Racism and prejudice

President Donald Trump on Monday stopped referring to the coronavirus as the “Chinese virus” and called for the protection of Asian-Americans. “It’s very important that we totally protect our Asian-American community in the United States and all around the world,” Trump said at a White House briefing. “They’re amazing people and the spreading of the virus is not their fault in any way shape or form,” he said.  Trump’s shift in tone was abrupt, having called the coronavirus the “Chinese virus” at least once every day since March 17 – a reference that was made at least eight times on Twitter and another eight times in the White House. Asked in the briefing why he stopped using the term, Trump

China’s proposed bill on granting permanent residency to foreigners has unleashed a wave of xenophobia on the Chinese internet. Even though China has one of the lowest shares of foreign-born people in the entire world, many people worry that a potential rise in foreign immigrants will make their life harder. In response to the bill, people have posted hostile comments online, especially against black people and Muslims, demanding that the government toughen rules on immigration. We spoke with several fierce opponents of the permanent residency bill about why they do not want more immigrants in China.

As soon as I walked into the train carriage, a whole family packed up their belongings and shuffled nervously to the next one. It happened on a train from Oxford to London earlier this month. I am an ordinary postgraduate student but for the fact, extraordinary in these times, that I’m Chinese. As the coronavirus outbreak spreads around the world, I have been experiencing a different epidemic – one of racism and xenophobia. I felt unwelcome. For the first time in years, I was self-conscious of my status as the person of color in a white space, the alien in a culture whose values I share. I expected a better Britain than the one in which two of my Hong Kong friends, walking on a Manchester st

As Singaporeans gathered over the Lunar New Year weekend, jokes were cracked about Chinese eating habits and how a propensity to eat “anything with four legs except the table and everything that flies except planes” had given rise to the Wuhan coronavirus. One meme said there was no need to worry – the virus would not last long because it was “made in China.” The jokes, tinged with racism, soon grew into a call for the city-state to ban Chinese travelers from entering. A change.org petition started on January 26 had 118,858 signatures as of Wednesday afternoon. Among those calling for health to be prioritized over tourism dollars was Ian Ong, who wrote: “We are not rat or bat eaters and shou

Controversy over a British royal using his pedigree to sell milk in China has erupted into a race-related scandal after celebrity anchor Piers Morgan mocked the Chinese language on live television. Peter Phillips, the 42-year-old grandson of Queen Elizabeth, was initially criticized after he appeared sipping a glass of milk in a commercial by Shanghai-based Bright Food Group, China’s second-largest food conglomerate. In the ad shown on Dragon TV, Phillips boasts of being raised on Jersey milk from the herd at Windsor Castle before savoring the milk in a room that looks like an English aristocratic home with a view over Shanghai. Piers Morgan, host of the ITV show Good Morning Britain, then f

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