Chinese Stereotypes
By: Sammi Gorski
Different Stereotypes
China is one of the most popular countries for stereotypes. Many people who have never even been to China, think they know what it's like to live there. This spreads because of propaganda and social media. Some things that you hear about China's culture and ways of life are often not 100% accurate. Down below are some examples of popular Chinese stereotypes.
1. Everyone in China Knows Martial Arts
This is far from the truth. Sure, in China's history almost every man learned martial arts, but only because they were forced to. They would use the movements in this form of art to defend themselves, and/or to train for the military. In modern China, there is only a very small percentage of people who still do Kung Fu. Some of that percentage is taken up by monks. The only reason monks still learn it, is for the culture aspect.
The Karate Kid is a modern movie made to show the culture of Chinese Kung Fu.
2. Chinese People Look Exactly the Same
Chinese people may look a like at first glance, but when you actually look at their features, you will notice a difference. It is not hard for people in China to tell each other apart. When they see each other, they notice different hair colors and styles, the distinct shape of their eyes, and the different shades of skin. Supposedly every Chinese is known for being slim and petite. China actually has 56 different ethnic groups. The ¨Han Chinese¨ is the most popular. Chinese people come in all shapes and sizes. If you can't tell Chinese people apart, you are simply not looking hard enough.
Here is a perfect example of how not all Chinese people look the same.
3. In China They Only Eat White Rice
Lots of people who again, haven't been to China, assume that in China they eat white rice all the time. This is not true. White rice is just a staple piece and it is served with almost every meal. Although, they do not eat it everyday. Two main reasons that the Chinese eat white rice is because one, it lasts longer when being stored and two, white rice used to be a symbol for being wealthy and brown rice was a symbol for poverty. They have plenty of other food options in China too. For example they also eat meats, vegetables, and soup. They clearly eat a lot healthier than Americans.
Above is a picture of ethnic Chinese food. Something that is not a stereotype is that they do use chopsticks, as seen above.
4. Chinese People are Geniuses at Math
China is known for their extreme schooling. Indeed, they do have way harder and more extreme schooling than Americans. This does not mean that they are all super good at math. Not everyone is born with a brain strong in math. The people in China do not just know math right away. They actually have to try super hard and study just like any other human. There are people in China who have worse grades than Americans. Just because China's government pushes the education, does not mean that everyone will be able to reach expectations.
This is just one of many examples of the stereotypes for Chinese schooling. This is not accurate.
Chinese Woman Are Humble
Lots of people assume that the woman in China are modest. The woman there are modest, but not to the extent that people describe them to be. People think that they are super quiet and still serve the men. That was during the ancient times. Things have changed. The only reason people think this is because of the fact that China is a male-dominant society. Women are gaining lots more power and are achieving higher roles. The only problem is that they still don't get paid as much money as men in their country do. In reality, this is a problem all across the globe, including America. Chinese woman are just like any American woman when it comes to feminism and roles of power.
Above are Chinese woman becoming successful at their job.
My reaction
I only knew half of these were somewhat stereotypes. I never really knew all the details about it them. I used to always think that most Chinese people looked alike, which sounds racist but it's really not. I just never thought to look past their eyes. I also got to watch videos of Chinese people who live in America that have to deal with the same stereotypes and got to see their perspective.
Works Cited
"Seven False Stereotypes about the Chinese." [7]- Chinadaily.com.cn. N.p., 16 Apr. 2014. Web. 14 Jan. 2016.
Williams, Rashad. "5 Common Stereotypes about China (And What It's Really Like)." 5 Common Stereotypes about China (And What It's Really Like). N.p., 27 July 2015. Web. 14 Jan. 2016.
Scarlatelli, Andrea. "5 Stereotypes of Chinese (that Only People Who Haven't Lived in China Believe)." EChinacities.com. N.p., 27 Mar. 2012. Web. 14 Jan. 2015.
"Asian Stereotypes - Viral, Annoying, Explained?!?" Runninglikethewind. N.p., 21 May 2010. Web. 14 Jan. 2016.
Kim, Dr. Ben. "Why Do Asians Eat Mainly White Rice?" Why Do Asians Eat Mainly White Rice? N.p., 21 May 2005. Web. 14 Jan. 2016.
Pictures