Teaching English abroad is a popular option for BBC's who have become jaded with their UK-based lifestyle, and for many BBC's with their native homeland in Hong Kong, in the current economic climate, the switch to teaching English in the Far East is an obvious choice, especially when many have relatives or family members they are able to stay with, before finding more permanent accommodation.
In the following example that compares the application of an East Asian ( in this case, a Korean American ) to a White American, an article that investigates white privilege in English Teaching schools in China only now has been brought to the attention of mainstream press, specifically an American publication, MSN News, but maybe subtly looks at it from a slightly sinophobic angle in that 'Chinese are even racist against their own' without once mentioning 'white privilege'
"The discrimination comes, Evans said, because Chinese parents simply do not believe a non-white person can possibly be a native speaker. Thus, this logic continues, hiring a white person is the simplest and easiest way to ensure that the teacher is truly fluent.
“I was told that it was nice for parents to see foreign or white-looking teachers around the school,” Evans said, adding that he was encouraged to walk outside and greet parents. Advertisements for English teaching positions are up-front in their bias. A search for “English teacher” in The Beijinger’s classifieds section reveals dozens of ads that include language such as “Job requires American or Canadian white teacher” or “white color is preferred.”
As a BBC, who has some experience of being an English teacher, but not in the Far East, I have experienced discrimination, from foreign students, who often expect a White teacher to teach them English.
Funnily during my time I was teaching, there was another BBC who was teaching there, who had developed a kind of invulnerable happy go lucky attitude, so at the time it did make me think that it was probably my own attitude problem than anything else, which made me think that I was probably not cut out to be an English Teacher.
But whilst Teaching in the Far East, is a definite a career option, does the fault of choosing white English teachers over British Born Chinese teachers lie with the English schools in China, arguably run by white people or white worshipping FOBS. Or with inherited traits of the English language itself and it's Colonial associations with white privilege?
Don't take it to heart and simply be the BEST teacher that you can be.
ReplyDeletePlan your lessons carefully. Have backup plans, have backup backup plans.
Study the subject area and make clear objectives.
Doing this you'll be better than a LOT of ESL types who wing it. It gives off an impetious aura sometimes. I know plenty who do wing it and initially was guilty of this myself until I put some effort into it. Beacon school in HK does not sucuumb to the white face = good issue.
In regards to the other stuff. It is just business as above don't take it to heart. The schools themselves are going concerns, they are just doing what they need to do to maximise their income. The colour of the owner is immaterial.
Consider how hard it is to change the ingrained mindset of our parents. Our parents who are influenced and coloured by what they see and experience here in the UK. In contrast to many HK people they are quite liberal (in contrast)
Now try consider the difficulty in changing the mindset of people who are every day reinforced in some of their uglier traits.
Now consider those people are your customers. While morals and doing the 'right' thing (choosing the best person for the job). Doing the right thing doesn't pay the bills.
An Indian bud says the same things. He works as a chef. The customers all want illegal amounts of food colouring else they won't touch the food. He doesn't like it but has to go along with it to stay in business.
Its a bit more serious than that Ken. Every teacher in their own way strives to be the best they can, thats not even the issue being disputed as anyone can be the best teacher out there regardless of ethnicity, the issue is that Chinese born the West will generally not be offered these jobs in the first place. If they do get the jobs it will be bottom of the barrel ones in undesirable locations that pay less.
DeleteThis is blatant and overt racial discrimination, made worse by the fact its Chinese discriminating against her own disapora. I'm surprised I've not heard racial discrimination cases brought before the law in places like HK on these issues.
I actually do not think its as true as people say that the parents prefer white teachers, I believe such thoughts are simply reinforced by the recruiters and agencies (which are run by whites/foreigners) who choose not to interview Chinese, its like an ex-pat club as it was during colonial times.
The most interesting quote from the article has been omitted by HBC, so i'll post it here....
A post by Vogue on a popular online forum and classifieds site, The Beijinger, explicitly spells out the phenomenon:
“In Beijing this is the general pecking order in terms of a company's recruitment (by Chinese managers):
1. White Americans/Canadians
2. White British
3. White Australians/New Zealanders and South Africans
4. European Nonnatives/Black Americans/Black British
5. American Asians/Black Aussies (Australians) and Kiwis (New Zealanders)/Filipinos/Africans”
So given that we are not even on the list, we BBCs are basically treated the same or lower than Africans. It probably also accounts for or explains why FOB mainlanders dont mix with BBC in the UK.
I must add, its also reinforced by the fact that FOBs rarely employ BBCs in their FOB businesses in the UK, not only do FOB Chinese discriminate against BBCs in the Far East, but also in the UK.
Delete@Ken interesting pointers. yes to keep the system flowing, everyone has to play their part in achieving that including spoilt kids and mums expecting their brats to overperform etc
DeleteIMO from what Ive READ, is that China is English education is looked at the same as a P.E or Maths etc. Ie its just another box to be ticked. Which is why kids dont take it seriously enough and parents get narked.
You would've thought that if they put so much emphasis on just having white teachers, and hiring some Holga polkalov backpacker from pisstonia over an educated BBC, that they should expect the standards of the teaching plus the attitude of the parents to be more understanding given that the whole english teaching thing is for show, and not education.
Whether they would then allow the white teacher to 'wing it' but get stricter on the BBC is also questionable, but if its true, again its obvious discrimination.
@BBCz no BBCs allowed to work for FOBS but I was served by a hapa in a restaurant once. Ha. Probably there to please the english clientele. And with this discrimination from FOBS in both overseas and in the UK its why BBCs for our own interest need to have our own niche and culture.
DeleteI wonder if you would see this kind of behaviour from other ethnic groups, eg South Asian FOBs towards their own British born.
Interesting point about the agencies being expat club. That would explain a lot. And reading that list makes me think that BBC ethnic GROUP has a lot of low self esteem and anger wrapped under the carpet because of the above/above related reasons.
I reckon also a lot of success with BBC individuals tend to be heavily related to their relationship with their FOB parents and how much their FOB parents are willing to help them out. Its this same unevenness that prevents us having our own culture and speaking out against FOB discrimination because that would be like biting the hand that feeds you.
Regardless I still think need to have our own media, based with issues about collective racial segregation. This 'we're fucked but ill just get on with it mindset' that we've had handed to us only gets you so far.
Well the BBCs in HK are either pathetic FOB lickers (mix with mainly fobs) or white lickers, (i.e only friends they make in HK are other whites or BBCs like themselves). The point is they still behave the same way as they do in the UK, they dont support each other, they dont create BBC businesses to employ BBCs..
DeleteWhich restaurant was there a Eurasian waiter? Name it. Was it in Chinatown?
Next door to the main Wing Yip supermarket.
DeleteRe white lickers or FOB lickers.
If I had to choose I suppose I'd rather be a FOB licker.
But when you say 'pathetic' I'm guessing pathetic to the point that another BBC turns up, and gets blanked because the FOBlickers too busy licking FOB arse?
That sounds like having Eurasian company amongst whites. Gravitate to whoever's territory it is and ditch the useless straggler haha. Nice
Now if BBCs were to hire BBCs only, that would be something.
White privilege is created by the Chinese who demand white teachers.
ReplyDeleteAlso from what I've read China, and probably the whole of the East Asia continent which I've read it is, in that respect,why worry about Expats and visitors hitting on Chinese girls when China is just readily handing out their women to their white teachers...
ReplyDelete'Why does China feel the need to constantly prove itself or sell itself to the westerners to gain acceptance from the West?'
ReplyDeleteYou mean constantly prove itself BY selling itself to the west, right?
Notice that the west doesnt reciprocate, ever.
Down to making its own British Chinese invisible or exotic, creating a FOB majority. Making documentarys about Chinese in britain interviewing an old man yapping on about how wonderful his mixed race grandchildren are
http://bbczeitgeist.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/documentary-film-on-chinese-community.html
Making coproduction films with China yet having white leads. The list goes on and on.
Chinese are way too passive. Its been the trade off its always been about the tradeoff. In the UK its the tradeoff for personal wealth, in China its the tradeoff for good relations for business. In many cases, we know China has the money. But where's our guts?
'Duh look there's a Bruce Lee statue. Chinese are strong, Ill just project myself onto that. So anyway how about that new cake recipe?'
The tradeoff mentality is arguably making China the sick man of asia of a different kind. Funny thing is, and this is the biggie that everyone seems to hate to admit, as long as you are ethnic Chinese, we are all partly responsible.
sadly chinese literally do worship white skin - they want to turn their skin white these days. in the west people want tans while chinese want white!
ReplyDeleteit is crazy how chinese worship the white man. how many westerners, even remotely, worship the yellow man?? not many! bruce lee, perhaps?
but when it comes to yellow girls.....well, we all know the feelings are very mutual. their legs are open to anything white.
doesn't matter if chinese end up ruling the world, we will always be the underclass & will always end up being embarrassed by our sluts.
Indeed, and you don't have to be a "Bruce Lee" to do so. Simply doing your thing, making progress or working your way in your career choice, all the while REJECTING WHITE SUPERIORITY(this takes several forms in attitude, status, speech, marrying fellow ethnic Chinese - and even more importantly - raising up your ethnic Chinese children to take pride in YOUR roots, not white roots... and other general life stuff) when it comes up will ensure the continuation of a Chinese identity in a white country.
ReplyDelete^ Personal question , multiculturalism aside, as person who intends to raise his children in a white country, im assuming, how do you feel about them not having a serious British Chinese identity, beyond Chinese in britain?
ReplyDeleteAre you going to teach your children Mandarin? Because thats what the majority of British Chinese will be speaking in a generation or so. Or Cantonese, and 'keep it within the family' , assuming you have a nice big family of Cantonese speaking brothers and sisters etc.
And if you do indeed look at Chinese society in the UK from a race context, like every British born UK ethnic group has the right to, and you havent bought into whitewashing or multiculturalism
and do not consider yourself part of the British Chinese FOB-network, what do you intend to do?
Because arguably if you are fluent in Chinese language, raising ethnic Chinese children, being close to your roots etc, all this would work better in arguably the Far East, where arguably as a BBC you would be much closer to your cultural roots?
I respect the idea of rejecting white superiority, but at the end of the day, as a BBC, who is brought up in a land of racial segregation,and now raising your children in a country that has no cultural identity beyond 'Chinese in Britain' will have all these questions to answer.
In that respect, being a British Born Chinese is an assimilative ethnic sub-group without any real cultural identification, simply because the larger British Chinese group has not chosen to develop an english language speaking social identity, unlike say, Canadian Chinese or Australian Chinese or American Chinese.
On that basis, it falls down to the cards you have been dealt as a BBC. If indeed you have those connections, speak the language, a large Chinese language speaking family, siblings etc etc, it makes it easier to retain those cultural roots within the family than a BBC who doesnt. Once again unlike other countries when it comes to retaining your own Chinese-identity, or even having pride in it, in the UK, and as a BBC, thanks to lack of a real 'community' it all boils down to creating your own personal network of connections/friends/associates as an ethnic Chinese individual.
And just to add, on the topic of English language, it is ironic that whilst English IS the first language of Canadian Chinese, Australian Chinese or American Chinese community, that in the most English-language speaking Chinese communities of them all, the British Chinese still dont recognise English as our main first language. Surprising eh?
ReplyDeleteThen ontop of that theres the contradiction of Chinese pride. To a FOB you are a sellout if you dont speak Chinese language, and yet the same Chinese sellouts will whore their culture out to the west in order to let more build relations, or as in the case of this article, let more white male students fuck and impregnate Chinese women.
Is this really building relations or is this cultural suicide?
Because if its the former, I'll say as marginalised as I am as a BBC who doesnt speak Cantonese as well as I ought to, at least I have my integrity of Chinese pride in that I wont fuck my own people over by hypocritically whoring my culture out to white vultures.
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/07/rent-a-white-guy/8119/
ReplyDeletefrom the comments
"The point about worship mentality is right, but it's on the Chinese towards Westerners, not the other way around. I am a businessman and have traveled to China for years. Let's just be honest here and admit that many Chinese have an inferiority complex, and a 'Western worship' mentality. 'White guy in a tie', in which random uneducated White people are hired to pretend to be executives in China, is just one example. It's well known that Asians are obsessed with Western branded products, and White faces are plastered all over malls, commercials, and in movie theaters. Less educated and less talented White teachers are routinely hired, and paid more, over other candidates.
In America, we oftentimes demand that immigrants speak English and change their names, it doesn't make us feel better, we expect/demand it. In China, the Chinese themselves think it's cool to do business in English or to ask people to address them by an adopted Anglo name, even among other Chinese colleagues. Similarly, simply seeing a Westerner speaking Mandarin makes them feel good because they have an inferiority complex about it.
Multiple Asian cultures are still ingrained with Confucian obsessions over status, prestige, and by extension, brands. Asians are obsessed over designer labels, clothing brands, the college you went to, etc. This relates to race (and even dating) as well because global (i.e. Western) media, news, and entertainment constantly 'brands' White faces and people as the best, which Asians are heavily exposed to. Even in Asia the malls, ads, and movie theaters are plastered with Caucasian faces. It's no surprise that eyelid and nose ridge surgery, to look more Caucasian, are the #1 surgeries in East Asia... the self-loathing is pretty sad..."
double the shame that we need a white to say the obvious. What say you, East Asian women?
Haha@East asian women.
DeleteTo clear things up I'd love to see China to do the following:
1. Stop whoring out the Chinese women to these white English teachers by giving free mandarin lessons so they cannot use it as a way to create more hapas/last fuck before they die, as you both have mentioned.
2.Start building connections with foreign born Chinese and take an interest in their political opinions like us on this blog, who as foreign born Chinese know a thing or two about how the west is programmed to perceive China.
3. Start getting aggressive with your soft power locally and eliminate all white people from your advertising, media , just in the same way that the west eliminates all Chinese from their advertising.
4. Develop your Chinese culture and create more Chinese icons. Both Hong Kong and Chinese culture is so rich and deep and waiting for development,instead of copying whites and letting mainland culture wipe out hong kong culture, why not revive hong kong culture and let it co-exist and compliment Beijing culture.
5. Regarding the topic of english language, i would suggest reaching out to overseas native english speaking Chinese to become teachers and rediscover their own culture. and encouraging THESE teachers to have free mandarin lessons and what not to build a strong global Chinese community and not this fucked up white privileged rampancy wherever we go.
I told you about the david beckham lookalike I bumped into on my travels right?with the beany cap stepping out the China mainland station looking like he's ready to take on the world? or rather his conquest of Chinese girls?
Now whether he was about to be an english teacher or not, you compare his attitude to the same attitude a Chinese male mainlander student acquaintance I had made in the UK. Including one associate I was friends with who hated it here. The two attitudes are completely opposite, one is entering as a conquerer the other cant wait to leave.
Only the biggest fucking moron would be unable to see the difference in privelege of these two examples.
China seriously needs to step up its policy towards pisstaking whites IMO. I wonder if since that Beijing rape incident has died down, what kind of real measures they are taking towards this kind of stuff. Whether they are real measures or just for show?
http://bbczeitgeist.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/rape-chinese-girl.html
Seriously, until a country has its cultural values in place, and not all over the shop, and organised, just like how you see the west are so protective of their own colonial privilege, not much will change. As you say above, all the money is going out of China and into the wests pocket. All because Chinese people, for all the fucking facesaving, have no confidence when it comes to comparing to whites.
All good points. I mentioned somewhere in another article that China is the only nation of the major university student exports to Britain that sends more women than men? African and Asian(south) nations predominantly send out more men. I don't know about you, but if your nation is facing a sex imbalance, you would send out the excess, not the ones you need to continue to population, right?
DeleteChina's government knows the pull of the fairer sex. While millions of Chinese men born in 1980s are now unable to find Chinese wives, government officials are taking their second and third mistresses. People in power just don't care until their power is threatened. Just look at Mainland China's seeming obsession with pairing its actresses with white men in Films like "The Flowers of War". China is actively encouraging Chinese women to pair up with white men as a form of projecting its soft power. You only have to go to China and see the subtle and not so subtle ways that this is being done across the country.
DeleteChina doesn't share our sentiments of fighting against white privilege. Many Chinese will openly admit feeling racially inferior to whites and, at the same time, racially superior to Africans. The love for hapa children with whites is also deeply-ingrained within Asian culture. During China's Nationalist period, British and American servicemen stationed in Shanghai were considered to be the most ideal partners by Shanghainese women. Today, that mentality is still there and is being actively encouraged by the media.
Ultimately Mainland China will never feel bad about white men being with their women. The gender imbalance is only going to get MUCH worse before it gets better and its effects are already very apparent. Chinese women, as ultra-materialistic and prestige-obsessed as they were before, are becoming even more so in Mainland China. Gender equality is suffering as a result with women less likely to seek career advancement and more likely to seek a rich husband.
Chinese women, as ultra-materialistic and prestige-obsessed as they were before, are becoming even more so in Mainland China. Gender equality is suffering as a result with women less likely to seek career advancement and more likely to seek a rich husband.
Delete===============
About this, you know what would really halt this gradual ethnic cleansing? A better welfare system. I'm not saying a completely free NHS, school etc... because that would bankrupt China within minutes. No, just benefits/preferential treatment towards Chinese women, with Chinese men, who have children together. Because right this moment many Chinese women - who may not necessarily prescribe to the "white is best" mindset - think that the only way to raise a child is to have their own place. Most Chinese men are priced out of the market by high house and apartment prices (and the ones cheap enough aree simply not fit for one, let alone a family). So what do these women do? Pair off with a white man - in this case any old deformed white man will do - because they will be able to afford a decent place. Or better still, a passport to the West, where free housing is standard for mothers. That's what they want.
So, either/both preferential house prices for single Chinese men, or added benefits for women with Chinese men having a family, will go some way to eradicating the seemingly growing dependency of chinese women flocking to white men for a family.
Another issue is that of the number of children, which of course is restricted by the one child policy. No-one hasn't realised that this has an effect on both seeking a white man AND being less satisfied with "their lot". Let me explain. Firstly, wouldn't it be rubbish just to have one child your entire life? Many men and women want several, sure it's hard work but it's worth it. Also ever wonder why many women want more more more, even when they are already a mother to one? Because they don't have enough kids... no doubt mothers would bitch about this, but having one child is hardly a strain on you or your resources. Having just one child allows you to have a social life, work and be a parent. Those who work and have leisure time tend to spend more and indulge in consumerism - thus the wanting more mindset. Whereas if they stayed at home with their 5 kids, guess what? THEY WOULD BE TOO PREOCCUPIED WITH THE KIDS TO CARE ABOUT ALL THAT SHALLOW STUFF. So the one child policy isn't simply reducing the ethnic Chinese population, it's also giving mothers more free time to do things, be more social and be more consumerist - feeding that wanting more greed.
HPS makes some extremely good points.
ReplyDeleteI am beginning to feel sick and tired of the china bashing that has been going on for years now. Im tired of Sky News and CNN referring to China as "communist china" as if communism were a bad thing, it doesn't look like its doing to badly from what I can see!
And why are the recurring themes always the same "China is not democratic" "There is no freedom of speech" "the government is corrupt" "The military is not transparent" "There are no human rights" "The government controls everything" "human rights abuses are a daily occurrence"
I'm not sure about Chinese media but HK TVB doesn't refer to the UK as "Democratic UK" and it doesn't go on about how UK politicians committed fraud by falsely claiming for expenses to feed their appetite for porn and duck ponds. Nor does it go on about the super-injunctions taken out by the rich to prevent press reporting of their own infidelity and thereby curbing freedom of speech. As for the trident missile system and stealth weaponry that is being developed by the MOD, well the necessary lack of transparency doesn't seem to be an issue in China ?!
I just don't understand the intentions of the medias sinophobia, the only thing it does its breed hatred amongst the local population who then have it ingrained in them that anything made in china is bad and hence all the subsequent casual racism that this site documents so well.
The only thing is the recipients of that racism is directed at the chinese who are living in Britain, i.e. us - The British Born Chinese !
And to top it off, the chinese in China love all things British ! My cousins back in the Village are dreaming of coming to the UK to study at old polytechnics - Preston for heavens sake ! 10,000's of pounds in tuition, accommodation and living pouring in to the UK because they feel it is a superior option !
The whole thing seems messed up, the west hates china and china loves the west! Its Nanking all over again, only instead of lining up to have our heads chopped off we are lining up to have the piss taken out of us !
Am I wrong ?
No bro you are 100% spot on re sinophobic media:
Deletebbczeitgeist.blogspot.com/2012/05/daily-mail-china.html
And as for racism that is targeted at BBCs, id also add that from my knowledge UK elder FOBS either 1/ ignore it 2/ feel unable to fight back because they are in a white country 3/tell you to outbreed it because if you dont speak Chinese, you are a sellout ( a FOBS eyes who doesnt speak the language) as someone has just commented here:
http://bbczeitgeist.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/documentary-film-on-chinese-community.html
For all these reasons, and all you mentioned above id say BBCs need to question our own collective identity in relationship to our UK elder FOB parents. Yes for some, its biting the hand that feeds you but pretty soon, we will be the one doing the feeding if we arent already.
i feel that sometimes what you are advocating is somewhat artificial. Some BBCs may hang out with FOBs because they are closely associated with it. For example i was born in britain but i am always going back to China and i identify with that not because i WANT to be FOB but because it's natural for me. I've only met 4 other BBCs in my generation in my life and they are in different parts of the UK - not just that we have nothing in common. i am very into chinese, english and american history and like different things to them. they are into chinese and korean pop, or they are very british. ive tried to make friends with other BBCs but they find me too obsessed with very historical topics and not easy to talk to. we watched different tv shows. i speak mandarin, they speak cantonese. in the end isnt it how we grow up rather than where we grow up that define us? i have english friends who are more chinese than me because they grew up in china. in fact their loyalty is with china and they are impressive defenders of the CCP and PRC. so i think you need to somewhat qualify what you say. please remember the exceptions.
ReplyDeletei don't want to change just because other BBCs think I should disassociate myself with the friends I made - friends of which i spent years of my life with. it's kinda weird if i try and sustain artificial relationships with people i don't know and have nothing in common with except our ethnicity and place of birth.
Deleteof course, i want to make friends with all peoples, whereever they are from, with the knowledge they are good people. I am proud of my heritage and extremely passionate about defending against racism in the West, which I detest with all my heart. But I think what you forget is the universal trait of humans: to associate with people who they LIKE and who tehy are DRAWN to.
Deletenonetheless i appreciate the comments regarding the lack of awareness of how brainwashed we are by the western media.
DeleteFOBS is a generalised term, probably too generalised, but its not necessarily derogatory. As has been stated before, many BBCs are FOBABEE, which can be a good thing. Including yourself it seems.
DeleteRe: universal trait of humans, yes thats obvious, but what we are advocating on here is some kind of solidarity between all BBCs from a purely racial point of view, just like other ethnics have. Why? Because in the UK, you are perceived as an ethnic minority, regardless.
Re: your white friends, thats good for them they love Chinese culture.But staunch defenders of the CCP? Well if you say so. Regardless, in the UK, we are British Born Chinese, and this is the basis of which we are advocating a political and cultural standpoint. In this respect, its Chinese first, universal traits second. Because otherwise there would be no point to having an ethnic Chinese collective would there?
This is not the whole picture. I agree that there are some views of the locals that prejudice against non-white English speakers but I think now it's changing. In fact two friends went over and mentioned that there were no white teachers on an English programme to Japan and China. There's like so many programmes for Chinese diaspora to go to China to teach.
ReplyDeleteShare us the links, thanks
Deletemy cousin is bbc and he got offered full scholarship to study at a chinese uni about mandarin and chinese culture. so i disagree. all of the other ppl offered were ABCs, CBCs, and Malays and Filippino Chinese.where are you getting your facts from
ReplyDeleteguys i think you should give mainland more credit bcos bbcs are now being recognised as diff breed to mainlanders. in fact lots of bbcs, cbcs, abcs are sweeping up jobs because they can live in west and east and crossover more easily.
ReplyDeleteIf thats the case, great. If you have any links or experiences to share, even better.
DeleteFrom personal experience, from talking to other BBCs who have applied for jobs in Hong Kong, and for the purpose of this article as you can see, from the newslink, above.
ReplyDeleteDid your cousin then get a job as an English teacher out there? The article is about teaching english in China, not studying Chinese language and culture in China.
From that we need to build our own culture, our own exclusive niche as part of Britain as a whole. We may be influenced by the majority, but we can't simply be one of the majority - as we'll have lost our roots in the blink of a generation.
ReplyDeleteWhich brings us to the question, how will they be raised up? BBCs are unique in that they are rarely amongst fellow BBCs - notice asians and blacks, their kids grow up with fellow blacks and asians - we don't have the numbers or the concentration to allow that. Indeed, when we do see a fellow Chinese we adopt a white mentality rather than a "at last, one of us" mindset. That is a sign that things are not right.
So if my Chinese children are to be hanging out with a white/other social circle, it is important not to adopt a culture that actively or subconciously scorns hatred against the Chinese. I think we've all been there as BBCs... a figure of speech or stereotype that seems harmless amongst whites, but clearly offends ethnic Chinese. At the time we are confused, or let it pass so we can "fit in".
But then why should you try to fit in with a group that wont accept you for what you are, without ridicule and poking fun of???
Ignore that last post... formatting issues...
ReplyDeletePART 1
You raise some really good dilemmas, and truth be told I have no clear plan on how this will plan out. First off, BBC's language is English. We we BORN here, thus we were taught here, and the national language is English. Makes sense, and there is no shame in that.
Teaching the kids Mandarin... no, because the future of the BBC group is in Britain (obviously). A British person of ethnic Chinese identity. That is the meaning of BBC. And English is the main and only language here, unless Madarin is something they want to take up for GCSEs or whatever then it won't be on the things to pass on to the kids. I say pass on, I don't know any Mandarin and only conversational Cantonese (from my parents).
What do I intend to do? A tricky question, and the easy answer would be - like many Chinese immigrant parents (like my own) is to "go with the flow" - but we all know that will most likely mean adopting the white mentality of condescending thoughts directed at our race - a system of decades of media and social norms - resulting in self hating Chinese children, desperately trying to be white (and thus have whiter kids). Which obviously is not ideal.
It's true, what is tying BBCs together right now is purely race. We don't have "black" culture, or religion or strict family links spanning over generations, like with other races... think about this in terms of life on Earth... we're like the single cells/proteins aimlessly floating about in a pool... but all it takes is a few chains and you have the start of something more complex, bigger and united. That's where we are now. We've already started - fellow ethnic Chinese beginning to realise we are not simply white British trying to fit in - we are our own identity. From that we need to build our own culture, our own exclusive niche as part of Britain as a whole. We may be influenced by the majority, but we can't simply be one of the majority - as we'll have lost our roots in the blink of a generation.
Which brings us to the question, how will they be raised up? BBCs are unique in that they are rarely amongst fellow BBCs - notice asians and blacks, their kids grow up with fellow blacks and asians - we don't have the numbers or the concentration to allow that. Indeed, when we do see a fellow Chinese we adopt a white mentality rather than a "at last, one of us" mindset. That is a sign that things are not right.
ReplyDeleteSo if my Chinese children are to be hanging out with a white/other social circle, it is important not to adopt a culture that actively or subconciously scorns hatred against the Chinese. I think we've all been there as BBCs... a figure of speech or stereotype that seems harmless amongst whites, but clearly offends ethnic Chinese. At the time we are confused, or let it pass so we can "fit in".
But then why should you try to fit in with a group that wont accept you for what you are, without ridicule and poking fun of???
It's difficult because something you are obviously forcing upon them that is extracurricular will seem awkward and may turn them against you and what you are trying to do e.g. put them in touch with fellow BBCs, only for them to want to stay with their white friends...a very dangerous thing. Conversely, like with my Chinese (HK born) parents, they were almost at pains to fit in with white culture, even telling me I should not get into arguments if others are racist towards me, towards our race, because it's better to let it pass. That in itself made me do the exact opposite, and their "bow to the whites" attitude has completely shaped me to what I am today.... why should I submit to them? They have not earned my respect one bit. Of course, for many Chinese women it is different... their influence of white culture along with their parents' being passive about what they do and who they do it with has led to such women being the opposite of what I am - despite being brought up in the same way.
Above all, I think an important measure is to ask them whether they would want their descendants in 50, 100, 1000 years time to look like them... if they answer no, then yup, safe to say they have been whitewashed. Because it takes a lot of self hatred for someone to answer no to that.
Suggestion- If you want to discuss a new topic, it is better if you submit a new article for publication via email. We accept guest articles from guest bloggers. My email is on my profile, just click my name.
ReplyDeleteA white teacher may speak perfect English but explain to me how he can be an effective teacher when he/she uses minimal Mando/Canto to a class of kids who knows minimal English?
ReplyDeleteA western-bred Chinese's English may only be slightly below that a highly educated white person but the western Chinese's Canto/Mando is many times more fluent. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who would make a more effective teacher eh?
And in many cases the western Chinese's English is on par with the white teacher, and even if not completely fluent, but a basic conversational grasp of Chinese language, a western Chinese will more often than not speak Canto/Mando with an accent like most whites learning it.Never mind also having better understanding of Chinese customs. Agencies should have figured that out by now. Again, it's the falsehood of globalised white privilege.
DeleteIt depends on teaching strategy and the requirements, if it is required that the lesson is only taught in English and not L2, the Chinese teacher's knowledge of Chinese language can't be used anyway.
DeleteIn terms of native English speaking ability, as long as both are educated to the same standard, there should be absolutely no difference between a western born/raised Chinese and a white person, both are native english speakers and hold the same teaching qualifications. So the point isnt about teaching ability, its purely an issue of racial discrimination.
^ *better than most whites who are learning it
DeleteAs if we needed more proof:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.reachtoteachrecruiting.com/esl-teacher-photos.html
Someone from China/HK etc, please answer this -
ReplyDeleteIs there a 'white woman fetish' among chinese men, like there is an 'asian fetish' among white men?
are white women seen as sex objects? like most white men view chinese girls? are they seen as easy to bed etc?
from where i stand, chinese society worships white. whites take the piss out of chinese. pls answer this serious question. thanks.
Look forward to reading more of your comments on here, why not sign up for a google ID or click on the 'reply as:' button underneath and type your name in.
ReplyDeleteFunny you mention native french are unable to teach their own language, I guess french-teaching China is seen as 'exotic' or hi-culture. Maybe the white males are just there for pillaging the Chinese girls....and get paid well for it too
If China cant be saved, I agree it's the diaspora, social and racial identity and values preserved and progressed. But to do that we have to let go of the illusions of 'light skin'/white is the best/mixed children are so cute aspiration, first.
The ideas on this blog are very interesting. They gave me precious information about Chinese interactions in Great Britain.
ReplyDeleteI share my point of view with all of you to give some information about the situation in France. (It must be the same for other Western countries, a reasonable assumption right?)
However, it's not that easy for me to communicate in foreign language (Thanks a lot, inefficient French school), I feel a little ill at ease.
A lot of french people write french language with some recurrent mistakes (again, because of French school system), especially those who never read books.
In China, a typical French name provide you automatically talent, not only in French language, but in English as well! (I have some examples of French people pretended to be English teaching English to Chinese people, I swear)Assuming that western people all speak perfect English. Funny, isn't it?
The real problem for me is the unbalance between the couples Chinese/Westerners : Ugly White with Superficial Chinese Whore proves that Chinese people are considered (and treated) as inferior. The same scheme all over the world.
That's unacceptable because :
- I'm proud of what I am. All of my FBC friends and I, we've all proven our intelligence and high capability at school.
- All of my FBC friends and I have faced, are facing the same discrimination. The classical disdain of some arrogant useless French people. Need not to notice that's just applied to males (and females if they're not that beautiful)
- Since all of my FBC friends and I, we were confronted to this hostility and loneliness, we've all improved ourselves. Suffering is a powerful source of self improvement. That is the difference with our weak counterparts and their inferiority complex.
- We can't rely on China mainland, because they don't want to see what the problem is. Chinese students are brutalized in France, Great Britain, in the US and in Australia. How do Chinese authorities react? Should we find and punish the aggressor? Should we educate the population? Should we support the victim? No, they say : don't go out at night, don't walk alone in the street, ie : don't let them see you because they do what they want, wherever they are, they're white.
Basically, French people are not necessarily racist. Lots of them are tolerant, understanding and open minded. The source of the problem is from the media who manipulate them. They're not racist, just stupid. The young children are not racist, they become racist when they grow up.
The issue I have with the sink or swim 'learn from suffering angle' is that its so typically survivalist every man for himself Chinese. ie Dont make a fuss, knuckle down and look at it as a test. If you can imagine how many Chinese children who have suffered who are unable to cope with the sink or swim suffering, alone vs those who have survived. What, are they 'weak'?
ReplyDeleteIts because racism against Chinese hasnt been made into an issue and for the whitelickers 'its only racist if you think it is' that racism has to be this private battle that we have to squirm under and fume under our breath rather than be openly be vocal against it.
I blame Chinese ignorant self-interest for every single generation that goes by that passes on the medallion of 'not making a fuss' about it.
When those same selfish cunts that perpetuate the 'oh it doesnt bother me, just make the most of your life' lie, Chinese will remain in the void of anomaly and never get the respect we deserve.
Sun Yat sen was right, we are like fucking sand. I cant see it changing beyond blogging about it.
Agree with you. I've been misunderstood I think : I'm not doing the apology of "suffering is good for self improvement", this suffering is a fact which makes the situation more and more unjust, that was my point.
ReplyDeleteOne of the topic on this blog has already stated that : Chinese female don't fight white racism. Here the situation is the same. In comparison with us who fight to be respected, a lot of those FBC girls estimate that's more convenient to mock FBC boys, criticize them, reject everything who reminds them their Chineseness, and neglect us to be integrated into the White society. "Weak" is the word I found to qualify them. It contrasts with the bravery some others acquired due to the feeling to be isolated.
One point you underlined is that many apathetic Chinese stay back, don't care of how the fact to be Chinese is perceived, don't understand that a " fair ethnic recognition" is linked with their individual interest. Some people are convinced (want to be convinced) that there's no problem, and that Chinese are perfectly integrated in this western pattern of globalization. That's wrong, for both females and males. (The first ones are considered as second class ... - and satisfied of that situation! - the second ones are simply ignored. - and more surprisingly seem to be satisfied of that situation too.)
I've found at least three possibilities to fight against this non recognition :
1) National measures and significant representation in the media (not just girls as sex symbols, and guys for martial art). Here I'd like to give a warning : Such a way would be interpreted as a attempt from weak people to be treated as equal.It could be translated as : "we are weak, so we need a special treatment to compensate". That's a potential danger. Moreover, I hardly imagine the West doing anything to help us.
2) That's fact : In France, Chinese people have a propensity to succeed in their professional life : scientists, doctors, engineers, or successful in business. That reaches such a point that in a certain extent they are key elements at local levels of economy. The rest is obvious : whites can't denigrate the doctor who treat them in the hospital, the managers who employ them, and every Chinese people their quality of life is correlated with. It makes a significant improvement of Chinese representation.
Besides a strong network which links all of these key elements and the Chinese might be a very influential structure. Every claim or request from such a structure would be heard, and respected.
3) We are human beings. We don't have to be considered as second class citizens. It has been proved many times that we could not pretend we were treated as well as the caucasian. As a consequence, we must teach the West that caucasian is not the world standard. With my asian features, I'm a humain being (smarter but modest, that's why I put smarter in brackets, just to not point it out), I don't praise the West standards, estimating that my norms are more relevant... And like happybritishchinese said, let everyone, including the West, knows more about it.
Interesting point about strengthening in loneliness of the Chinese male vs slutty acceptance of the Chinese female.
ReplyDeleteWhich one suffers most in the long run?
The only difference,in what you are describing between FBC and BBC is that BBC women don't 'put down' BBC males. I think there's just this general 'you go your way I'll go mine attitude'than any maliciousness.
But this just has the negative effect of apathetic self-interest.
But if you are referring to the 'I'll choose a white man over a Chinese man' and 'i'll do it with pride', I think that's more amongst the elder BBC females, but more amongst, from what I've seen anyway, female British Chinese FOBS ( any age).
re: invisibility, ive just written an article on it. If it doesn't get published, I'll just copy and paste what I wrote here.
Re: 'weak' people...Chinese , in our short-sightedness just want to save face than acknowledge the need for self-improvement and would sooner mock that 'weak' person, in fear that that person will embarrass them and affect their precious self-interest rather than think group mentality. Then there's the issues of competition and jealousy that's been discussed here:
http://bbczeitgeist.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/british-chinese-identity.html
Establishing a sense of trust and mutual respect within each other, sharing opinions over cultural and intellectual issues, as long as BC culture remains largely online, within small pockets of regulars, this online platform of independent freedom of expression, is probably the best way forward for our social and cultural development, at least until more people decide that they would want to meet up offline.
BTW why not contribute an article? You sound like you could have some interesting things to share.
Well, I have not discovered anything new. It corroborates with Darwinism evolution of species in some certain extent. (perhaps exaggerated I admit)
ReplyDeleteThose who have to face discrimination and disdain are forced to adapt. It implies a general self improvement. Those who can't die alone.
In other words : While FBC males have to manage their own efforts, spoiled capricious FBC females don't have to. Result : The males (among those who successfully survived!) are benefited from such self improvement, the non selected females (who considered themselves exceptionnal) are not use to fight for their survival thus spend their whole life, undergoing a fate rather than building the one they can shape and decide. From where I am, the observations are following :
The first ones have fought to merit their existence, that gives a better taste to live.
The non selected females are « condemned » to accept what they wanted till the end. In this case, two possibilites :
1) The saddest but after all normal end : In couple with a caucasian. Another topic states that in WM/CF, the female is ugly (despite the fact she thinks she's not, making up doesn't alter reality). Time has affected many things, and the guy started to realize he possibly did a mistake. The girl's self-centered behaviour finally convince him to divorce. The female is divorced, alone, (probably no longer young) and she doesn't want white guys anymore due to what happened. The problem is that every Chinese male remember she was used to denigrate them, surrounded and sheltered by her white friends. Such a good reputation can't help. At such a rate, she eventually realizes life is harsh. After all, that's a happy end, it's just that the males realized it many years earlier.
2) The not so mitigated end : In couple with a caucasian. Despite her best efforts to look like western standards, the female realizes she's asian and has asian features. She's not used to be brave, not used to fight, not use to think about herself and about the world around. Little by little resignation is coming, and she finally admits life is unfair... However, nobody is interested by her whines. Disappointment and bitterness. Now she can fight against her new enemies. Those she was used to denigrate have won many years earlier.
As a conclusion, this is my answer to your question :
Which one suffers most in the long run?
Those who learn to merit their existence have a better life. The sooner, the better.
It sounds nice to contribute an article, really. Nonetheless, currently I'm not sure to have enough time, also, I have difficulties to communicate: language and context are foreign to me. It doesn't make things easy to me. The similitude we have in common is our struggle for recognition, the right to exist like we are.
Haha that comment deserves an article in itself. Not sure it will now because it's probably considered archived in the comments section as reference. But you made a valid point. The sooner we stop running away from ourselves and each other, and make a conscious and visible effort to develop sense of solidarity with each other, the healthier we can be.Social development and acceptance begins firstly with each other, not from non-Chinese.
ReplyDeleteIf you wish to use my comments as an article, you're welcome, I don't mind. I'm pleased to share every idea which could help us to strenghten. As an article, it would be more visible.
ReplyDeleteAnother phenomenon which is more or less correlated : In some other far east countries, regardless their level of wealth, (Japan, South Korea, Vietnam...) the fattest or ugliest (both?) westerner have this propensity to look for a girl, using their white colonialist priviledge. Here's the thing : they are not even able to dissociate the asian ethnic groups; they just need to prove to the world they are not the losers they are, because there's a place on the earth they can get girls, the far east.
That's terrible, because it implies that Asian people are all Chinese, and inferior. Second class wives, strange people (strange = exotic women, but barbarian and cruel men of course).
Japanese nationalism is well known. Despite their will to be pride to be Japanese, the phenomenon of WM/Japanese female couples is just like WM/CF couples : Relationships based on « clichés », stereotypes, and « I have a inferiority complex and I want an asian wife to feel superior » don't last, if I take the divorce rate into consideration. Here's the thing : In Asia when a woman is older than 30 years old, it's more and more difficult to get married then. In other words : The caucasian loser who got married one time, no problem for him to look for another one. By the way, his first relation brought him self confidence.
The main differences are below :
The divorced asian woman's situation is worse. Her only hope is to find another caucasian loser of her age or … a really nice asian man who doesn't care of traditions and customs. Fortunately for her the second case does exist. Another caucasian loser is a risk, now everyone including her knows why.
At the age of the caucasian loser, a majority of Chinese women are supposed to be married, due to the traditions. Do you imagine a old white guy with a young girl?
I'm stopping here. Otherwise, I have nightmares at night.
Well, I do understand some your concerns & frankly, in general I am on your side regarding some or most of the things you say. On others though, you truly would have to blame more China and its people, not just trash whites. Why are the girls so materialistic? That is no virtue. Why doesn`t society work against it? It`s easy to call names whites, indeed probably many are really losers. Why has China been willing to sacrifice it`s own to work in factories in bad conditions? Again, to gain material wealth. Why feet were bound? For being able to secure a better marriage?
ReplyDeleteI am from a small european state, but listen to this example ... The chinese government sent a chinese teacher here. Most locals, were actually brownnosing her, nevermind she is a fool and acts like a clown. That was a bad thing to do since she is a narcissist. Her white friend called her hot even though she is an ugly midget with a huge head, short arms, a terrible body to say the least, she is much shorter than the other chinese girls living here. A local girl looking like that would have never been called hot. Does this kind of behavior ring a bell? Privileged for being different. I didn`t like her at all, found her very unattractive, but you people wouldn`t believe with how much surprise and arrogance she said in front of my friends : "if he would say something for an Asian woman ... " like she was something special and it was unbelievable I wouldn`t praise her looks. Then, she was gradually becoming more and more obsessed with the intention of making me like her, often loudly saying to me I only like her, even though in the past I openly rejected her.. all the while also drooling for other white guys from different countries, even for a turkic one to play the baojuhua game with. Yet about one whom she particularly liked, she complained he was changing jobs too often, it would be a problem, as she: "need a man to love her and spoil her". Quite a lot to ask, being such a revolting woman. What makes her revolting besides her looks? Her outrageous behavior. Being very aggressive and crude, showing the middle finger very often. What else? Her stupidity and shallowness. She openly says she doesn`t understand art at all and she is a material girl. Want some more? Racism towards her own, the Chinese. When I first met her, there was a girl from HK. As soon as the girl left, she started bashing her that she is not really from HK, just to make this other Chinese look bad in our eyes. Of course, this girl was seen also as competition for the attention of white men, especially as she was better looking. You wouldn`t believe how much that cretin was talking how she doesn`t like Chinese people, how she wouldn`t want to work anymore with them, how she doesn`t want a boyfriend from China. It was truly remarkably noticeable in her voice one of the reasons for wanting a white man, was prestige, to show it to all the people whom she knew in China... Probably she had a special loathing for the poor Chinese who work here in shops ... Is it any surprise when she said all Chinese girls want foreign boyfriends? Just to add one thing, this girl was not a poor one. You think she is self-loathing and completely detaching from China? No sir, she still holds superstition`s customs, like telling me about the way I left the chopsticks in the rice ... Or she was very much willing to emphasize some bashing in China about some specific nations I don`t wanna name ...
did you know that this blog is so controversial some articles and pages from the blog are blocked on HK's MTR internet access because they contain controversial keywords!
ReplyDeleteNot that surprised it is ...
DeleteThis is a really informative knowledge, Thanks for posting this informative Information. Chinese language lessons on skype
ReplyDelete