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Q: Do you correct your Chinese friends when they say something racist/derogatory?
Though I have great friends and get along very well with them, sometimes out of nowhere they'll say something that just cuts me short and leaves me feeling like I don't want to have anything to do with these people. I often try to diplomatically explain why they MIGHT be wrong, but it's tough, and most of the time, even if they nod in agreement, I know I haven't convinced them. Or I know they won't change.
The most prevalent case of this happening is when it comes to race, where they'll carelessly launch unbelievably racist of prejudiced comments without even realizing. Do you correct them, in these situations, or accept you won't change them and let it slide?
This was a huge problem for me, living in Xinjiang. We would work with Han and Uyghur and the Han would outright say "you need to be careful living here, we have Uyghurs in this province, and they are violent and steal stuff....", sometimes while our Uyghur colleagues were standing right there.
My experience with Uyghur people could not have been further away from that, and I loathed listening to a wonderful culture and lovely people being mindlessly denigrated. I would close my eyes, breathe deeply and remind myself that I did not want to end up in a Chinese prison for stabbing someone on grounds of their stupidity, open my eyes and politely say "oh, we find them to be lovely, I can't agree with you there".
The mere fact of being disagreed with, even politely, as they set off on a racist rant, would usually be enough of a jolt to shut them up.
MissA:
Oh, I say 'we' here sometimes; my partner equally hated hearing racial slurs and was less diplomatic than I am, and if he was around and I didn't jump in first, he'd usually say something along the lines of "that's the most ignorant and stupid f*cking thing I've ever heard" and things would go downhill from there....
brisguy:
Was in Shanghai on the weekend and all the taxi driver said to me from the Airport to the hotel was be careful Uyghurs are a big problem here. Corrected him that all over China you will find bad apples in the bunch.
I normally reply with a Chinese stereotype, then when the shocked look appears on their face I will say, "But you aren't that way so I guess we can't believe all the rumors we hear."
I correct 'anyone' who makes racist comments, Chinese or otherwise, and accept that I most likely won't change them. I've got nothing better to do.
As a Puertorrican, I can relate to being discriminated against. The things that are said here about Uyghurs are the very same things said about Puertorricans in the States. Both groups are said to be thieves, to carry knives all the time, to be dangerous, etc.
So, when I hear anything racist or derogatory towards ANY ethnic/religious group, I will indicate my disapproval, no matter if the person who said it was Chinese, Western, etc.
In the States, I am half Hispanic/Latino and half White, so, when I hear ANY side (Hispanic./Latinos trashing Whites, or Whites trashing Hispanic/Latinos) it really gets to me as I have family on both sides of the "issue". To make things worse, for me at least, many do not think I am "White enough" or "Puertorrican enough" to suit "them".
So yes, I do not keep quiet about racism here. Usually, my Chinese friends will just drop the matter and change the subject and never again bring it up, even though I know that they have not changed their minds. But, at least they drop it. Some of my Western acquaintances however, will try to "defend" their racist viewpoint or even try to show me how I am "wrong".
Xpat.John:
The only thing I have ever heard about Puerto Ricans was that you never want to piss off a Puerto Rican woman. They'll cut your balls off and serve them too you with eggs ala Huevos Escroto.
cooter:
I heard Puerto Ricans were good at baseball. Didn't know about the other stuff :-/
GuilinRaf:
Well, they say we are good at baseball (though we used to be better) good at boxing and make great infantrymen.
The bad part they say is that we are thieves, steal cars tires, sell drugs and belong in gangs.
Anyway, thanks (both of you) for reminding me of the good stuff said about us, I was feeling a bit down just now.
MissA:
The knife thing, for Uyghurs, actually has some historical truth. Hand-crafted knives with inlaid engravings were traditionally part of the culture. They were given as gifts to men at their coming of age and major events, like weddings. My boyfriend bought a bone-handled one and it was absolutely gorgeous (we had to leave it behind, it's forbidden to take or send them out of Xinjiang).
But to say that because of this, they all carry knives and are dangerous is like saying that because historically Europeans used crossbows, people should be careful of white guys because you might end getting shot with an arrow. Just idiocy. In any case, the men are forbidden from carrying them, now.
Guilin Raf, I don't know anything about Puerto Ricans. In Australia, you'd be seen as any other Yank. I doubt that's comforting?
giadrosich:
Yep, us Yanks have a bad reputation anywhere, lol. 
However, if someone calls me a "Yankee" I tell them I'm from the Southern U.S., and we're known as "Rebels."
GuilinRaf:
Miss A:
Actually, being US Citizens, most of us would really BE "Yanks". Just not the blonde, blue eyed ones many people seem to expect. Now, I am well aware that the US has been not so nice in many places, and that we have made our share of mistakes and then some, but overall, I like my country though I dont always agree with it.
As to being called a "Yank" well, that would depend on the context. Rule of thumb, if we are all smiling, then no problem.;-)
We used to be a Spanish Colony which the Spanish surrendered to the US after the Spanish-American War (1898). Basically, we are Spanish-speaking Americans, as we have US Citizenship, etc. The US Army's 56 Infantry Division was composed almost exclusively by Puerto Ricans and was one of the most highly decorated units during the Korean War.
As to the knives, well, Spanish men used to carry knives all the time in the past, and we were a Spanish colony for 400 years. Guns were (and still are) closely regulated so most used to carry knives for work and for defense. So, here too there is some historical truth. My sister, for example, she does carry a knife but I dont.
Yes I do try to correct them. But "to correct" is not a right word. More about explaining my point of view, with arguments. Often giving a example of Chinese being discriminated out of China. Usually this can work.
i quit doing that long ago.... fed up of correcting people so i gave it up
Would you really give a damn about it? What is racist what is not? What are the norms?
I am a son of Italian migrants and when I was a child I used to be treated or called by all kind of names because I was Italian, so were other friends with Spanish origins.
Then what? Did I really give a damn about it? Maybe it hurts and then what?
Should I go to war against anybody who speak out "racist comments"?
Should we make it White vs Black, Chinese vs Japanese, Arabs vs Jews to see which one is less racist. Prejudices have always existed, and they will always exist. And the "politically correct" way of speaking is not the good solution to solve this problem of society. Does it hurt any black person to call a coffee a "black coffee" ?
However, what I noticed is that those same races who were subject to racist comments at school are also those who did their best all through education to prove their value and strength and eventually get them integrated even better in a society than those now who lived under the flag of the politically correct. That's my experience as a migrant living with other migrants children since early education.
Of whatever color a man is made of, it is his actions that will make him be honored or not, recognized or not, accepted or not.
Yes, I always tell them about English meaning of their racist or derogatory statements same as I am correcting their use of English.
Chinese and other non-native English speakers often use word 'fat' as description of a large person, what is certainly derogatory. Word 'fat' in English is often exchanged with 'large' or 'big'.
The first few months with my girlfriend were an eye-opening experience. I had read about racism in China but this was my first real experience.
I got angry with her and lectured her every time she made a comment. Whether about black people or Japanese or Taiwanese for that matter.
I explained to her that back in my home city many people say much worse things about the Chinese people people there and she would be offended if she was spoken about in this manner.
She has learned and completely stopped a long time ago now...at least around me.
It is usually a result of upbringing..education and the local media I find.
not that its a big deal but i tell my friend stop calling people foreigners, we know we are foreigners gives people the wrong impression like we are not wanted, and no need to say every little thing that pops up in your head even if you dont mean to be rude some things are better left unsaid. and i wish someone would tell their kids to stop pointing and saying hei ren ( black person) when they see me but all they seem to do is smile and laugh, if that was back in London the mother would smack the kid and tell him off and then apologies
LAR:
Yeah Stan., the retarded and racist South Korean youth (not all of them..some are nice. ) are the same way with the stupid pointing and stupid comments. I, a European-American was subjected to the same B.S. there.
LAR:
Yes, also the "foreigner" comment is equally stupid. The dumb-ass (not all of them.) South Koreans also use that. I've heard it TOO many times! MANY North-Eastern Asians can be such assholes. While others are pretty nice.
