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Many Chinese suffer discrimination based on their regional origin

economist.com

61–70 of 92 posts

Re: Many Chinese suffer discrimination based on their regional origin

#61
post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>From blacks (big no), and handicapped people (big no), to bankers (yes w/ no racial connotations), and frat boys (yes)

BS. I'm in middle of nowhere Wisconsin, and I hear jokes about blacks and handicapped people all the time. When I lived in Houston, it was the same. (Well, mostly about blacks. But still.) If you're telling me you don't, I'm telling you that you're talking out of your posterior orifice.

It is not perfectly acceptable to pick on blacks and handicapped people in the Midwest. Not in 2019.

Re: Many Chinese suffer discrimination based on their regional origin

#62
post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>would make the differences between Americans look miniscule. The culture, custom and language difference is definitely more drastic than it is in the U.S. I was somewhat bullied as a young kid in Shanghai because I couldn't speak Shanghainese that well. However value is mostly not as divisive as it is here. I'm talking about the same kind of success is valued and worshipped throughout the country, urban and countrys…

> I was somewhat bullied as a young kid in Shanghai because I couldn't speak Shanghainese that well. Do you think the importance of Shanghainese has changed since then? When I was there, the only people I heard speak Shanghainese looked to be 40 or older, younger people seemed to exclusively use Mandarin.

Oh definitely, even kids who are just 5-10 years younger than I am are now mostly using Mandarin only, and many of them are no longer super fluent in Shanghainese.

Basically I think kids born before 1995 were the last batch of people growing up learning fluent Shanghainese.

Re: Many Chinese suffer discrimination based on their regional origin

#63
post #42

For how "homogeneous" China is considered, regions often define people more than ethnicity or racial groups. A common greeting that most people ask is "Where are you from?" Both migrant workers and the growing middle class now have the ability to travel anywhere in the country to further their futures. Back in the 70s or even the 90s this mixing of people was pretty much unheard of. Shanghai culture was only in Shang…

I think it's considered homogenous because it's unfamiliar to most Americans.

In my travels talking to people from other countries, America often appears homogenous to them (e.g. all Americans have a gun, when in reality only 30-40% of households do).

Re: Many Chinese suffer discrimination based on their regional origin

#64

Now if only the Chinese implement quotas, restrictions on speech, affirmative action, diversity initiatives, trigger warnings and identity politics, to protect the discriminated of course, they can look forward to the same harmony, cohesion and mental well being the US currently enjoys.

Disregarding the snark: the Chinese already do apply quotas, affirmative action and diversity initiatives in universities for example.

Re: Many Chinese suffer discrimination based on their regional origin

#65
post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are no "approved grouups". What are you talking about? Are you saying you never hear people talk bad about bankers, or frat boys, or jews, or cops, or blacks, or hispanics, etc etc etc? Because if so, I call BS. I also call BS if you try to tell me that everyone you've heard talk bad about, say, bankers or jews, has been fired from their job. Sure, you go up to your boss and tell your jokes about money grubbing…

I envy your perspective. What I see in the news, in academia, in the movie industry, in hiring, basically in the public culture, is very different. This has changed dramatically in the last say 5 years, and I am having trouble understanding how you can argue that in 2019 we can still all make fun of each other freely.

I am having trouble understanding how you can argue that in 2019 we can still all make fun of each other freely.

This is evidence that you are in a bubble. The world is a big, diverse, complex place.

Re: Many Chinese suffer discrimination based on their regional origin

#66
post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are no "approved grouups". What are you talking about? Are you saying you never hear people talk bad about bankers, or frat boys, or jews, or cops, or blacks, or hispanics, etc etc etc? Because if so, I call BS. I also call BS if you try to tell me that everyone you've heard talk bad about, say, bankers or jews, has been fired from their job. Sure, you go up to your boss and tell your jokes about money grubbing…

I envy your perspective. What I see in the news, in academia, in the movie industry, in hiring, basically in the public culture, is very different. This has changed dramatically in the last say 5 years, and I am having trouble understanding how you can argue that in 2019 we can still all make fun of each other freely.

What you see in public and what people do in private are very different and always have been. I think the best public equivalent to private behavior is anonymous online behavior, as this lets people use their private persona in public with minimal consequences.

Re: Many Chinese suffer discrimination based on their regional origin

#67
post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Seems in some places, it's perfectly (socially) acceptable to pick on others, as long as you're picking on the 'right' group of folks... This is the US. Here, it's perfectly acceptable to pick on everyone . From blacks, and handicapped people, to bankers, and frat boys. You can discriminate against whoever you like here. At least in the jokes and social situations. You should hear what they say about blacks, or gre…

Unless you care about your job, your career, your reputation, your personal safety and that of your loved ones. In that case you should make sure you only target approved groups.

I've heard the advice "always punch up, never punch down", at least when you tell these jokes in public.

Re: Many Chinese suffer discrimination based on their regional origin

#68
post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Seems in some places, it's perfectly (socially) acceptable to pick on others, as long as you're picking on the 'right' group of folks... This is the US. Here, it's perfectly acceptable to pick on everyone . From blacks, and handicapped people, to bankers, and frat boys. You can discriminate against whoever you like here. At least in the jokes and social situations. You should hear what they say about blacks, or gre…

>From blacks (big no), and handicapped people (big no), to bankers (yes w/ no racial connotations), and frat boys (yes)

to bankers (yes w/ no racial connotations), and frat boys (yes)

Bankers can get racial connotations. It just depends on if it's the correct race to bash on in the current crowd. Same goes for frat boys.

That said, all of that is horrible and wrong. (But I will fight for your right to say it all the same.)

Re: Many Chinese suffer discrimination based on their regional origin

#69
post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>From blacks (big no), and handicapped people (big no), to bankers (yes w/ no racial connotations), and frat boys (yes)

BS. I'm in middle of nowhere Wisconsin, and I hear jokes about blacks and handicapped people all the time. When I lived in Houston, it was the same. (Well, mostly about blacks. But still.) If you're telling me you don't, I'm telling you that you're talking out of your posterior orifice.

[deleted]

Re: Many Chinese suffer discrimination based on their regional origin

#70
post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are no "approved grouups". What are you talking about? Are you saying you never hear people talk bad about bankers, or frat boys, or jews, or cops, or blacks, or hispanics, etc etc etc? Because if so, I call BS. I also call BS if you try to tell me that everyone you've heard talk bad about, say, bankers or jews, has been fired from their job. Sure, you go up to your boss and tell your jokes about money grubbing…

I envy your perspective. What I see in the news, in academia, in the movie industry, in hiring, basically in the public culture, is very different. This has changed dramatically in the last say 5 years, and I am having trouble understanding how you can argue that in 2019 we can still all make fun of each other freely.

OK man, I see the issue here.

You're talking about, "in the news, in academia, in the movie industry, in hiring, basically in the public culture". Whereas I'm talking about how people talk in private social situations. The professional world should be professional, and separate from your private life. (You don't talk to your spouse and kids the way you talk to your coworkers unless something is very, very wrong in one place or the other.)

As I've already said, no, you can't go up to your boss and start joking about killing cops, or about "gold digging women like his daughter". But again, who does that? That's just dumb.

Yes, in the professional world, guess what? They only want professionals. That's not some off the wall notion that has only arisen "...in the last say 5 years..." It's been that way since forever.

So I'm sorry man, I'm just not gonna feel bad for you because you can't denigrate handicapped people, or hispanics, or whatever at work. But I will call you a dummy for doing so, and I'll add that it's unprofessional.

But as I said before, at parties or whatever, there is no way you can tell me that people don't joke about those same handicapped people and hispanics. It happens all the time.

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