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Kenyans Say Chinese Investment Brings Racism and Discrimination (2018)

nytimes.com

41–50 of 125 posts

Re: Kenyans Say Chinese Investment Brings Racism and Discrimination (2018)

#41
post #2

The ongoing Chinese colonization of Africa is one of the biggest stories the western news media has absolutely no interest in reporting.

The ongoing Chinese colonization of Africa is one of the biggest stories the western news media has absolutely no interest in reporting. Perhaps because the Chinese are not (being allowed) to 'colonize Africa'. They may have a large presence in East Africa but are of limited significance elsewhere in the continent.

Yeah like every African colonizer ever. What is your point? Colonization doesn't happen in continent-sized chunks.

Re: Kenyans Say Chinese Investment Brings Racism and Discrimination (2018)

#42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Racism in China is a big problem, but the laundry advert alone isn't certainty not a big issue and is pretty over blown: being overly political correct around lighthearted comedy. The skin pigment 'melanin' is what causes a black person's skin to be black, and is also the same as in a non-black person's tanned skin. It's a added pigment that the absence of causes light skin. Removal of melanin can happen (through non…

Wow your long history goes all the way back to Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Thanks for enlightening us Professor 26 Year Old.

[deleted]

Re: Kenyans Say Chinese Investment Brings Racism and Discrimination (2018)

#43
post #3

With China being very homogeneous in terms of race, they never worked through those issues. I don't blame them. My grand parents, who lived in the countryside all their life would react in a similar way. Small anecdote: I attended an English class at a Chinese business university. The teacher (young girl, never left China in her life) told us that everything "French" means "sex/porn/etc", i.e. "french book", "french…

For what it’s worth even non-homogenous countries like the US haven’t solved their racial-related issues either. For a while I had thought that Brazil was as close to color-blind as a economically-developed country can be but after reading and learning more about their internal politics and especially after their latest presidential elections it seems that I was wrong.

Re: Kenyans Say Chinese Investment Brings Racism and Discrimination (2018)

#45
post #38
post #3

With China being very homogeneous in terms of race, they never worked through those issues. I don't blame them. My grand parents, who lived in the countryside all their life would react in a similar way. Small anecdote: I attended an English class at a Chinese business university. The teacher (young girl, never left China in her life) told us that everything "French" means "sex/porn/etc", i.e. "french book", "french…

About "French book" etc, I don't think this is particularly different in other languages - we have phrases like "french kiss" or "dutch oven" or "it's all greek to me" in English that have nothing to do with the country involved and everything to do with some historical stereotype or linguistic accident.

There is a vast difference between randomly labeling some things with a nationality, and labeling everything about a nationality the same way.

If I say 'French car' I don't mean 'sexy car', if I say 'that French dude with brown hair' it doesn't have any connotations about sex or something.

Re: Kenyans Say Chinese Investment Brings Racism and Discrimination (2018)

#46
post #6
post #3

With China being very homogeneous in terms of race, they never worked through those issues. I don't blame them. My grand parents, who lived in the countryside all their life would react in a similar way. Small anecdote: I attended an English class at a Chinese business university. The teacher (young girl, never left China in her life) told us that everything "French" means "sex/porn/etc", i.e. "french book", "french…

I thought you were possibly exaggerating. There really is such an ad. Pretty horrible. I never heard of this news almost 3 years after the fact. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/28/china-racist-d...

Focussing on a single Ad in the entire continent of China is a bit weird. This only caused outrage in the US, where political correctnes seems a national political passtime; who can be offended the fastest and most often? Win TV time as a politician!

Here is the _exact_ same ad in Italy, but reversed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dntfod-Cbo

No one bats an eye.

The is a big problem in China regarding racism, mostly because of the simple fact they aren't multicultaral like the West; it's just iganorance really.

Re: Kenyans Say Chinese Investment Brings Racism and Discrimination (2018)

#47
post #3

With China being very homogeneous in terms of race, they never worked through those issues. I don't blame them. My grand parents, who lived in the countryside all their life would react in a similar way. Small anecdote: I attended an English class at a Chinese business university. The teacher (young girl, never left China in her life) told us that everything "French" means "sex/porn/etc", i.e. "french book", "french…

> The teacher (young girl, never left China in her life) told us that everything "French" means "sex/porn/etc", i.e. "french book", "french movie". Funny, but tragic.

I think this is a typical example of stereotype rather than racism. But actually, I think that kind of stereotype is the exact major driving force behind racism in China.

From my own experience, I don't think we in China have received enough education about races or even our own ethnic groups. That eventually lead to ignorant and insensitive.

I once was in a dinner with my parents and their colleges. One of the college is identified as Hui, they don't eat pork (While us Han try everything edible). Somebody on the table got curious and ask why, before the Hui can answer, someone else intercepts and said "Because pig is their god" (when in the reality, they believe pig is filthy). Thankfully, Hui was very nice and explained it to us, and that someone was very embarrassed.

So, I think the solution of the racism problem in China is to encourage more interaction between different people.

Re: Kenyans Say Chinese Investment Brings Racism and Discrimination (2018)

#48
post #6
post #3

With China being very homogeneous in terms of race, they never worked through those issues. I don't blame them. My grand parents, who lived in the countryside all their life would react in a similar way. Small anecdote: I attended an English class at a Chinese business university. The teacher (young girl, never left China in her life) told us that everything "French" means "sex/porn/etc", i.e. "french book", "french…

I thought you were possibly exaggerating. There really is such an ad. Pretty horrible. I never heard of this news almost 3 years after the fact. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/28/china-racist-d...

"黑日牙膏" or "Black Person Toothpaste" is one of the top two or three toothpastes in China, English name "Darlie," used to be "Darkie," and the logo is basically an old U.S. blackface comedy picture, now changed a bit (similar to the name's slight makeover). This masterpiece is by Hawley & Hazel, owned by Colgate-Palmolive. The idea is that black people have very white teeth...

Seeing is believing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darlie

Re: Kenyans Say Chinese Investment Brings Racism and Discrimination (2018)

#49
post #43
post #3

With China being very homogeneous in terms of race, they never worked through those issues. I don't blame them. My grand parents, who lived in the countryside all their life would react in a similar way. Small anecdote: I attended an English class at a Chinese business university. The teacher (young girl, never left China in her life) told us that everything "French" means "sex/porn/etc", i.e. "french book", "french…

For what it’s worth even non-homogenous countries like the US haven’t solved their racial-related issues either. For a while I had thought that Brazil was as close to color-blind as a economically-developed country can be but after reading and learning more about their internal politics and especially after their latest presidential elections it seems that I was wrong.

it's always strange to see communities which have the least amount of foreigners being the most xenophobic (East Germany, US Midwest/flyover, Australian Western Territory, large parts of Eastern Europe etc ...). Not saying xenophobia doesn't exist in the other territories, but it seems exposure and mixing can help a lot.

EDIT: it seems the places where xenophobia doesn't exist are mere pockets in a vast ocean of bigotry.

Re: Kenyans Say Chinese Investment Brings Racism and Discrimination (2018)

#50
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I thought you were possibly exaggerating. There really is such an ad. Pretty horrible. I never heard of this news almost 3 years after the fact. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/28/china-racist-d...

Focussing on a single Ad in the entire continent of China is a bit weird. This only caused outrage in the US, where political correctnes seems a national political passtime; who can be offended the fastest and most often? Win TV time as a politician! Here is the _exact_ same ad in Italy, but reversed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dntfod-Cbo No one bats an eye. The is a big problem in China regarding racism, mostl…

China continent ?
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