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Q: foreigner or not?
I was born in China, but was adopted by US citizens and moved to the us and became a US citizens does that make me a foreigner to China?
Actually and this just me and my point of view, no matter what you look like or where you are from, you're still a person, I think the term "foreigner" needs to be removed from the dictionary.
So in my way of thinking and style: You're an American visitor, with a Chinese relations. So stick to the term " American visitor" or worker, take your pick.
Englteachted:
Reality check, there are nations, borders, government systems, currencies, standards, and laws. Plus only a few countries have made themselves into truly livable, attractive countries. The entire planet would be living in about 10 countries if they could and completely wreck the economies and create civil unrest. It would be nice if shitty countries could get their shit together, become civilized, raise their standards to be equally attractive as the US/ Canada/ and the like. But that's not happening any time soon. People like Chinese will always be 'Chinacentric'. If you're Australian, would want 30million Chinese emigrating and using the Democratic process to impose 'Chinese cultural values' , undercutting Australian workers for jobs, becoming the richer class because they're willing to cheat, steal, counterfeit (even eggs).
Brexit, Trump, LePen are blow back from excessive immigration.
ironman510:
I don't follow the written way, I follow the natural way. Reality in politics is quite different.
Actually and this just me and my point of view, no matter what you look like or where you are from, you're still a person, I think the term "foreigner" needs to be removed from the dictionary.
So in my way of thinking and style: You're an American visitor, with a Chinese relations. So stick to the term " American visitor" or worker, take your pick.
Englteachted:
Reality check, there are nations, borders, government systems, currencies, standards, and laws. Plus only a few countries have made themselves into truly livable, attractive countries. The entire planet would be living in about 10 countries if they could and completely wreck the economies and create civil unrest. It would be nice if shitty countries could get their shit together, become civilized, raise their standards to be equally attractive as the US/ Canada/ and the like. But that's not happening any time soon. People like Chinese will always be 'Chinacentric'. If you're Australian, would want 30million Chinese emigrating and using the Democratic process to impose 'Chinese cultural values' , undercutting Australian workers for jobs, becoming the richer class because they're willing to cheat, steal, counterfeit (even eggs).
Brexit, Trump, LePen are blow back from excessive immigration.
ironman510:
I don't follow the written way, I follow the natural way. Reality in politics is quite different.
Wow...talk about being between a rock and a hard place
I can't tell you what you should think that is up to you.
But you have a hell of a journey ahead of you .
If were me I would want to discover my heritage in China.
I hope you are not feeling lost and you have support and advice from qualified people and groups.
Never feel you don't belong somewhere and please ask for help if you feel you need it.
Good luck to you and kindest regards
I think it depends where you go in China.
I worked with a girl who was ethnically Chinese but born and raised in a western country. She got a job as an English teacher to experience her grandparents culture I think and get back to her roots and all that. She didn't have any Chinese characteristics aside from her looks, didn't speak Chinese and was the typical clueless new teacher who knows nothing of the culture when she got off the plane.
How she was looked at was that she shouldn't be making more money than the Chinese staff because she was 'Chinese' so it wasn't fair and she got a lot of passive aggression in the office because of it, but at the same time she was treated like crap and called a traitor who wasn't Chinese because her family had left (abandoned) China.
She wasn't accepted as a teacher by the student's parents because she looked Chinese so therefore she wasn't a 'foreign' teacher. She was Chinese. It was made very clear that she wasn't 'proper' Chinese though.(said in the same way a local girl who marries a foreigner sometimes hears from single,angry, nationalistic guys)
She left after about two months disgusted and disappointed with China. She was fired because she couldn't retain students. She was great with kids but adults literally hated her.
This was in a lower tier city though and while there were some really nice, friendly people in the school and city, there were also a lot who were just ignorant, racist peasants.
But then,I met another ethnically Chinese guy in a different city who I expected to crash and burn like the girl did, but he actually did quite well in China and was accepted as the foreigner he was as far as I know.
It was in a similar tiered city with mostly the same type of people but for whatever reasons, he just didn't face the same problems.
RandomGuy:
Men can get away with more things than women in Chinese culture. I mean just look at how they react when a Chinese man dates a non-Chinese girl, it's all praises and encouragements and pride from random bystanders. Now if a Chinese woman dates a non-Chinese man, she is immediately labelled a race traitor and people throw random insults at her when it's not physical assault. The reason for this, women are seen as inferior to men in Chinese culture, and it's not changing anytime soon. Ironically, this is the very reason more Chinese women than men date out, these women want equality with men and can't find it in China, so they go to date Foreigners instead, because we treat women equally. By shaming them for doing so, Chinese men actually push ever more Chinese women to seek out other men, it's a vicious circle not in their favor.
My best mate was born in Tajikistan (IIRC, or Kajikistan, or one of the other 'stans) to Russian/German parents.... apparently, they were hated by the locals for being 'filthy Germans'.
When he was a toddler, his family moved to German... where he was a "filthy Russian".
When he was 16, his family then moved to Australia... (who spoke virtually no English).
He's now the only person in his family with an Aussie passport (IIRC).
What does that make him???
Obviously - a person!
He says he's Aussie.. and quite rightly too. He doesn't identify in any way with the country of his birth. And, he doesn't call himself a German-Australian.
Identity is a personal issue. You have to identify yourself how you choose to. Which will probably mean having to accept and reject various parts of your heritage and cultural traditions.
One thing I know for sure... you aren't alone! There are many ABC's around the world, and many many more immigrants too!
I also know - when you do something good and right, you'll be whichever is doing the praising... and if you do something wrong, then you'll be the other to whoever is doing the chastising/criticising.
You look Chinese, therefore to most Chinese you are Chinese. People here won't understand if you can't speak Chinese because you are expected to. You won't get stared at like White or Black people because you look Chinese. On the other hand you will be invisible to girls because you look Chinese.
Truth: Chinese are just plain racist (sorry to inform you) you are ethnically Chinese so you're Chinese and will be treated as such (work standards also, 6 days low pay, treated like shit), but if you don't speak chinese, you're a traitor.
I worked with a Korean once, nice guy, he eventually just stopped going out.
Unfortunately, Yes you are a foreigner in China under the current Chines government rules.
I have three close friends who are of Mainland Chinese descent. One of them is in the same position as you are, born and raised in China, accept she is now a Canadian citizen. The CPC treats her as a foreigner. Fortunately she speaks Mandarin fluently. My other buddy is also of Chinese decent, looks the part, born in Guangxi, but can't speak Chinese. Therefore the Chinese people regard him as a foreigner. Pretty pathetic if you ask me!
To China, what matters is what you look like. Are you yellow? Then you can expect to be treated as Chinese. Are you black/brown/white? Then you're one of... them.
It's about appearance (hence terms like "Ethnic Chinese" being used).
I've never been a fan of ethnic nationalism, but it's an uphill battle to argue that looking a certain way doesn't make you any more or any less deserve to be in a particular place.
RandomGuy:
Ethnic nationalism is junk especially when it goes one way only. I have heard Western-passport-holders-China-born returnees complain about too many Foreigners in China and that China should be for Chinese only, but apparently it's okay for them to move to Europe and to get the same benefits as native Europeans and to be treated as equals, but never the other way around. I'm sure people around the world will see China in a brighter light and praise it when Foreigners are able to get at least lifelong residency, and I don't mean a selected few famous Foreigners but any Foreigner that contributes to the economy or society for enough years without committing a crime. Until then China will be a racist xenophobic country in the eyes of many people. Chinese complaining about racism in the West are laughable, at least they are allowed to immigrate, they are not stuck on a yearly visa forever without any certainty of renewal.
