China’s Black Pop Idol Exposes her Nation’s Racism
The Guardian reports on Lou Jing and racism in China:
The 20-year-old daughter of a Chinese mother and an African-American father who left the country before she was born, Lou was a highly unusual entrant to Shanghai-based Dragon TV’s Go Oriental Angel. Her appearances – she became one of five finalists – have provoked a storm of abuse on the internet, a rare debate on racism in the media, and a bout of self-examination in a country where skin colour is a notoriously sensitive subject.
Dragon TV initially had doubts about allowing Lou to perform, but then realised that her presence would do much to attract publicity for the show. But few executives can have expected the fury contained in many of the blogs and online posts that accompanied her performances. The internet is the only place in China where the public can express views with near-freedom – although they are rapidly cut off by an army of state censors if they stray into territory that attracts official disapproval. The huge online interest in Lou clearly does not fall into this category.
POSTED COMMENTS: 5 Responses
Let me first start by saying that I do not condone the tasteless comments directed toward Lou Jing; while the discomfort of these netizens is understandable, there is no need to heap such tactless insults upon her.
That being said, there are several problems in this article. First of all, the headline itself seems to imply a degree of shock about the existence of racism in China; as if it’s such an alien thing to the other countries of the world, especially the western ones.
Hung Huang’s comment is one of ignorance: “In the same year that Americans welcome Obama to the White House, we can’t even accept this girl with a different skin colour.” While her sympathy for Lou is very admirable, her analogy could not be more inappropriate; America is a country that reeks of racism on all levels, from the streets to the schools to political offices. But Chinese who compare China to the allegedly superior america tend to be ignorant of such matters.
The main point is that many people look at occurrences like this and cry “racism!” , failing to recognize the underlying cultural reasons for such racism. Just because China is becoming more and more modernized does not mean it should be expected to become some “cultural melting pot” like America; on the contrary, reverence and understanding should be given to China’s longstanding desire to protect her culture. I cannot speak for all of the angry netizens, but I believe that many of them are not writing their comments from blind hatred or racism; I believe that beneath all of those comments is a fear. A fear of losing one’s culture, a fear of losing one’s heritage.
Xings comments are pretty good I think.
It’s not really about one race being better than another (although that may be involved!), but there is a kind of cultural taboo against mixing races and it is not meant to offend, and it SHOULDN’T. Being mean is so wrong, it makes the Chinese seem really dumb, they should just state what they really believe, culturally than saying things stupidly…
Aside from all this, she happens to be a horrible singer…
There is no excuse for racism. It to justify it by one’s culture is to demonstrate that culturally you are still in the 18th century. Time to catch up with the rest of the world China!
Xing Ke, America does not “reek of racism” and if you think that that is the case then you either have not lived there or you have a chip on your shoulder.
That said, of course a mixed-race contestant in China is going to provoke protests. But that is because the protestors are ignorant. Someone with a bit more education, as you seem to have Xing Ke, should not stoop so low!
“A fear of losing one’s culture, a fear of losing one’s heritage.”
This comment is exactly at the base of racism – fear can lead to hatred, the cornerstone of racism. I would not oversimplify the implications of such fear. It can be overcome, but it can be dangerous as well.