ASIAN PERCEPTIONS OF BLACKNESS (Part 3)

Have you faced racism and classism in your country?

Joanne: Conflict between Chinese and Native Indonesians! Regarding classism, Chinese Indonesian has more. Dutch separated the Indonesians. Later on, Chinese Indonesian became Merchant and native Indonesian became farmers or working class. Classism started!

Chloe: Both, unfortunately! Filipinos glorify more people who are half white and half Filipino. There has been an incident. One Filipino actress went to the gynecologist to check her health, but when a friend went there, people started judging her. It’s hypocritical that celebrities are always appreciated, normal practices are not!

If we offer you a trip to Africa to explore, will you feel safe? Or Will you be threatened with the news covered by western media?

Joanne: I’ll definitely take it. I want to try and explore everything on my own. Once one of my friends was selected for a global competition in South Africa and her friend’s family’s reaction was really unexpected. I guess Asian parents tend to be more stereotypical and worried regarding their children hanging out with Africans.

James: I would love to go to Kilimanjaro! Also, I want to try a Catfish dish which I have heard from friends.

Sally: I would happily go. Actually, I am planning to go to Africa after covid-19.

Sohan: Definitely love to explore!

Rohan & Gulzari: Who would like to miss this chance?

Why do many universities not promote the African cultural night as other cultural nights?

James: CUHK has cultural nights. Have attended one, back to 2014. They organize it once a year. People tend to attend less than normal participation for other cultural nights.

Joanne: No experience. But I would love to attend.

Chloe: I have never attended any either. But I know in CUHK happens activities like this.

Rohan: It really depends on the representation. In any African country, we don't have many students from there. Also, when it comes to African culture, they become sensitive. People don’t know much about African culture while they know more about stereotypes. So, they become more afraid to join activities like this. So, Africans have to have more representation to break these stereotypes.

Sohan: It’s about majority ruling. If the minority people want something to be achieved, they have to set the history, because authority is not going to do anything. Unfortunately, the system should not be run like that, still, it does. Another topic that should be mentioned is how we got into genophobia. White skin was first appreciated by south-east Asia. But when we face 200 years of ruling, we start getting scared of anyone who is not among us, our own ethnicity. So, similarly, the British had ruled Africa, and treatment towards Africans wasn’t really welcoming. So, that could be a possible reason why they are more violent.

Gulzari: Representation. You have to earn it. The education system, ideology matter a lot in this particular case. After Nelson Mandela, Mather Luther king, Africa hasn’t shown much of a historic revolution, visionary leader. Economy, opportunities, education, and hygiene standards play a huge role in it. Institution. Global communities tend to stigmatize them with aggression. Examples can be assigning black security guards to scare away the protesters. So, it is representing that black person are only good at aggression and physical strength. Africans have to speak for them, any marginalized community has to do. Also, the University has to promote more in Africa to increase the number of undergrad admission.

Sally: Number varies. More people, more cultural nights. Individual Characters matter a lot as it helps people to break the stereotype.

If an African visits your country, what type of behavior is he/she going to receive? If he/she faces stereotypical behavior, what can be done to break those in your country?

James: I have seen a popular Korean video made, where Europeans ask about addresses to pedestrians. The same Thai people do. Interestingly, Koreans will provide everything to a White person, but nothing to the Thai. I believe in modifying the education system and spreading knowledge in schools like International History and geography will help a lot. Also, it would be great to have an African Center in Korea.

Joanne: They don’t have many Africans. In Indonesia, they have minorities who have dark skin and they show a biased attitude towards them. Locals feel scared around that community due to dark skin.

Chloe: People think the Black color is ugly. So, more skin whitening products are being used in Asian countries now. Because they believe white represents power. In Filipinos, people don't discriminate among foreigners, they do among themselves who have darker skin tone than usual.

If someone in your country has a darker skin tone, how will they be treated by your immediate society?

Joanne: People, in general, are racist. Native Indonesian use skin whitening products.

James: Same. So, if there is any darker skin toned person in Korea, People will assume they are either from the Military or Foreigners.

Sally: Black skin is beautiful. No one should be discriminated against.

Message from all the delegates to the world:

Each and every day, we’re inundated with stories about how the world is going to hell. War, poverty, pollution… all manner of atrocities are flung at us from all directions, and it’s enough to draw even the most lighthearted person into a pit of despair.

The next time you’re tempted to stereotype a group of people, think about the groups to which you belong. List the stereotypes linked to those groups. Does each of those stereotypes apply to you? More than likely you’d disagree that all of the qualities commonly attributed to those of your gender, racial group, and sexual orientation describe you. That’s why it’s important to judge specific individuals rather than the groups of which they’re part.