| Travel for a Black American | |
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| Mar 30, 2007 10:50 |   |
 | I have a couple of questions, How are blacks treated in China? Second..I will be traveling with my girlfriend who is Chinese. Dows anyone know if we will have any problems? Also, I'm a professor at a University here in the states. It would be great to visit a chinese middle or high school. I had the chance to do this in Korea and had a great time at the middle school I visited. Can anyone help me with this? Thank you Don |
| Mar 30, 2007 18:15 | #1 |
| Don: Hopefully you will get replies from other people who have direct experience on the race question, but will make some comments based on what I have seen. Certainly there is some prejudice as I know that blacks find it harder to get teaching jobs. You will get stared at sometimes, but then so do all westerners from time to time. Foreigners are still a curiosity in some cities and as black foreigners are fewer, there's greater curiosity. I have met a few blacks, and each had a local girlfriend, the one I worked with had private students and knew all the locals in the shops etc... . So I think that prejudice is not very substantial, probably less than you would find in the US (unless there has been a big change of heart I havent heard about) or in my countries of Australia and the UK. In general, you shouldn't have any problems. I am sure you will enjoy yourselves. Visiting Middle schools (there is no high school, middle school goes to 18 yrs) or a college should not be a problem. Ask young people that talk to you about their schools and if you can contact their teachers. You can then ask if you can give a class or perhaps easier is offer to hold an English Corner - an informal class really, but expect big attendances, especially if it is a school without a foreign English teacher. Mopst teachers will jump at the opportunity. Typically until they know you, you'll get low interaction in the class, but afterwards they will all come and talk! Where do you plan to go and when? Maybe someone in here can set up contacts in advance. Good luck with your trip. |
| Mar 30, 2007 20:47 | #2 |
| Hi, I'm from the US and I have lived in China for about two years now. Last year a black man from England came to teach at our school. Before he arrived, the staff of the school were very worried about "how the students would treat him". As it turned out, the students love him and he's a great teacher and has made many friends here, but I was more than shocked by the preliminary judgments my colleagues were making just because the man is black. The Chinese are a little...behind...in their ideas about diversity. And it's not really their fault--they haven't been exposed to much of it. Even toward women: I am the only woman who will play soccer at my school--it's not a sport that women do here. Even the gym classes are divided into activities considered suitable for males and suitable for females, although nobody will come right out and say that a girl "can't" join in this or that activity. They just don't because it isn't done. And, where in many other countries foreigners aren't really distinguished, in China it is still challenging sometimes to be a foreigner (especially if you aren't in a city like Beijing or Shanghai). You are stared at just because you are different. Your presence is commented on just because you're 'other'. And you are judged for it, too (in both good ways and bad ways. Depends on the person). Now, as a Black man, I think you'll find reactions to you heightened just a bit. My fiancee (a Chinese) has told me that Chinese just don't know Black people, and even though they love their NBA stars, many of them still are "frightened" to know a black person because of all the historical prejudices about them. However, Chinese culture says that one doesn't do anything about their feelings publicly. So whether or not someone is more-than-naturally interested in you, I doubt you will face any kind of problems or racist issues (if you understand Chinese you might hear some interesting comments because they'll assume you don't know Chinese and they'll say what they want to say). But be prepared to be stared at (especially if you have a Chinese girlfriend. My colleague also does), and just tell yourself that it is harmless. Which it probably is. I don't know what Apault meant about the "change" in the States. Of course there are still areas in our country where there are issues, but that's a local issue I think and not a national one. In my experience, Chinese ideas about race are less open than ours, by and large, but in China there is very little race-related violence of any kind--if there's any at all. I hope you will enjoy your trip. And I'm sure you can visit a school. What city are you going to? It may just be if you tell someone at your hotel your interests they'll invite you to their friend's school or their child's school or something. There will definitely be an invitation for you if you express interest. |
| Mar 31, 2007 03:07 | #3 |
| Yes, please be relieved BEEKIED, Chinese never think too much of the difference of races and look down upon them. Instead, I think many Han people cherish a respectful or appreciative feeling for the minorities due to their versatility. And so for the black people, they are the same as any of the foreigners. Although sometimes they may murmur something, it is just a kind of curiosity and interest, not at all any kind of prejudice. |
| Mar 31, 2007 19:11 | #4 |
| Thank you very much. |
| Mar 31, 2007 20:46 | #5 |
| im a chinese,in my opinion,the prejudice of black just becouse there are not many black people in china. as u see, there r not many westen people in china, the impressions of black people r generally from movie,TV... chinese r friendly, as long as u stay, they will find out is no different to make a friend with black than to white. |
| Apr 2, 2007 01:55 | #6 |
| I think the word is CURIOSITY and not PREJUDICE. The locals are naturally curious about foreigners. As a black American u may face curious stares and whispers behind your back but it's generally nothing negative. The only nationality that I know of, which may face prejudice in China is the Japanese, because of the wartime attrocities committed by their forefathers. |
| Apr 2, 2007 22:01 | #7 |
| there shouldnt be any problems or different treatment - and as yr girlfriend is chinese - then should even have no issue with the language. However in some chinese cities like in a part of guangzhou , there are quite a few Africans - and u may be mistaken for an African - thats the only thing if any. |
| Aug 5, 2007 07:30 | #8 |
| Well, I am black person and i have been living here for three years. It is true that the Chinese people are very backward when it comes to the issue of diversity. In three years only once i have been called "hei gui", nearly 100 times male taxi drivers have refused to take me and all other bad things that can happen to blacks, and once in canteen a woman told a white guy who she did not know is myfriend "we hate blacks" they stink. But from what i have seen most of those who are racist is not because they are racist, but it is because they copy from American movies, and because of lack of education and exposure. Remember there still a lot of people even in beijing and Shanghai who have not seen a person of another color. That should not worry you though! Educated chinese, and those who have travelled and some others in big cities are very sweet people and really respect other people. But do not expect it to be like New York, Amsterdam or London. Not matter how rich you are, how good you are, how educated you are, collective guilty thing will cost you. There are boys from west Africa here who are doing bad things, so people think we are all same. |
| Aug 5, 2007 19:40 | #9 |
| OMG. so you think Black Americans are better than West Africans ? Or it seems to me from your message that Americans are better than everybody else. |
| Aug 22, 2007 14:31 | #10 |
| I found this thread extremely helpful. I am a Black American woman that will be traveling to China. I am going with a group so I hope there will be stares at everyone in the group and not just myself. If anyone has insight on how black women are treated and if I will get comments and stares about my hair (it is long and curly), PLEASE let me know. Thanks. |
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