Reality TV show exposes Racial Divides in China

Nastasha Pollard
Critical Response

Tim Wise writes in his novel, Between Barack and a Hard Place, that it is a fact that a person who is biracial will “typically be seen as a member of which ever group is lowest in the racial hierarchy” and that “the racism directed their way is most often aimed at the darkest and least white aspect of their heritage.” These statements prove true to Lou Jing, the daughter of a loving Chinese mother and an African American father who was not apart of her childhood. Lou Jing was named one of the top five finalists for Shanghai’s “Lets Go! Oriental Angel,” a show similar to the U.S. American Idol TV. Show. Lou Jing speaks fluent Mandarin and has a special talent of singing Shanghai opera, which got her to the finalist round on the show. However, Lou Jing says “If she could do it all over again, she would not have gone on the show at all,” because due to her black skin color a “vicious nationwide debate” arose of whether she was fit to be on Chinese television because she was considered not Chinese.
Lou Jing states, “I am Chinese,” but that the media vicious attacks towards her made her question how she is different from others. According to Tim Wise Lou Jing is not going to be considered as mixed of two races, rather she will be labeled by whichever race is the lowest in the racial hierarchy: black. And black is the color of her skin, and that is all her Chinese counterparts see.
I believe its unfortunate that dark skin is looked down upon and is discriminated against. People should not be judged on the color of their skin. We are all human and it is just a color. Lou Jing is indeed biracial both Chinese and Black, yet her being Chinese, is not even acknowledged by her Chinese peers. The racism that still exists in China that Lou Jing had to deal with, as a young girl is really sad. Although Lou Jing might associate more with her Chinese culture while living in China, speaking the mandarin language, and being raised by her Chinese mother, she is still isn’t fully accepted just due to her physical appearance.
The article expresses that in the Chinese culture darker skin receives discrimination, while paler skin tones are admired. Even Chinese people with darker skin are looked down upon by Chinese people with fairer skin, and fairer skin people are considered more beautiful. The fact that they look at fair skin as superior and as what defines beauty is interesting, because fair skin is closest to white skin. It is as if they are confirming that white skin is better. This is bizarre because white America will associate a Chinese person as someone of color and someone who is less than. Chinese is a race that is discriminated against just as the black race. If someone is both mixed of Chinese and White descent, they will be more than likely be considered Chinese before White and face exploitation.
I am Native American, Puerto Rican, and Black West Indian (from Barbados). Within my experiences, I have always just been labeled Black. It does not matter that I speak Spanish, or that the culture that dominated my upbringing was my Puerto Rican background. Rather, I am labeled Black due to my skin color, and physical appearance, and discriminated against because of this. I feel this idea of race is a modern construct based on physical appearance, and essentially the color of one’s skin. Race is a social construct that was created to distinguish the superior versus the inferior group. There aren’t any genes that characterize us into different races. I feel racial practices have just become institutionalize within our government and society and that is what has caused and perpetuated exploitation and inequalities. Race is a very powerful social notion that gives people of the superior group privileges, such as access to opportunities and resources. Racism exists today as seen in the article. We must not act like it does not exist, because that will not work to solve the problem. In efforts to tackle racism, we must embrace everyone’s cultural differences, be inclusive of all skin colors, and identify the social laws that give advantages to the superior group at the expense of others. Jane Junn in the following video does speaks wisely about what race is:

Parenting Biracial Children

The Center for the Study of Biracial Children

Identity Problems in Biracial Youth