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Sign up with Google Sign up with FacebookQ: How has nationalism affected your relationships with Chinese on a day to day basis?
...if at all.
I often have to get history lessons when Chinese people say the US attacked North Korea in 1950 and that's how the war started or that the US sold weapons to Japan in WW2, etc etc. The older folks and dim witted young people just believe whatever they heard on government controlled TV.
It hasn't really affected my life except in terms of the condecending tone many Chinese take with me or the odd "I hate America and Obama foreign countries harm China." nutjob who thinks that seeing a white guy is his opportunity to revenge himself and regain China's national pride through boring lectures. Oh, of course, the "Chinese man engrish gramma so good better than is foreigner man Engrish gramma, foreigner man needn't teacha. I know you country am no teacha gramma, no is foreigner country method. Only OOOOOORAR Engrish pick topic haba chat!" Thing at work is infuriating.
But, asside from the work thing, most nationalists here take it to such a comedic extreme, that it's hard to take very seriously. I try to appreciate the pythonesque humour behind it.
nevermind:
I'm past the point of being diplomatic and give it to them both barrels now.
At work I often tell them they're full of crap. I don't care anymore. If you try to tell me that the US attack North Korea, or that Japan "just gave up" after invading China - I'll tell you the truth in no uncertain terms, then for good measure, rub it in with stories of food aid from the west, despite Mao trash talking and biting that hand that fed his people.
I work in universities, so I don't normally have an issue with it... but if I do have a larger issue, it's probably worse, because they have that intellectual bent to their ignorance... they've reasoned out all the problems.
On the other hand, I tend to find quite a few more people willing to say "that's the way things are here - what can I do?"
But, solution-wise, just saying that every country has its problems, and none of them are perfect, tends to stop any argument.
I don't really have much of a run in with these types, since most of my contact is with students. The majority of them have been exposed to western ideas through entertainment, and while I tell them that movies and such are not "real life," they do get the gist of how things are.
Most local people I've met have been very kind to me, and if they have harbored any negative nationalism, they haven't expressed it to me. I consider myself open to any opinion, and if they want to talk about it, that's okay, as long as it is a dialogue and not monologue.
If it turned into the latter, I would simply walk away.
I just can say that there are only benefits between countries.. they can be friendly.. As a Chinese, I don't really say that i hate a country except Japan and Korea.. There are good and bad people everywhere.. So whatever..
GuilinRaf:
regarding Japan, the Chinese are still fighting World War II. Regarding Korea, both sides basically claim to have "civilized" each other. For example, some Koreans claim that Cao Cao was Korean and not Chinese etc.
I have been very lucky! I have not encontered very many of those types in my four years here. Had one jerk who wanted to lectue me in English corner once about the evils of USA/Twan, but for the most part they have been isolated incidents.