Basic assumptions are a substitute for thinking and a way to avoid the pain of reality in an individual. Someone once told me that when you assume, you make an ASS out of U and ME. We all assume things.

 People tell me that foreigners are always friendly. I'm outgoing and funny. My first trip here the hotel staff thought I was drunk all the time, just because I'm laughing and carrying on. I think of myself as an individual and there is a difference between the psyche of city and country people from home. I think city people care less about what people think of them. I'm only starting to understand the Chinese, face, their circles, their thinking. Generally I don't find them outgoing, friendly yes.

 I don't think they assume we are stupid and when they ignore us it partly due to us not being in their circle. The Chinese know we generally treat people well, don't lie, cheat or steal. They think i am are crazy if I loose it. I haven't noticed any other assumptions about me. I'm trying to adopt a more I don't give a shit attitude.

 I know I can be a little over the top. My own friends rate me between a crazy wild man and a f* maniac. I was raised a city boy. 

Of the three foreign idiots who did wrong in comparison with the thousands of foreigners in China, and the resulting reaction leads me to think Chinese (of course not all) are the masters of prejudice, assumption and unintentional ignorance.
I feel we're reaching a tipping point. We only need one more incident before Chinese people take to the streets demanding blood. When it finally  tips over, the reputation of foreigners in China will change forever. Mostly for the European and American guys I guess and mainly in the eyes of working and college class Chinese males. But I'm pretty sure among Chinese females nothing will change much.  It's too contradictory for a society that strives harder and harder to be Western to hate westerners.

Well us black people don't have much to worry about. Our reputation is not that good anyway. And the stereotypes are downright ridiculous.

Most people act friendly towards me. Maybe because I'm always being mistaken for an African American. You can actually feel the disillusion ebb off of them when I tell them I'm African. After that I feel like I'm being carefully evaluated by them. As though they're waiting for me to do something stupid,criminal or dangerous and mentally confirm whatever stereotype they have of me. 
 

Have you ever noticed that there's never been a popular story about a foreign woman? Like, not even a nice one. What's up with that? Do they only pay attention to male foreigners? I guess we foreign women aren't scandalous/generous enough.