Chinese prejudices

[Dennis143]

Leiqin is a Nanning girl. She will often make comments like “Goungzhou woman not good” or “No likea Hunan woman” etc. Seems there is a lot of profiling and generalizing about a person’s character simply based on the region they come from. A Xian woman told me once that southern girls were too dark and that men preferred the lighter-skinned northern girls. Are these biases common with all Chinese women or is this just something about Leiqin’s personality?

[A Mafan]

Leiqin is a Nanning girl.  She will often make comments like “Goungzhou woman not good” or “No likea Hunan woman” etc.  Seems there is a lot of profiling and generalizing about a person’s character simply based on the region they come from.  A Xian woman told me once that southern girls were too dark and that men preferred the lighter-skinned northern girls.  Are these biases common with all Chinese women or is this just something about Leiqin’s personality?

225661[/snapback]

I think it's common. Shanghai women are "feirce". Southern men are "passive", or at least "unambitious". A taxi driver in Dalian said he would have driven the long/slow way to be able to charge my SO more had he known she was from Beijing.

 

It does seem to be fairly ubiqitous, but also fairly benign in practice.

[Jali]

I'm hearing this same stuff, Dennis. Especially about the unfriendliness of people in Shanghai. I asked her how she "knew" this, and was told that everyone says it

[Dennis143]

I’ve seen nothing malicious result from these prejudices. Leiqin will make blanket statements about most anything and everything….”All cats are dirty. Fat men are lucky. GZ women are dishonest. This husband good and this husband no good.” Etc. However, she never shows any outward prejudices, as we have seen in American over the years. It’s just very different hearing someone outwardly voice these feelings, especially coming from today’s PC society.

And, the comparing of husbands with other women, there seems to be no middle ground. Either your husband is good or is no good. They will compare notes on each other’s husbands, keep a mental score and determine in the end who has the good, better or best husband. This is almost a nightly ritual in my home. Leiqin seems to always be talking with an old friend on the phone. She hands the phone to me. I will go into my usual spiel; Ni hao ma? Wo hen hoa, xi xi, ni na. Ching wen quey sing? Hen goa shin jian dow ni sun yi. Leiqin will beam and give me the big thumbs up. And, then afterwards tell me “My girlfriend really really like you. I tell her you very very good husband. Her husband no good.”

Edited June 21, 2006 by Dennis143 (see edit history)

[tonado]

Are these biases common with all Chinese women or is this just something about Leiqin’s personality?

225661[/snapback]

Not all Chinese women are like that. Some.

[Dennis143]

Are these biases common with all Chinese women or is this just something about Leiqin’s personality?

225661[/snapback]

Not all Chinese women are like that. Some.

225680[/snapback]

Of course, ALL neither are nor are not. Poor wording on my part.

[mercator]

Leiqin is a Nanning girl.  She will often make comments like “Goungzhou woman not good” or “No likea Hunan woman” etc.  Seems there is a lot of profiling and generalizing about a person’s character simply based on the region they come from.  A Xian woman told me once that southern girls were too dark and that men preferred the lighter-skinned northern girls.  Are these biases common with all Chinese women or is this just something about Leiqin’s personality?

225661[/snapback]

GZ girls don't think too highly of nanning girls either. I've heard that more than a few times.

 

I've also heard that northern girls are too fat and tall, and also that western chinese ("wulumuqi people") don't wash and fight alot.

 

My wife has said that she assumes all foreigners are chubby, especially Americans and Europeans. When I first told her about where I lived, she was afraid. I told her there were native americans here, and she was afraid of being attacked, since she only knew 'indians' from the movies, which of course are westerns

 

There are alot of stereotypes and prejudices. I don't think they are malicious either, but rather just based on being naiive and maybe a little ignorant. of certain things.

Edited June 21, 2006 by mercator (see edit history)

[yuan fen]

A Trophy Husband.

 

 

I see the same behavior with Jie. Even with watching TV. Good this, bad that.

 

 

I guess it is like a status thing.

 

I think about how I intro Jie to others.

 

Not too much difference.

[pkfops]

My wife isn't that fond of Japanese.

[warpedbored]

Pretty much the same speil we get here. One state doesn't like another. The south doesn't like the north, New Yorkers are rude, Southerners are stupid, and on and on. I have been told by more than one Chinese person that Suzhou women are supposed to be the most beautiful. Myself I prefer those short dark southern China women.

[stacato]

Everyone is prejudice in some way.

[Thomas Promise]

My SO has told me that Japanese and Vietnamese are no good.

[jim_julian]

I don't see any Chinese regional biases from Lao Po. (Except that Chongqing cooking is the best --- but everyone knows that!)

 

I do hear some anti-Japanese thoughts every now and then but then that's not too surprising given the amount that the government seems to spend to promote that thought.

[Dennis143]

Everyone is prejudice in some way.

225702[/snapback]

Well, duh...

 

Yet, not EVERYONE will readily and easily verbalize those biases. And, those generalizations are the differences that I am talking about.

Edited June 21, 2006 by Dennis143 (see edit history)

[trickyspark]

[]My wife, and most of her female friends were under the impression that men, especially foreign men, prefer women with extremely white skin.

 

I told her I don't know about other guys, but I find a nice tan far more appealing.

 

She wants me to stay out of the sun, and stay as white as possible I'll never understand why, she just says it's lovely...crap I already look like an albino.

 

She also is prone to distrust japanese. One of the first things I did in China was go to this war museum, where there were all kinds of pictures of Japanese soldiers lining up Chinese and killing them.

 

We went on what I think is the Chinese equivalent of memorial day. It was free admitance...the line wrapped around the building 3 times. Inside you couldnt take a full step, it was so packed you could only shuffle. I asked her if that was normal, she said no, but it is free today so it is worth it. I think it might have cost $80rmb for both of us, would have gladly paid that to avoid the 2 or 3 fights I almost started from the shoving.

 

 

Can't say that I really have any predjudices. I figure maybe one day it'll come back to me, and someone would get to know me before passing judgement.