The “Despicable” Chinese
Zhenlin Kan
Headlines like “Litter Everywhere After Their Departure” and “Unwelcome Tourists From China” raise the question of whether Chinese people are internationally regarded as less civilized than others. But are they?
It is difficult to not notice the deluge of negative opinions toward one specific population, so this warrants a closer look at this issue.
On March 1, 2016, a young Chinese female passenger was insulted aboard Virgin Atlantic Airways Flight VS250 from London to Shanghai. In addition to facing discriminatory verbal abuse from a white passenger, she was also threatened by the chief flight attendant. She was completely neglected during the whole flight (except for a Chinese attendant who was warned not to talk about the incident during the flight). Enraged, the victim narrated her experience on the Internet and wrote a scathing letter to the airline.
Noteworthy is that, unlike many Chinese people who are used to receiving unfair treatment initially caused by some rude Chinese tourists and prefer to tolerate such treatment instead of becoming entangled in some conflict, the woman was courageous enough to stand up and defend her dignity. As a result, her actions galvanized millions of internet users in China into seeking justice, attracted international attention, and utimately forced Virgin Atlantic Airways to issue a formal apology.
A week later, on March 8, a dozen “Chinese” tourists were caught swimming nude at a famous public beach in Thailand. A photo taken by a local resident spread quickly online, stimulating a diverse range of inflammatory comments about Chinese tourists. However, it was later learned that the tourists were Japanese. This raises the question of whether Chinese people are more likely than other ethnic groups to be wrongfully treated and accused.
The answer may be quite simple: After the photo was released online, no Chinese responded. None called for an investigation. It would appear that to many Chinese people, such events do not really matter as long as they have some personal impact. That is, it is not worth it to get involved and be bruised in the process. This may motivate many to remain aloof to others. Defend no one, and pay no attention to others’ conduct. No wonder things have been getting worse.
Are people of various ethnic backgrounds really different? I strongly doubt it. Then the answer calls for Chinese people to voice their concerns more actively. Without this voice, Chinese people are likely to witness their situation worsen.