ABC - American Born Chinese. Ethnic Chinese born in the US. Often used by Native Born Chinese to describe a person who does not understand Chinese culture.

Astronaut - Chinese living in the US, but flies to

Banana - Yellow on outside White on inside.

Egg - White on outside, yellow on inside

FOB - Fresh off the boat (should be plane). I have seen this used both as a positive and negative.

Sea Turtle - Chinese who return from the US to China

Twinkie - Yellow on outside, white on inside

Related:

• Racism Against Chinese in the United States
• Chinese American History

Labels: Racism

Disturbing - 26 Asian Students were attacked on December 3rd at the High School.

References:

Asian students describe violence at South Philadelphia High

Racism Against Chinese in the United States a timeline I put together.

Labels: Racism

China’s Export of Labor Faces Growing Scorn - NY Times.

To summarize, China's state run companies when they set up operations overseas use a lot of Chinese for contruction and running operations they set up, instead of locals. This is building up a backlash in countries that have high unemployment rates.

I did not know about Vietnam, but I have read of problems in Africa with Chinese operations not hiring local people.

Labels: china's future, Racism

From the NY Times - China’s Changing Views on Race. The article has the views of four authors. The comments are worth a read, I found they added a lot of value to the article. With China's increased investment in Africa and as the Chinese economy grows, more and more Chinese will come into contact with non Chinese. As well as the spread of mixed marriages in the US, and mixed children like my daughter. Not to mention the many adopted children from China with non ethnic Chinese parents.

We truly live in an interesting time! One quote from a rant by an author I read after 9-11 on what it meant to be an American, was it was not about race, but it was about ideas. I like that thought/idea a huge amount. China's government has the idea that being Chinese is based on blood. So if your ethnic Chinese, you are still considered Chinese.

Labels: Racism

Good article on a very touchy subject - China confronts issues of race and long-held prejudice from the Washington Post.

The article did not mention that a half brother (who married a Chinese) of Obama's lives in China and will meet with the President in China. And China is becoming much more active in China, with China Pledges $10 Billion to Africa. But, in Africa there is also anger in many countries with Chinese companies not using local labor, but importing other Chinese to do the labor.

A previous blog post of mine - Mixed Race in China.

Labels: Mixed Race, Racism

Race riots haunt Malaysia, 40 years on - Radio Australia.

Which is why there are a number of Maylasian Chinese in the US, who went to college here and stayed here.

Related:

• Timeline of Racism Against Chinese in the United States
• Racism Against Chinese Outside the US
• Ivy League Chinese Discrimination

Labels: Racism

Malaysia to Punish Politician Who Made Racist Remarks from the Wall Street Journal

In Malaysia, there are quotas for college for ethnic Malays. Ethnic Malays have also been favored by the government economically with jobs, and also in key government backed industries. The Chinese historically have focused on business and are 25% of the population.

For reference:

• Racism Against Chinese Outside the US
• Racism Against Chinese in the US
• Ivy League Chinese Discrimination
• Mice and Men & the Chinese Experience
• Chinese Education Obroad - Malaysia

Labels: Racism

US Widens Princeton Bias Probe - Article in Today's Wall Street Journal.

I had mentioned the case in my time line of Racism Against Chinese in the US. It shows the Chinese have finally arrived when they are filing noteworthy lawsuits. The suit alleges a white class mate of Mr. Li was admitted with a poorer academic record.

Mr. Li's qualifications are amazing:

• Scored the maximum 2,400 on the SAT college admissions test
• Registered a combined 2,390 -- 10 points below the maximum -- on three SAT2 subject tests, in physics, chemistry and calculus.
  
• Admitted to Yale, and now attending Harvard.
  

And he was spurned by three Ivy League universities, as well as Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The quote from the original 2006 article I still agree with - Chinese are being treated as the Jews were in the 20's.

Other related blogs posts:

• Chinese American Education Expectations
• Chinese Asian Representation in College

Labels: college admissions, Racism

My family last night saw Of Mice and Men at Theatre Banshee in Burbank. They did a wonderful job! It is about two male farm workers during the depression in California. And earlier that day I had met a person who's family (Japananese) was from Hawaii and had been plantation workers.

Before WW2, Chinese in the US were usually male and worked on farms as laborers. A similar situation to the two workers in Of Mice and Men. At the time Chinese were not allowed to own land or enter into mixed race marriages. History of racism against Chinese in the US.

Labels: Chinese History, Racism

I just received this E-Mail and it's the first time with Childbook in ten years of running it I have ever received anything like this. I guess I am just lucky. It's interesting about what it says about some people's perception of China and, I cringe/hate to use the word, but it's Racist.

At 11:26 PM 3/7/2008
Hey; Your a sick f***! The Chinese torture and skin our cats and dogs and eat them alive. Do the research buddy!! "The way of society and how it treats its animals speaks to the core values and morals of its citizens." I;ll tell everyone about this site!! Get out of the USA -

My position on Dogs.
The person obviously does not know me. My family is a dog family. My Golden Retriever of 17 years recently passed away and that's probably why I am spending more time than I should on this E-Mail. My grandfather received many awards with his dogs and in fact died when he had a heart attack on a field trial with his dogs. My Aunt is heavily involved with Chinchilla rescues and is the family dog expert. If you live in the Bay area and want to adopt a Chinchilla, please visit http://www.cachins.org/

My Ancestry
Get out of the US to where? Parts of my family since the Gold Rush. And some of my ancestors have been in the US since before the revolution. My mother has mentioned from time to time about working on becoming a member of the daughter's of the American Revolution. This part of my family were Scot/Irish tenant farmers who gradually moved out West till they ran into the Ocean and could not go further, so they stayed in California. Another part of the family supposedly has some Indian blood in it (big family debate on this - somebody someday is going to do a DNA test and find out the truth). I am married to a person born in Taiwan, who is ethnic Chinese. So my daughter is half and half. Reminds me of a book Half And Half by Lensey Namioka about a half Scottish and Chinese Girl. My daughter wanted to respond to the E-Mail, but I told her no.

China and Dogs
Yes, some people eat Dog in China, Vietnam, and Korea. Dogs are also becoming pets in China and they are starting to have a stray animal problem. Contaminated Pet Food due to a supplier in China killed many pets in the US. I have no idea what this has to do with me. With my love of dogs, I find it repugnant people eating dogs. I was brought up as a meat and potatoes person, and I have branched out to where now I eat a little fish and shrimp (advernturesome for my family). I also eat since I married my wife a lot of Chinese food as long as I can figure out what it is I am eating - I still have memories of somebody and her cousins trying to trick me to eat frog legs in Taiwan.

Summary:

I have no idea what this E-Mail has to do with my site besides I do sell products that teach Chinese and about the Chinese Culture. China has positives and negatives, but I try to keep my blog and store politically neutral (which is why I did not write about Panda Baiting in Taiwan). My goal is giving the best customer experience possible. I hope it's another 10 years till I get another E-Mail like this.

Labels: Racism, spam

The speach by Martin Luther King - I Had A Dream is incredible and every time I read it I appreciate it more. It is hopeful, truthful, and still relevant today - 45 years after it was delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC.

Only in 1967, 4 years after Dr. Kings speech did the Supreme Court in Loving vs. Virginia overturn anti-Miscegenation Laws that barred marriage between races saying it violated the equal protection and due process clauses of the 14th amendment.

14th Amendment
Section. 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Relevant Links:
Racism Against Chinese in the US

Labels: martin luther king, Mixed Race, Racism

Most Diversity Training Ineffective, Study Finds from an Article in the Washington Post.

Key Points:

1. If mandatory training, result is actually less diversity.
2. If voluntary, training is actually beneficial.
3. Companies require training due to fear of lawsuits.
4. Successful programs focus on the business benefits of diversity.
5. Per one consultant, 75% of diversity training is junk.
   

Take Aways: 80/20% rules applies to this. People don't like to be forced to do something. Fear of lawsuits drives much of corporate behavior.

Relevant Information:

• Chinese Culture- Teaching my daughter
• Racism Against Chinese in the United States

Labels: Racism

This article saying that Malaysia is trying to attract Chinese students surprised me.

Why - because Malaysia has a series of quotas that impact the native Chinese (how many can go to college, get government jobs, etc.). Racism Against Chinese Outside the US

I guess...

Labels: overseas Chinese, Racism

24% of students at UC Berkeley identified themselves as mixed race. A big question is "What are you?" When you are mixed race it gets interesting. Assuming how a person will act just because of how they look is like judging a book by it's cover. Often it's wrong. Two sisters who were mixed identified themselves differently in surveys depending on how they felt. They were a couple of generation Japanese Americans with an English Father. One of the sisters arranged a blind date where I met my wife (so we know who to blame).

Labels: Mixed Race, Racism

In Dr. Martin Luther King's famous speach, I had a Dream contains among other wonderful quotes:

I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.

Fast forward a few years, and a Chinese Sculptor is working on a memorial to MLK for the National Mall. Headline from SF Chronicle - State NAACP joins protest of Chinese artist chosen for MLK monument

One part of the CA NAACP request I do agree with is American Granite should be used due to the symbology. Using Granite from China for a monument to Dr. Martin Luther King, a great American is just asking for problems, not to mention dumb politically. On the choice of the sculptor, my opinion is they should find the best sculptor in the world to honor Dr. Martin Luther King.

Difficult subject since race and nationality is still an issue in the US 44 years after his speach. I believe the US society has gone further done the road to a color blind society, but still has a ways to go.

Labels: Racism

In a previous post I had created a timeline of racism against Chinese in the US. Racism against Chinese in other countries does exist. In Malaysia racism against Chinese is part of the system and created a culture of entitlement among ethnic Malays. There is a quota system in the universities as well as in government hiring and in 1969 there were some nasty anti-Chinese riots. Chinese are 26% of the population, and Indian 8%. There was an Ethnic Chinese Communist dominated insurgency in the 1950's that the British defeated. Currently, the Chinese dominate business, while the Malaysians the government.

1998 was just the most recent anti-Chinese rioting/pogrom in Indonesia. Chinese make up 3% of the population, or 7 Million, but they dominate business. In Indonesia there was also an insurgency 1965-1966 (or perhaps more of a side affect of a coup) that was ruthlessly put down with mass killings of Chinese. They were also not allowed to own businesses, in rural areas and many immigrated because of their was citizenship restricted.

Labels: Ethnic Chinese, Indonesia, Maylasia, Racism

I created a time line of racism against Chinese in the United States. I knew some of it, but there was some I had missed. The fact that 50% of the California State budget came from a tax on Chinese miners. That in 1958, 90% of US Whites are against inter-racial marriage. Wen Ho Lee case. The riots from Los Angeles to San Franscisco to Portland to Seattle against Chinese. So far the list has 29 items that I tried to keep as major historical events. Please E-Mail me with any suggestions!

Labels: Chinese History, Racism