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Q: In-depth explanation of "Yang Guizi" in a cultural context?
I stumbled upon this term a while back and I'd like to know a bit more about it.
I understand that it's supposed to be very demeaning when used to describe a foreigner. I'd like to know demeaning in what way. Is this term classist in any way? For example, I read that this term was used to describe westerners during the Boxer Rebellion. Arguably, the Chinese were subordinate to western powers. So when this term is used as an insult, is it supposed to convey a sense of contempt that arises from the feeling of being subordinate to a foreigner? At all?
Say a foreigner decided to label himself as a "Yang Guizi" in an act of defiance, would it cause much confusion? In America, if I were white and labeled myself as white trash, it'd be more humiliating than defiant. Is this different for Yang Guizi given its political implications?
A word is only demeaning if you allow it to be.
jetfire9000:
Precisely this. Why let words control your life? Good or bad, people calling out foreigners just want attention. If you really take issue with the words then just ignore them and you can observe their powerful effects in reverse. It turns out that being ignored is pretty embarrassing.
TempMe:
The reason I ask this is because a friend of mine is considering tattooing the term in a visible area on his body to "make a statement".
I think it's kind of silly and maybe if the term is a humiliating insult rather than a purely contemptible one, he'll reconsider.
Lord_hanson:
Probably better not to get something so permanent. How about a t-shirt instead. Ignoring the word is better, using it will just show he cares about the word. From his actions it is obvious that someone has called him that at some point and it got to him. It would just be seem as a mark of victory to the person who originally called him it.
Shining_brow:
Get the t-shirt first, see the reactions. If it's what he wants, then the tattoo. It's like adding salt in food... you can add more if need be, but it's difficult to take away if you've put in too much.
TempMe:
That was the original post that led me to ask this question lol.
Didn't find anything that was what I was looking for.
Same like Elmoro in Europe, every place has its own coined term
so you want to known as a foreign devil or foreign ghost, sometimes i tell cab drivers this phrase about myself as a joke when they want to hear my chinese, this was according to my beautiful wife a shock phrase used by chinese the first time they saw foreigners because of the pale complexion, light colored hair was like seeing a ghost, and especially blue eyes because asians dont have blue eyes.
ambivalentmace:
my wife says yes on the tatoo, i vote no, tatoos look terrible when you get older but then old people usually throw away the mirrors in the house anyway, bad for the appetite.
"Yang guizi" is a neutral word in Chinese. When foreigners came in China on the war during the year 1840 - 1949. They got the name "Yang guizi". But now. it is just a name. Chinese got peace just for about 60 years. So ... it is not a big problem, right?
Shining_brow:
No. The history might be right, but the intent still lingers. While you talk about 'peace' for 60 years, there is still a LOT of anger and hatred towards Japanese.
Similarly, I read something last week about "we're nice to foreigners, even after what they did to us more than 100 years ago"... What complete BS is that??? Either, you let it go, or you don't... there's no " yes, but...".
Yang Guizi, Laowai, waiguoren is NEVER meant in a 'friendly' way. At best, (and it's rare) it's meant in a neutral way. But dalu ren seem to be only able to think in terms of 'us' and 'them' - sort of how ISIS does...
iWolf:
Sorry Mr Shining but i have to disagree. In my experience all these different terms used to refer to foreigners are quite neutral in intention. Even some yang guizhi and the popular Cantonese gweilo. It is foreigners who may be oversensitive or looking for something to whine about will find what they are looking for. I think that it also unreasonable to compare this matter to southern white plantation owners using the N word as I have heard some protest. The different words used to refer to us are just that and nothing more. It is a historical/cultural issue due to the long periods of closed door policies. As was said, US and the rest. Don't overthink this issue. As for your friend wanting a tattoo, he is a moron for several reasons. He is looking for some confrontation by getting this word tattooed and he will find it. I'd be finding new friends, you know how Chinese guys fight; 100:1 and there are dickheads around who will be happy to be offended by this taunt and go off. The names, tattoos of these words, douchebags, dickheads, butt-hurt bitches, oversensitive cry-babies, hospital bills, compensation and deportation are all words that come to mind whilst pondering this topic
icnif77:
'up' for iWolf here!
'dickhead' is proper term to use for somebody, who isn't expert in Chinese language as many foreigners in China aren't, and have complain for whatever term is used to describe foreigner/outsider of our Wall....tattoo yourself with 'I am a moron' instead.
This is country, where you (foreigners) live in, some longer term, married to Chinese and so on, so behave as such....
TempMe:
@iWolf & @icnif77
What's tricky here is that he's Chinese-American, which could change the circumstances a bit. He explained it as something to make it obvious that he doesn't identify with being Chinese. However, he is essentially still a foreigner without the cultural knowledge of what exactly the implications of having it stamped on him are. I'm trying to convince him that having it would be similar to getting "Bitch", "Cracker", etc etc tattooed on a person, i.e. "I'm a moron". Doesn't seem to be getting through.
ambivalentmace:
im trying to remember all the cultural insensitive words americans use for foreigners, like the chinese use for foreigners, but we usually using slang words by country, we dont actually group all foreigners as us versus them, does any other country do this in the world, i have been to many countries but china is the only one i can recall that has this bizarre us versus them (them being the rest of the whole world), even asians in other countries have bitched about this behavior and dont want to be associated with china for this reason.
icnif77:
You/we are all guests in China, so behave as such! END!
What would you think about your guest, who would put his/hers feet on your kitchen table, because he wouldn't like your flooring?
You can tattoo yourself with anything you want, or you can also exit China and seek greener pastures elsewhere.
Tell your Chinese American buddy to stop show-offing with his better understanding of Chinese than rest of the foreigners around him.
