These days it seems that the word “China” carries more and more baggage in America and blatant anti-Blackness is a heavy suitcase to lug.
As a Chinese-American, the Black Lives Matter movement has catalyzed me to confront much of the racism in my own cultural community. The stereotypes around race in China are highly unprogressive, oftentimes labeling dark-skinned people as uneducated and dangerous. But, as I watch my non-Asian friends re-post articles about China’s racism on Instagram, whether it be an anti-Black museum comparing Black people to animals or the discrimination of African people during the COVID-19 pandemic, I can’t help but feel conflicted.
Of course, without a doubt in my mind, the racism exhibited is unacceptable. Yes, anti-Blackness in China is potent. But in a practically racially homogenous country, where most people haven’t even seen a Black person, where did this anti-Blackness come from? In a country lacking America’s extensive history of slavery, where does the negative connotation surrounding Blackness originate? As much as both sides perhaps want to deny it, racism in China is a direct result of Western influence.
Western influence is painfully obvious in China. One of the first things I noticed during trips back to Tianjin as a child were the posters plastered in the shopping malls. I stared in utter confusion as I asked my mom, “Why are all the models white and not Asian?” Without even batting an eyelash, she responded “because they’re beautiful.” In a racially homogenous Asian country, how did Western features become beautiful? I watched as my mother passed out gifts from America ranging from Nike shoes to Hershey’s M&Ms and felt superior when family members ooh’ed and aah’ed. Souvenirs from America elevated in value simply because of their origin, and Chinese friends would immediately find them worthless if they discover the “Made in China” label plastered on the bottom. Frankly, a part of me felt smug because I was American.
My trips to China boosted my pride in being American because, there, my nationality boosted my status. Only recently has the Chinese cultural antipathy towards America become the norm (now, even the mention of America’s successes to a family member in China will set off a tirade against the U.S. and an assertion of China’s superiority, although the U.S. is not much different). When my parent’s generation moved to America in the 1990s, the U.S. was still viewed as the “land of opportunity,” and those who left China to come to America were seen as exceptional. Extending up until recently, America was heavily praised and culturally adored in China. As a result, it intuitively makes sense that the U.S.’s racial discrimination would be adopted. Much like the West managed to completely alter beauty standards in a racially homogenous country on the other side of the world (an undeniably huge part of culture) it also altered other aspects of culture: namely racial tension. In a society that strove to be socially equal to the West, it is logical that Chinese people would adopt racial prejudices to increase their “status.”
Racism spreads like wildfire, and the U.S. lit the match. Not only did America’s racial hierarchy instill negative stereotypes about the Black community, it also reinforced the superiority of white people. When America claims to be the global leader, we must recognize the pitfalls of such powerful influence and mitigate them before they spiral out of control.
Of course, the origin of racism in a country is no excuse for its actions, and the racist ideas of many Chinese people are absolutely unacceptable. But, without the four hundred years of slavery, anti-Blackness is not as deeply rooted in China as America. And, without exposure to the Black community, negative stereotypes remain unchecked. So, it is the job of Asian-Americans, not others, to point out racism in the Asian community because our criticism comes from a desire to help our community understand. Demonizing China from a Western perspective for a culture that the U.S. is partially responsible for, is not only unproductive, but actively counter-productive. In fact, it furthers racism by reinforcing the idea that Chinese citizens are barbaric and can’t understand “civilized” Western concepts. Instead of criticizing other countries, Americans should focus on improving race relations within our own nation because as we’ve seen, leading by example can be quite impactful, both negatively and positively.
(Victoria Chen lives in Concord.)