Racism

When Marvel cast Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, the studio’s first Asian superhero, the Chinese internet reacted with a collective gasp.  The casting of the muscular Chinese-Canadian heartthrob, known for his role in the sitcom Kim’s Convenience, may be celebrated in the West, but for some Chinese, he just doesn’t look the part. “He looks like how Westerners think us Asians all look,” said one commentator on China’s Twitter-like Weibo. The message is the second-most liked response to a report about Marvel’s casting decision on July 20. “Single eyelid, small eyes, square face, check, check, and check,” said another popular post.  Many say they prefer someone along the lines of Eddie Peng, a Canadian

Marvel’s casting of Tony Leung, a beloved Hong Kong star, in the upcoming Shang-Chi film has stirred up an intense online debate in China about racism.  Veteran actor Leung, 57, will play the Mandarin, the villain of the film. Idolized in China, many Chinese fans have questioned Leung’s decision to take this role. The casting was announced by Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, at Comic-Con in San Diego. Some Chinese internet users believe the Mandarin is a similar character to the evil Dr Fu Manchu, a fictional character widely considered racist. Fu was first created by British author Sax Rohmer in 1912. In the Marvel comics, Shang-Chi is the son of Fu Manchu, who was not announced a

China’s education ministry says overseas students can expect severe punishment if they break the rules, after a spate of controversies involving foreigners studying at mainland universities. An unnamed senior ministry official said rules for overseas students should be broadly the same as for local Chinese students and that universities “should seriously punish" foreign students if they violate them, Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily reported over the weekend. The official said the education ministry had taken a firm public stance in response to heated online discussion in China over a string of incidents involving overseas students. An Egyptian student from #Fujian Agriculture and

It’s not unusual for Chinese universities with international students to organize programs for them to meet and socialize with native Chinese speakers. But a university in eastern China was forced to apologize after its “buddy program” drew a torrent of racist and sexist abuse from online commentators. In recent years, Chinese universities have lured overseas students with scholarships in order to boost their global rankings. The students are often given preferential treatment, such as private dorms or less rigorous academic requirements, leading to tension with some local students. The buddy program at Shandong University was introduced in 2016 to facilitate cultural and language exchange b

Chinese fans may love NBA players and African-American entertainers, but they’re upset with Disney’s decision to cast Halle Bailey to play Ariel in the live-action movie adaption of The Little Mermaid. Disney announced the casting of 19-year-old Bailey, who is black, this week. While the casting was largely praised on Western social media, it triggered a wave of disappointment and anger on the Chinese internet.  “I don’t discriminate against black people, but the Little Mermaid is just not black in my memory,” said one of the most liked comments on the Twitter-like Weibo. “Is this mermaid from the Somali Sea?” another Weibo user said. “Don’t ruin my childhood, you big-head fish!” Internet u

What the biggest threat to Australia’s lush, diverse ecosystem? Start with the “bloody old Chinaman” with a sausage hidden in his underwear, according to Australian politician Barry O’Sullivan. The Aussie senator has been criticized for making racist comments on Tuesday in the Australian Senate during a debate about risks to the country’s agriculture and food safety. The Chinese embassy in Australia has protested the remarks as racist. And Chin Tan, the Australian Race Discrimination Commissioner, described them as “racially derogatory,” according to SBS News. The Australian senator’s racial comments come as ties are strained between the two countries, with recent contentious issues includi

The women sit on the left, the men on the right. Between them, a host in a suit calls on the men to make the first move. Love is in the air – if the interpreters do their job. The women are either Russian or Ukrainian, the men all Chinese. On a recent Sunday afternoon, they meet in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai in search of love. Without translation, the opposing sexes can’t fully understand each other. But it doesn’t matter. Brought to the same place by sheer destiny – and, for the men, an agent and a payment of $880 – the 16 participants mingle over sappy music and red wine, hoping to find a lifelong partner. As China has become wealthier and more outward-looking, an increasing numbe

How did East Asians come to be referred to as yellow-skinned? It was the result of a series of racial mappings of the world and had nothing to do with the actual color of people’s skin. In fact, when complexion was mentioned by an early Western traveler or missionary or ambassador (and it very often wasn’t, because skin color as a racial marker was not fully in place until the 19th century), East Asians were almost always called white, particularly during the period of first modern contact in the 16th century. And on a number of occasions, even more revealingly, the people were termed “as white as we are.” But by the 17th century, the Chinese and Japanese were “darkening” in published texts,

Growing up in Canada, Holly Ngan (not her real name) loved climbing trees, riding bikes and playing outdoors. Being in the sun was never an issue for Ngan, who says she has always naturally been tanned. “I have never been called fair in my life,” she says. Her awareness of skin color changed drastically when she turned 10 and traveled to Hong Kong with her family to visit relatives over their summer holiday. One afternoon, Ngan’s cousin took her on a boat trip. It was a sweltering hot day, the small cabin and deck of the boat were heating up, and yet she noticed most of the women stayed on board instead of cooling off in the sea. “All the girls were covered up,” recalls Ngan, noting their lo

I had been mulling over a retort to “Go back to China!” since President Donald Trump took office in 2017. I didn’t have it by the time a friend shared with me screenshots of an email sent out by Dr. Megan Neely of Duke University to the Chinese master’s students in the university’s biostatistics department, telling them to stop speaking Chinese in the break room. The email said that two unnamed professors had come to her seeking to identify the Chinese students speaking “VERY LOUDLY” in Chinese in a school lounge. These students’ behavior, the two professors hinted, might compromise their internship and research opportunities. One professor from Duke University sent out an email asking Chine