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Q: Do your Han friends distrust Hui people?
There's lots of Hui where I live and they operate more than 50% of the restaurants in the city.
I like eating at these places because the food is better (a lot better...kind of a Uyghir/Chinese fusion) than normal Chinese joints. And even though they are Muslim they never have an issue with beer drinking, unlike some of the Uyghir restaurants.
But Han people don't trust the Hui. They always describe them as being "very smart", and that's not complimenting them on their intelligence. When Chinese say that someone is 'smart' they mean they are untrustworthy and will scam others in any way they can.
Just last night my mates tried to talk me out of going into my usual place (Hui) in favour of a Uyghir place across the road. One mate is Han and the other, Kazakh. Both said they can't stand the way the boss of the Hui place harangues them to order more and more.
I often go to this place to just sit and drink and read and can never understand what the boss is prattling on to me about. My mates tell me it turns out he's making fun of me for drinking a beer instead of eating his food.
Anyone else aware of this, admittedly passive, anti Hui sentiment?
Some do, some don't, I know Han people who are friends with Hui people, on the opposite I have met quite a few people who would rather eat the dirtiest street food with 100% chance of having a food poisoning than stepping foot in a Hui restaurant.
In my case as a foreigner I tend to like Hui for the rare exchanges I had with them beside ordering food.
JulieShen:
Actually lots of Huis are integrated into Hans, they are working in factories or offices,it is very hard for us to tell them apart. The Huis who are working in noodle shops are easier to tell,because most of them come from deprived North-Western Hui families, they had very few chances to receive higher education, so they have very limited job ranges.
I'm living in the east part of China, most of the Hui people are having a life no difference with us Hans. For example, my step father is a Hui, but no one think it matters. However, some Huis, especially those who are living in the less developed part of China, they keep their traditions, and they are less integrated into Hans. But there are no bias between Hans and Huis, that's for sure.
I used to have a Uygur roommate when I was in university. I think somehow she hated us Eastern Hans, and all her Uygur friends never hang out with us. We spent 5 years in the same dorm, and after graduation, she disapeared like never had existed. So I guess, Uygurs have some anti sentiment issues against Hans.
royceH:
Good answer.
I can tell you that where I live nobody trusts anybody. Uyghir and Han I mean.
Often there will be a nod and a smile and sometimes even some interaction. But..there is NO trust.
From where I sit I can find the distrust of the Uyghirs towards the Han pretty understandable. And if the shoe was on the other foot........ahhh, wait.....Not sure I should say much more.
Anyway, that's pretty strange about your experience at uni. Sad, really.
Been here ten years, never known Han or Hui to come into.
royceH:
I'm not talking about any animosity or anything like that. Just the issue of trust.
Sure, in general Hui people are indistinguishable from Han. But I'd be surprised if Han didn't know exactly which restaurant was Han and which one was Hui. I almost never have a clue which is which. (the food can give it away) But the Han always know.
They make a point of knowing because they have a suspicion they'll be cheated.
Their scrutiny of the bill can be embarrassing.
Me.....I like all the people. Except for the ones I don't.
I have never heard of this. I know lots of Hans that don't trust Uygurs though.
"Please don't let me be misunderstood......"
I'm not saying there seems to be any open animosity, just a lack of trust because of a suspicion they'll be pressured, or ripped off.
You could ask non Hui people you know what they think of doing business with Hui people.
If the consensus isn't the same as in the province where I live, I'll be interested to know.
