With all the recent controversy going on between China and HK and how the western media has weirdly picked up an intense interest in this issue the anti-chinese sentiments across the west are escalating rapidly. I specifically phrase this as Anti-Chinese rather than anti-china because in practice this is how it will play out.
Be absolutely sure that the vast majority of the people who are outraged about this issue that live in the west do not really care about this issue at large. Rather, it’s a way for people to justify their contempt for China and likely even its people. Now you can argue that perhaps China does deserve criticism (this is not what I intend to address in this post), but know that in practice the western people who are outraged will not suddenly become arbiters of altruism and go to HK and fight for their perceived “freedom”. Rather, what’s more likely is that this controversy will dramatically ramp up the anti-asian racism that we asian diaspora will face here in the western countries since now racists will have a way to excuse it.
With perceived justification racists will most likely be out in full force. Hanging on their mouths will be words about how they only dislike the Chinese government but what they’ll do in practice is to terrorize western asians who are completely unrelated to the controversy because we’ll be the closest thing to them. Rather than making a sign and flying over to HK to help in the protests they might find an asian restaurant to trash, or a take-out delivery person to harass and even worse.
But that’s only just talking about the petty small-fry racists. The anti-chinese sentiments are [already systematic] (https://www.forbes.com/sites/russellflannery/2019/10/03/chinese-american-groups-trying-to-push-back-against-loyalty-tests-discrimination/#20fb7e2b1ce4) (link inside) and it’s very likely that even things like this will escalate. And as soon as discrimination has public government backing then it’s extremely likely that the racism will go off the rails very quickly, both systematically but as well on the micro-level.
Now, one might think that if you aren’t chinese you’ll be completely fine, but it’s no secret that our society sees race way before ethnicity and while the racism faced might be milder, one is unlikely to not be negatively impacted by this.
Now, I’m not trying to fear monger here and I hope I’m not coming across that way. I am merely worried that in the coming months we might see a drastic escalation in anti-asian racism in the west as a result of controversies happening on the other side of the globe. Does it make sense for us to have to suffer for political issues we have no part in? No. But racism rarely makes sense, unfortunately.
Make sure to stay safe out there. And make sure we help each other out in rough times.
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After 9/11 and when Islamic terrorism was a more immediate threat, racist whites were murdering South Asians and Middle Easterners in America. There was a massacre at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin in 2012. As late as 2017, when Iran was being depicted as a threat, a white bigot shot at Indian men at a Kansas bar, screaming about them being Iranians and killing one of them.
Their hate towards others isn’t as compartmentalized and neat as they claim.
Yesterday my wife told me her Vietnamese co-worker was quick to distance herself from being identified as Chinese. White woman asked her if she made Chinese food for lunch, her response, “No! I’m not the evil kind, I’m Vietnamese”.
Anti-Chinese sentiment is affecting our real lives now and it’s disheartening it’s from a fellow Asian. Kinda sucks being Chinese now.
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This is specifically why I keep telling people that China is an issue for all Asians living in the West. Unity is your biggest strength, spreading anti-Chinese sentiment among other Asians only serves to undermine that unity.
I’m Vietnamese as well and that has not once in almost 40 years stopped anyone from insisting that I’m Chinese when it is convenient for their narrative. These are people who c
Viet people have always been quick to identify themselves as not Chinese while throwing hate when they can. I remember experiencing racism from Viets in middle school to high school and being confused as h**l, I didn’t understand the point of that. We were all 2nd gen asians too. This is one of the reasons Asians have failed in social activism, our community is so polarized. We look similar but our backgrounds prevent us from getting along as well as black/white communities.
Yea, man. I haven’t had anything happen to me IRL yet, but on the forums/media I follow, which is basically r/nba and Hacker News, the opinion of the majority is becoming absolutely terrifying for Chinese people.
They are fully convinced China is as bad as Nazi Germany and that Chinese people are either brainwashed or complicit in evil. Well if that’s the case, then it is their DUTY to rid the world of China. I don’t know what that means exactly, but remember they put Japanese Americans in internment camps last time around. I have taken tangible steps to protect myself and have a plan to exit the country if necessary.
It’s absolutely mind boggling to me that they hold China to such a high standard. China is far from perfect, but so is every country on earth. Every complaint they have about China has been done by other countries as well, but they choose to broadcast the info only when it is China. All the while, buying and using things manufactured in China. The hypocrisy is unbelievable
Note: I am not from China
You’re a bit confused. We just don’t think the CCP should have people in camps, should disappear people, should be able to extradite those in Hong Kong for disappearance etc. Nor do we think people should not be able to buy train tickets based on social credit. Other countries for sure aren’t perfect but freedom of speech means their people can complain and their media (or foreign media) can tell the world how bad they are. If we could have a few interviews with the people in camps for example that would help. If the internet wasn’t censored I would have more time for CCP.
Not sure why you’re trying to turn it into an issue about racism. If you criticize the US I don’t think that’s because you hate all Americans and want the country gone. Over sensitive and trying to whip up hysteria at the expense of people having their organs harvested
You think about everything in black and white and are truly brainwashed.
“CCP shouldn’t have people in camps” -> Have you ever considered that these people were implicit in organizing terrorist attacks, and they thus need to be deradicalized by reeducation for the safety of themselves and others? You have not seen any of these camps nor do you know any of these people, you also don’t know if those in the west are telling the truth.
“should disappear people” -> some of these people are in jail for committing crimes, the others you don’t know personally so how can you say they disappeared?
“should be able to extradite those in Hong Kong for disappearance” -> This is just absolute jibberish, you sound stupid. At the moment a man from Hong Kong who murdered his girlfriend in Taiwan can’t be sent to Taiwan for justice just because this extradition bill didn’t pass. Do you even understand what the bill is about?
“should not be able to buy train tickets based on social credit” -> Who told you how this system works? What social credit? You don’t know any of the details surrounding any of these systems yet you’re blabbing bs about it like a robot who can’t think for themselves. Also do you think terrorists should be allowed to ride trains?
“Other countries for sure aren’t perfect but freedom of speech means their people can complain and their media (or foreign media) can tell the world how bad they are.” -> they can but this kind of talk is usually penalized by social suicide, also rarely do I see people actually perform true self reflection in the west
“If we could have a few interviews with the people in camps for example that would help.” -> why? how is that any of your business? china didn’t ask to interview any of you guys either.
“Not sure why you’re trying to turn it into an issue about racism.” -> lol this is just plain stupid, cause unfortunately I’m not deaf and blind and have seen too much racism to think this needs any counter argument.
Lol organ harvesting, and what proof do you have? Do you know anyone personally involved in organ harvesting?
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I genuinely believe this ramping up of anti-Asian rhetoric on reddit is to a great extent driven by a US state-sanctioned propaganda campaign. Ever since the escalation of the US-China trade war not only has public sentiment of China on reddit deteriorated even more (hard to believe I know) but also the sheer amount of anti-China posts has increased dramatically. Of course if you ask the people participating they’ll sincerely believe it’s a natural result of public sentiment but I think the root cause is much more sinister than that.
This US propaganda campaign to label China as unambiguously evil is a necessary precursor to military intervention. Without both a contrived casus belli as well as the popular support of the people the US cannot hope to initiate and sustain a military conflict with China.
People of the digital age are convinced that with the scope of communication afforded by the internet major conflicts will no longer be physical in nature. That sentiment is eerily reminiscent of what the Europeans believed on the eve of the First World War. We may very well see war within our lifetime.
I would not be surprised if it is state sanctioned or CIA trolls that is behind antiChina hysteria. Luckily I can speak and read Chinese. There is a YouTube video why US is behaving like this.
In short US makes money from war and war supports US dollar. China, Russia, Iraq , few countries didn’t want to use US dollar. It’s why US bombed Iraq. First thing US did was to setup a government to trade petro with dollar instead of Euro back in Saddam’s regime. Saddam was never against the US. Most of the terrorists came from Saudi Arabia. There was no weapons of mass destruction. Saddam wanted to trade petro with Euro and US panicked and didn’t want to see that happening. It could start a domino effect.
US can’t fight China and Russia as easily but the bankers behind it want to prop up the dollar. Most people think the war was over oil. US didn’t take Iraqi oil, at least not overtly. The US dollar is a much bigger issue. Bankers happily let oil reached $150 during 2nd Iraqi invasion because people needed to use 3x as much US dollar to trade oil with. All that dollar flowed to US.
Bad thing about antiChina propaganda is some Asians believe in anti-China propaganda. I have been supporting China especially their control of Muslims. If the western countries really care about Muslims, they would let them immigrate to their countries. One guy even told me China is committing a genocide and posted an article with a title calls it a genocide. I asked him how many people were killed? The article didn’t mention any one killed. What a very slanderous title calling genocide but no mention of anyone killed. That throws away the credibility.
Yet this guy still believe China is committing a genocide and called me a troll. What a sad case he can’t think for himself.
I do not believe you’re fear mongering at all. We’ve seen the patterns and dire consequences of who Western media chooses to demonise before. Like when the Japanese were the big bad, Japanese-Canadians/Americans were forced into labour camps and the murder of Vincent Chin.
Which ever nation that happens to be America’s “enemy” of the week is subjected to biased media coverage. It’s so insidious that communities today are still affected from their fearing mongering from 18 years ago, post-9/11, ie. Quebec City and Christchurch shootings. Yet they call the Chinese brainwashed? Ha! They’ve been bleating about “FreedomTM”, “DemocracyTM”, “LiberationTM” ever since the Cold War.
If HK actually does join up with the US to fight a proxy war, then GG. I’m sure the Kurds and Saddam will say “You too, eh?” in the after life. And I’m talking worst case scenario should war come to fruition, I urge PoC to think about if your blood is so cheap that you would spill it for a White man’s profit. I hope the answer is ‘f**k no!’.
I’m against America’s national hobby of starting wars, sorry to my American brothers and sisters I just need a good ol’rant. <3
I think you are missing my point. I’m not talking about the bigger political picture or how the influence of the Chinese government plays a role in the decision making of American companies.
I am talking specifically about how the controversy will affect us asian diaspora in the west and the racism we are likely to face because of it. Because unfortunately, a lot of people undoubtedly will equate “china = bad” as “chinese = bad” and plenty of racists are frothing at their mouths trying to find any excuse to hate on an ethnic group. This will give them that excuse.
If you want to make the claim that American companies kowtowing to the Chinese government is fucked up then by all means; but I’m afraid we’re talking about two separate issues at that point.
That’s a by product of capitalism. China has no power to fire NBA executives. It has the power to stop watching the NBA if they think you’ve offended them.
It’s simple. If you do business with somebody, offend them for whatever reason, and they don’t wanna do business with you…that’s fine. That’s their right.
Instead now everyone is like “wow how can China be so sensitive”. If you believe in freedom, you should believe in accepting others decisions. They’re not putting a gun to American businesses heads. They’re saying we don’t wanna do business with you anymore. It’s American companies that make their decisions accordingly.