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Thread: Travel for a Black American

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[quote=STOCKTOV,228470]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.[/quote]

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