke English with the others I was with. Is it because he thinks that if I am Chinese, I should speak Chinese with him? But -- I'm not Chinese or ABC or CBC -- I'm Japanese American! And I, like Jenn, get a lot of incredulous looks from people who don't believe that I don't have Chinese blood in me! I don't look Japanese enough, or I don't speak Mandarin with a Japanese accent, or . . . the list goes on and on . . . what's up with that?!?!
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Sometimes until now, I still got treated as a second by local people. If I go to Silk Market with a white friend, even if I was the one who entered the shop first, the fuwuyuan will say hi first to my white friend who is walking behind me. She will ask for what he wants blah blah blah (giggle) blah blah (giggle)... Me? Oh, just forget about me, I'll look for my thing myself. Sigh...
Had the same thing like what happened with jennwong in some bars here. Also some restaurants too. It was pretty cleared that I ordered everything by speaking in English and I asked him things that he explained in Chinese, what does that mean but the fuwuyuan kept chatting with me and repeating the order in Chinese. Please note, it was in a restaurant that is visited by a lot of white people and the fuwuyuan spoke English too to some of my white friends who were with me there. But once he turned his face on me, he starts speaking Chinese.
Thank God, I never had that experience like what yk1624 had in Starbucks. If that ever happened to me, I will jump on top of the guy and choke him to death with mocha frappucino! With ice!!!
I usually have that 'Oh-what-a-retarded-boy-you-are' look whenever I can't understand what the local people is talking about coz they think I'm Chinese. And someone who looks like a Chinese is supposed to speak Chinese too. At least that's what they thought.
I really like what Collin had written there. That might be the explanation. Never thought about that. Meanwhile, my fellow "banana", be strong. Coz "banana is good for your health". Cheers, davidfeng!
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I empathise. It's the same in singapore really. White = better. People just never quite got over their colonial complex.
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As far as my understanding, most Chinese borned in the family that the parent are rarely to tell the children that "you are really good, we love you really deep". If a baby can not feel what's the meaning of LOVE, he will has some problem to discover the value of himself, then the Chinese inferiority complex problem is serious to a certain extent.
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