08.12.08
Posted in Sports, Politics, Media and Entertainment, Racism, Education, China, journalism at 9:52 pm by mark_chang
I’ve found the news coverage of the Beijing Olympics provided thus far to be highly opinionated at best. Why should persons of Chinese descent living in America be concerned? Because in a group setting, you’re the defacto “China customer service rep” and will be expected to address these issues from a “Chinese person’s perspective”.
So as the press tears China a proverbial “new one”, let’s ask a few questions and make a few observations about the more noticeable recurring themes.
2008 OLYMPICS: USA VS CHINA
“China-USA rivalry shapes Olympics” (a USA Today front page headline)
(Comedic) Question: Since the press seems to have shaped into a battle between two nations to see who wins the most gold and most overall medals, why have all the other countries in the world even bothered to show up?
CHINA’S BRASS TACTICS OLYMPIC PROGRAM
“Chinese directing athletes into sports that award lots of medals” (title of a USA Today article)
Question: What are these sports and who is taking home the lions’ share of medals? The only ones I can think of off the top would might be swimming and track and field. Hmm.
“China’s communist government has plowed untold resources into developing athletes for Olympic events that award a lot of medals.” (USA Today)
Question: I’d be curious to see a listing of how much money, dollar for dollar, the highest spending countries are putting into their respective Olympic programs. If China is indeed the highest spender by far, OK, we’ll take the hit for that. So let’s see the numbers.
“Sports officials sweep the country measuring and testing young children for their potential in various Olympic sports, then enroll them in a network of sports schools.” (USA Today)
There are no questions here, this is simply an untruth. The phys. ed. coaches in the (let’s call them) “regular” schools may give the option based on the performance of the student. The operative word here is option. No one is forced to go to a school they don’t want to. USA Today simply did not do their research on this one.
“they want to win every time” (USA Today)
Question: Enlighten me because I can’t seem to think of too many athletes who enter a competition thinking: “Ehh, I’ve already won a few, I guess I don’t really have to win this time.”
… Forcing athletes (like Yao Ming) to compete at the expense of his body
Question: Without naming names, could steroid abuse also be classified as competing at the expense of one’s body?
“China has never won the most Olympic medals. But no host country has ever prepared its athletes as well.” (USA Today)
Question: I have to assume every country prepares its athletes as best it can. It’s simply a matter of spending resources and I’d like to know which countries have the most resources.
UNFAIR PLAYING FIELD
“home field advantage”
If I may make a humble observation: Competing at home can be either an advantage or disadvantage depending on the athlete. Some draw energy from the crowd and push themselves farther than they normally would. Others, however feel a considerable amount of additional pressure competing in front of a home crowd and either expend nervous energy, lose concentration, or both.
“Biased judging”
Question: Who are these judges, are they all from China favoring Chinese athletes over foreign athletes or are these judges from other countries?
SAVING FACE
“Saving face is paramount” (USA Today)
Observation: From a viewer’s perspective I prefer saving face to “in your face”. Take the US gymnastics team for example who, while other teams showed the class to remain humble in front of the camera, were clamoring “That’s how we do it!”, “Yeah USA Baby”, and other frat-like bravado into the cameras.
… Fake fireworks and lip sync’ing
Observation: OK I’m not going to disagree here. I hate lip syncing and think it should result in jail time 
But this isn’t just a Chinese thing (Ashlee Simpson, 50 Cent, and Whitney Houston come to mind along with the fallen-from-grace Milli Vanilla).
“national pride”
Observation: Given the the bombardment of American flags and slogans on bumper stickers, windows, flagpoles, etc. I think the USA is holding it’s own when it comes to Nationalism.
USA BEATS CHINA IN BASKETBALL
Question: The USA routinely points out and ridicules Asian males, Chinese in particular, for their lack of height, OK.So with basketball being a game in which height is of crucial importance, how is it that beating China in basketball is an accomplishment worthy of such extensive news coverage?
DARFUR
Observation: I find it curious how China is being thrown under the bus for a civil conflict in Darfur while the West is never asked to take responsibility for holding a monetary inventive resulting in gangs chopping off children’s limbs for wandering into diamond mines.
Contrary to what the jewelers advertise, the consumer has no way of knowing the source of a diamond and diamonds themselves are not as rare as they’d have you believe. They are only rare because they are controlled.
HUMAN RIGHTS
… Comparisons to Nazi Germany (the 1936 Olympics)
Question: Is there a group that I don’t know of that is being forced out of their homes into gas chambers based on their race or could this possibly be a case of sensationalism?
“Homes in path of construction for the Olympics were torn down” (USA Today)
Observation: It’s called “eminent domain”. In the US it’s just a couple of retirees sobbing on “60 Minutes” about the new shopping mall that was built on their plot. When it happens in China, it’s front page news.
“Some Chinese people feel they cannot win justice, because the judges in the People’s Court are appointed by the Communist Party.” (USA Today)
Observation: I guess I must have missed the deadline to enroll my name on the election ballot to win a spot as a judge in my local county.
“China executes more people each year that the rest of the world combined.” (USA Today)
Because as the West keeps reminding everybody, China has 1.3 billion people. Of course there are going to be more executions. Maybe if China wasn’t a third world country and had the money to house criminals for life, they would. Besides (most) Westerners hate Chinese people anyway (as evidenced by the frequent beatings of Chinese people and the daily verbal abuse) so shouldn’t they be glad there are less of us?
“Systematic oppression of 1.3 billion people” (USA Today)
Question: What about the systematic oppression of Asian males in America? Of course this isn’t written as law but try getting a decision-making position or even a date for that matter.
“Even so, a Pew poll shows that the Chinese overwhelmingly approve of the direction their country is headed.” (USA Today)
Question: Whoa, now I’m really confused. If 1.3 billion people hate their government and are clamoring for freedom (according to the West) why did they vote as such?
GOOD OLD FASHIONED MOCKERY
You thought the days of people making their eyes slanted, holding their fingers two inches apart, bowing, and speaking with an accent were over after you graduated but it looks like the games which are supposed to bring the world together is doing so, as usual, at our cost.
The brightest example is a team photo of Spain’s Olympic basketball team where all the members are shown using their fingers to make their eyes slanted.
People are inevitably going to defend this as playful humor. Don’t fall for this “can’t take a joke” bullspit. Mocking peoples’ genetics is unacceptable. Other races don’t stand for it and neither should we.
LESSON LEARNED
I for one, was never in favor of the Olympics because it wouldn’t take Nostradamus to predict this fussilade.
The 2008 Olympics were originally thought to be China’s “coming out party”, where a grandiose spectacle would be seen by all the world.
Somebody should have told the sponsors of this project that a homecoming (or “coming out party”) is like a plane crash. If you come out alive, you’re doing good.
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08.02.08
Posted in Sports, Activism and Empowerment, China at 11:59 am by mark_chang
As the 2008 Olympic games draw near, you can bet the self-righteous will unite with the jackass in a China bashing frenzy. So if you’re of Chinese descent and are tired of being the proverbial “catcher” of insults, read on for some pointers that may make it easier for you to address these unpleasant situations.
First let’s go over a few general concepts.
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO ADDRESS ANYONE IN A CIVILIZED MANNER, REGARDLESS OF POSITION
When it comes to the office environment, being a minority in a racial discussion puts you in the driver’s seat.
This is true even if the offenders are other minorities as no institution wants the label of being a racially unfriendly environment.
If this is a superior, there is probably someone above him or her that uncomfortable remarks can be reported to. Human Resources (HR) is an option as is an attorney, provided you’ve documented the incident(s) (names, quotes, witnesses, and preferably a voice recording).
Feel free to correct friends as well, you should not be uncomfortable making the correction, they should be uncomfortable having made the statement(s).
ALWAYS BE PREPARED TO RESPOND
No situation is off limits. The self-righteous may take a trivial reference of China (e.g. a few people going out for Chinese food) in order to chime in with their holier-than-thou opinions of backward, oppressive, and uncivilized people.
The jackass may initially establish a cameraderie with you and others in order to get you to let your guard down and then, sahh … he slips in a zinger.
Respond no matter who the onlookers are. Arguably these people aren’t your friends anyway but inarguably they will respect you more if you stand up for yourself than if you take it.
IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT YOU SAY AS LONG AS YOU SAY SOMETHING
Standing up for yourself may feel uncomfortable since youv’e been conditioned not to.
You may also not have the perfect response for a remark, that’s ok, you don’t have to “win”, you only have to try. Even simple responses such as:
- Loudly clearing your throat,
- Opening your mouth in “he didn’t say what I think he just said” astonishment,
- Surprisingly asking “Huhh?”,
- Repeating the offending statement,
- Asking the offender to “Elaborate further please”,
- Simply asking “Excuse me?” in eyebrow-raising fashion.
Can yield surprisingly effective results.
Don’t think about whether to react, just react. It is better to overreact than to under react. Don’t beat yourself up if you miss the opportunity. Rest assured there’ll be more opportunities.
CLEARLY MAINTAIN A SIMPLE POSITION
You are right and should not have to quietly accept others degrading your heritage.
Avoid “softeners” such as “kind of”, “sort of”, etc.
Don’t explain yourself (”I’m not going to explain myself to you”)
Don’t get into a debate (”I’m, not interested in getting into a debate with you”)
Don’t expect other Asians or even other Chinese to support you. In fact they may take the opposite side in order to assimilate (”Speak for yourself …”)
You are making a simple request not to have your heritage degraded.
NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES THEY “PULL THE LEVER”, DON’T GIVE THEM A “PIECE OF CANDY”
While it’s natural to be upset that the same verbal unpleasantries aren’t hurled at other ethnicities, maintain a “3rd grade teacher” persona using an educational tone of voice as you politely provide the miscreant(s) a lesson in cultural sensitivity.
The snide remarks and insults can most often be bucketed into one of the following categories:
- Genetics (eyes, height, penis size),
- Culture (language, food, names),
- Behavior (human rights, freedom, pollution),
- and of course the term “Chinaman”.
GENETICS
“Well nobody’s perfect like you.”
“You think you’re better than Asian people?”
“You must be very impressed with yourself (string of unanswered comments).”
“What’s wrong with being Chinese?”
“You got something against Asians?”
“That sage knowledge is bound to get you laid at a party.”
CULTURE
“Not that I mean to correct you but …”
“Hey that’s my cousin (you’re talking about).”
“Should I be insulted?”
“All you had to say was … (and appropriately rephrase the miscreants’ remark(s))”
“If you don’t like it, eat somewhere else.”
“Unfortunately not everyone has an easy Anglo name.”
BEHAVIOR (THIS IS THE EASIEST TO DEFEND)
“I’m not even going to point out the irony here.”
“I don’t think you’re in a position to judge anyone.”
“Poor country (can’t afford to provide …)”
“I’m confused, Americans act concerned about the oppression of Chinese people and then kick the shit out of the Chinese people in the US
(reference restaurant delivery beatings/stabbings/shootings).”
“Which country contributes the most pollutants to the environment? Not only does China have more people on bikes and less in cars then the US
but the US can’t even sell most their cars in China because the US made cars don’t meet China’s minimum mileage requirements.”
“Is Gene Simmons the only rock star entitled to wear makeup?”
“CHINAMAN”
“Chinese man. You use an adjective to describe a person, not a noun”
“The gentleman, let’s call him the gentleman.”
“By the way that term isn’t used anymore … “Chinaman”, it’s considered a racial slur.”
A few generic responses:
- “Oh boy i cant wait to hear this.” (a preventative measure)
- “Your conversational skills are what I like best about you.” (Upon initial insult by a repeat offender)
- “So what are you trying to say?”
- “Oh, no offense taken.”
- “I’m not so sure I’m enjoying this conversation.”
- “That’s not nice.” / “That wasn’t necessary”
- “That was low dude.”
- “I don’t know what that means (please explain further).”
- “Got us a comedian here.”
- “I didn’t think that was very funny.”
- “Should I have found that funny?” (when they look at you expecting you to laugh)
- “Take a step back bro.”
- “I don’t appreciate …”
- “Uh, not something I’d expect to hear in the workplace.”
- “I’ll attribute that to youth.” (young person blurting out something offensive)
LET’S WALK THROUGH A SCENARIO
You enter the coffee room in your office to get your morning cup and you run into a few of the boys.
One guy blurts out: “Hey did you hear the Chinese are putting underage kids on their gymnastics team, them Chinese are always trying to get away with something.”
Your response could be: “You know I read about that on Yahoo and just couldn’t help but thinking “Why is something like this on the front page?”. Does anyone even care about these silly sports like gymnastics? Let’s face it, if this were a country like Spain, for example, this “news” would be a couple sentences on the back page.”
The offender argues back: “Yeah but they’re trying to cheat, you gotta be sixteen to compete, that’s the rule.”
You could respond with: “Has it been proven that these gymnasts are under the age limit or just alleged? We all know that the U.S. has ample resources to prove wrongdoing, so what’s the latest?”
The offender reaches: “Man it’s communism, you don’t know what’s going on over there.”
You could conclude with: “China is technically a socialist republic. But to change gears for a second, I seem to remember when the U.S. lost it’s first Olympic basketball game, everybody said (of the winning team): “They act as if they beat our best”. And the American professionals started playing in the years thereafter. So does that mean that if the U.S. celebrates a gold medal in gymnastics that China could also say: “They (the Americans) act as if they beat out best.”?
Other ideas, please share them with the community
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04.21.08
Posted in China, Economy at 3:22 pm by william_lee_intern
About 225 people filled the seats in the SIU Law Auditorium, putting the room near capacity, to hear David Sanger, chief Washington correspondent for the New York Times, lecture. Focusing much of his lecture on China, a country Sanger said has one of the fastest growing economies in the world, he examined how China, Japan and India have risen as world powers to become strategic competitors to the U.S. economy and military.
Click here for the original article
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04.18.08
Posted in Culture, China at 8:55 am by william_lee_intern
The contrast in cultures was obvious to the visitors from Beijing the moment they set foot in Naperville North High School on Thursday. Xiao Xiao, (center) part of a children’s performing troupe from Beijing, waits with other dancers and acrobats to perform at Mill Street School in Naperville on Thursday.
Click here for the original article
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04.17.08
Posted in World News, China, Editorial at 8:52 am by william_lee_intern
Washington-based World Chinese League Wednesday urged U.S. TV network CNN to sincerely apologize for one of its political commentator’s insulting remarks about Chinese. The Chinese American organization said in a statement that all Chinese-Americans and Chinese were infuriated by Jack Cafferty’s outrageous comments aired on April 9 when Beijing Olympics torch relay was held in San Francisco, California.
Click here for the original article
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Posted in China, Economy at 8:47 am by william_lee_intern
About 225 people filled the seats in the SIU Law Auditorium, putting the room near capacity, to hear David Sanger, chief Washington correspondent for the New York Times, lecture. Focusing much of his lecture on China, a country Sanger said has one of the fastest growing economies in the world, he examined how China, Japan and India have risen as world powers to become strategic competitors to the U.S. economy and military.
Click here for the original article
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04.16.08
Posted in Media and Entertainment, China at 8:48 am by william_lee_intern
The filmmaker Arthur Dong was amazed when he uncovered the earliest known Chinese-American feature film which had been in one family’s possession since 1916 and which is still shedding light on the lives of Chinese Americans in the Bay Area. The American Academy of Arts and Sciences considers this a gem because the Asian images you see in this silent film are in stark contrast to the ones people were viewing in the big Hollywood movies of that time which portrayed Asians as mysterious, opium smoking deviants.
Click here for the original article
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04.10.08
Posted in Sports, China at 8:48 am by william_lee_intern
The Olympic torch concluded a topsy-turvy tour of San Francisco on April 9, its only North American stop, after chaotic protests in Paris and London. After its parade route was shifted and shortened to prevent disruptions by massive crowds of protesters, the closing ceremony planned for the San Francisco Bay waterfront was canceled and moved to San Francisco International Airport. The flame was put directly on a China Airways plane and not displayed.
Click here for the original article
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04.08.08
Posted in China at 9:46 am by william_lee_intern
With an annual springtime transformation, color is returning to Beijing with a wide spectrum of greens, yellows, pinks and whites as the capital city of the People’s Republic of China prepares to host the 2008 Summer Games. Beijing not only doubled its subway system but also opened the dragon-shaped Terminal 3 at Peking Capital International Airport to help move the huge influx of Olympic visitors. However, it still has plenty of Olympic-venue and Olympic-support projects to complete in the coming months before August’s Games.
Click here for the original article
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03.31.08
Posted in China at 9:13 am by william_lee_intern
Renowned Chinese agricultural scientist Yuan Longping, with film actress Gong Li and action star Jackie Chan sitting by his sides, at the “You Bring Charm to the World” awards ceremony in Beijing on Saturday, March 29, 2008. The three were among a dozen individuals or groups honored at the annual awards as influential Chinese people of the past year.
Click here to read the original article.
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