fluffydelusions
Member
Lol
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Why Anyone Can Be Chinese - WSJ
- Thread starter ponpo
- Start date
Fixed for accuracy.
Even if the kids speak Chinese and are raised in the culture, Chinese people will still call them "foreigner" every time they go outside. If you don't look Chinese here, you aren't considered Chinese.
As a scholar he should be able to understand his own cultural identity well enough to not try to conflate culture and race. He is culturally Chinese but ethnically White/European Canadian. Legally he is a permanent resident of China. He occupies a rare but not at all new demographic of expats who identify more with their adopted home than their place of origin. All the vocabulary and discourse to understand his lived experiences already exist without trying to undo race and culture or to pull some Dolezal type twist.
Yeah, no.
Dudes a waiguoren (foreigner) and always will be to the Chinese, with added respect because he can speak some Chinese.
My experience in China for 6 Mos was basically this after taking 3 years of Chinese I was still shit at the language and still am. Generally people are very nice there to foreigners though, and you can literally make a damn good living just tutoring college students English, if not exactly legal.
Dudes a waiguoren (foreigner) and always will be to the Chinese, with added respect because he can speak some Chinese.
My experience in China for 6 Mos was basically this after taking 3 years of Chinese I was still shit at the language and still am. Generally people are very nice there to foreigners though, and you can literally make a damn good living just tutoring college students English, if not exactly legal.
Angelus Errare
Banned
The author of this article:
BOI those some thick ass glasses! He got the Hubble Space Scope in each eye! He got that real life "enhance" goin on.
AFAIK the Han hated them but they are now retroactively considered a legitimate dynasty.
Cow Mengde
Banned
He just wants to be in the live action Mulan movie
Thats good. Damn good.
Geno Breaker
Banned
lol
Bubble Metropolis
Member
Right, and this dude is trying to start a dialogue on changing the exclusionary thinking that dominates some of the most influential cultures and economies on Earth (China and Japan). And instead of trying to encourage this inclusivity, even Americans who personally understand the benefit or integration and who understand the pain of racist exclusionism just handwave this issue away as "Asians will always be Asian, dumb weaboo." So what hope do they have?
encephalon
Member
If he's the only one wearing traditional clothes, maybe he doesn't really understand modern chinese culture after all.
Qing Dynasty was considered to be legit inheritor of Mandate of Heaven. Kang Xi was considered one of the greatest Chinese emperor.
Today China covers all the territories of ancient enemies of Hans, would be weird otherwise
Do we consider immigrants to Europe as fetishists of the West?
Only if it's not oktoberfest and they dress like an old Bavarian. ^_^
There is a big difference between Old World more homogeneous racially country vs New World countries with far more diversity.
Then you have nationality, culturally, ethnicity and racially which can have a degree of conflation which varies from individual to individual.
That's exactly how many non-indigenous minorities are treated in most countries, not just China, yes even in the largest of mixing pots.
There are arseholes in every country
Then you have nationality, culturally, ethnicity and racially which can have a degree of conflation which varies from individual to individual.
That's exactly how many non-indigenous minorities are treated in most countries, not just China, yes even in the largest of mixing pots.
There are arseholes in every country
He's right. What's he's referring to is effectively no different than naturalized citizens being recognized as American, or wherever. Just as it makes sense, at some point, to refer to a Syrian refugee who has resettled in Germany German, does it make sense to refer the writer and others like him as Chinese. Terms like Chinese/American/British etc. all speak to citizenship, culture, and ethnic heritage in some sense, so Chinese ought to be extended and used in the same way other terms are used.
If its a kid, then I see your point.
This is a grown ass man who immigrated to China as an adult, and feels that he can China better than the Chinese.
A salient point.
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
He should be wearing some prada or LV.
Or supremes if he wants to look hip. To the kids.
cryptosporidium
Member
how about this, he is chinese but not Han chinese
webkatt
Member
I'm on the other side of this. I am American born and raised, however I am a quarter Chinese ethnically. I have strong Asian features and am de facto Chinese here. My friends know I have no cultural ties or even identify with yet yet these still primarily see me as a "white-washed" Asian.
It's a weird thing to go through. I am also part Mexican and no one seems to care or even label me as such because I guess I look too Caucasian to lumped in that category.
*Edit*
Born and raised in Southern California (Los Angeles).
It's a weird thing to go through. I am also part Mexican and no one seems to care or even label me as such because I guess I look too Caucasian to lumped in that category.
*Edit*
Born and raised in Southern California (Los Angeles).
Where is here? China?
I dunno, do they come into European countries, and claim to Europe better? Or are the only ones who go out of their way to wear traditional dress in a room full of people who are dressed like everyday people?
I'm sorry we just can't make things easier for white people to do whatever the fuck they want without having other people question their motives.
webkatt
Member
Sorry. California.
Some of the responses in this thread kinda sadden me, because I don't see much difference between me and him. I'm Latino, but also Canadian - and I identify as the latter., by virtue of having grown up in(and live in) Canada. Some responses here comparing him to Rachel Dolezal remind me of racist old people telling me I'll never be Canadian no matter what my passport says.
I mean, only difference between him and I are the countries we emigrated to, really. But people aren't qualifying their statements even as "Well, it will be difficult for him to be seen that way given the way that country's culture is..." but rather this weird undertone that you can't be a "real" member of a nationality if you aren't born there. And that's...eh.
...That said, him dressing up in traditional Chinese wear is a little man, there's such a thing as trying too hard to fit in. Certain aspects of your new culture are more traditional than daily, and understanding the difference between the two is part of fitting in. It would be like me taking part in hockey riots out of season /s
I promise you that there is nothing unusual about preferring the country you move to than the country you were born in. That tends to be the reason why you move to a country. I would certainly say I prefer life in Canada than my home country, really.
(Unless you are saying that's a fine reason for moving as opposed to the admittedly...odd move regarding the traditional dresses. In that case I just misunderstood your post and I apologize0
I mean, only difference between him and I are the countries we emigrated to, really. But people aren't qualifying their statements even as "Well, it will be difficult for him to be seen that way given the way that country's culture is..." but rather this weird undertone that you can't be a "real" member of a nationality if you aren't born there. And that's...eh.
...That said, him dressing up in traditional Chinese wear is a little man, there's such a thing as trying too hard to fit in. Certain aspects of your new culture are more traditional than daily, and understanding the difference between the two is part of fitting in. It would be like me taking part in hockey riots out of season /s
I promise you that there is nothing unusual about preferring the country you move to than the country you were born in. That tends to be the reason why you move to a country. I would certainly say I prefer life in Canada than my home country, really.
(Unless you are saying that's a fine reason for moving as opposed to the admittedly...odd move regarding the traditional dresses. In that case I just misunderstood your post and I apologize0
China pretty decent, I wouldn't mind Chinese citizenship but that doesn't make me Chinese lol.
I thought it was pretty obvious that "here" in his case refers to the US
All Asian-Americans are white washed. I hate it when Asian-Americans try and pull that shit, then they'll turn around and make fun of someone for being too fobby.
Angelus Errare
Banned
Zhongguoeboo
I agree with his general argument. Just like people of different races can come to America and be American, so too should other races go to china and be considered Chinese. (Remember that chinese is actually a collection of a ton of different cultures, with Han being the most dominant).
This applies to any culture, really. Because culture is more important to preserve than race.
That said, him identifying as chinese nationally makes sense, but not if he's trying to claim he is actually ethnically chinese (i.e chinese in a white guys body).
This applies to any culture, really. Because culture is more important to preserve than race.
That said, him identifying as chinese nationally makes sense, but not if he's trying to claim he is actually ethnically chinese (i.e chinese in a white guys body).
Traditional dress shaming?
Wheres the modern Flintstones comic to make me relate to all of this?
Dude is complexed. Dude wants to be Tibetan, Russian, Serbian, Japanese, and American. Dude transcended Weaboo.China pretty decent, I wouldn't mind Chinese citizenship but that doesn't make me Chinese lol.
No, I feel you. I much prefer living in America than Korea. And I, based on my experiences, growing up, have difficulty accepting what he says at face value.
I am giving him the biggest mental side eye.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
If you are a "traditionally white" child raised in China I think sure this might be a bit thorny
If you're just an expat? Hahahahahahaa
If you're just an expat? Hahahahahahaa
Yeah I don't see what people are on about in this thread, he's not claiming to be ethnically Chinese. He just identifies as chinese nationality/culturally. No different from when people become American. It's a good thing
Angelus Errare
Banned
I guess he doesn't feel like he's worshiped or something.
UnemployedVillain
Member
Anyway, jokes aside, this is actually an interesting question. I'd probably urge people not to go with the gut reaction and compare him to Rachel Dolezal. She intentionally tried to deceive people and seemed to only relate, on a very base and insulting level, to black culture. This guy, on the other hand, is pointing to a situation where he's not denying what he is ethnically only proposing that culturally he feels Chinese. What's interesting is that we kind of take this cultural integration for granted in the US. If someone immigrates here, becomes a citizen, meshes with the culture they're considered "American" regardless of their actual origin. For countries that are more homogeneous (yes I'm aware there are tons of subgroups in China, but for lack of a better word) why should someone essentially doing the same thing still be considered a foreigner?
webkatt
Member
I'm not sure what this means but it feels borderline racist for some reason.
In my case, My father is half Chinese and half Mexican. He grew up in Chihuahua and his first language is Spanish. He speaks English as well, He has a heavy Mexican accent though. He never knew his Chinese father for reasons undisclosed to me and thus was never able to pass on any cultural influence other than Mexican.