I’m really excited about writing this blogpost, because it’s time to educate some people. I decided to search the Internet for common stereotypes about China from the West – and then prove them wrong. Coming from an international country myself, this is one of my favorite things to do.
1. (and my favorite) Not all Chinese people look alike. Let me repeat that again for the people who didn’t get it the first time. >> Not all Chinese people look alike <<
It’s a simple concept, really – When there’s more than a billion people living in one country, there is going to be a lot of diversification.
Note: Even more interesting is Chinese people think all white Americans look the same. They even get so puzzled that they used hair to distinguish each person they see. I know many Americans would never agree so it can go both ways.
2. Fiction: Local Chinese can’t speak english. Fact: From personal experience, they can probably speak better English than native English speakers.
Fun fact of the day: From elementary school, English is one of the three important subjects that Chinese students are tested on.
2.0 Fiction: Chinese language is difficult to learn because of the characters.
Fun fact again: There are less words and grammar structures in the Chinese language, than in the English language. Chinese is actually one of the easier (and more useful) languages to learn.
3. Fiction: The city of Shanghai is not beautiful, often the air is unbearable. Fact: This city has so much architectural design to it than I’ve ever see (especially since I am taking an architecture class). There is so much to do with so little time. As for the air, I have seen cloudy days, sunny mornings, rainy afternoons and the air has never been a problem for me. It definitely exist in China but not everywhere, not everyday and not everyone.
4. Fiction: All chinese names are the same. Fact: True, many Chinese last names are the same but they are all from different regions, have familial meaning and are very important to each person. What is more important to note is that their first names are very personal and given much thought. This generation of parents also love to give their children English names and that can be very special for a family.
5. Fiction: Chinese students only study, study, study… And only study math, science, engineering, etc. Fact: I live in an area with many university students – both Chinese and international – and that is not true. My Chinese roommate interns for a events planning agency and studies Business, which she genuinely loves. Other students I have met study: Food Science, Event Planning, Architecture, Education, English (and other languages) and more.
Bonus: Fiction: Chinese food in American IS Chinese food. Fact: Absolutely NOT, no way, never, not even a little bit. Real Chinese food is very intricate and detailed. I couldn’t ask for anything more. I really appreciate what I am able to eat here because all the food is cooked to perfection (Even the good street food!). Real spices and herbs, lots of rice and vegetables, (not fried) meat and chopsticks, chopsticks, chopsticks 🙂
Although I could go one for a long time, I just wanted to touch on the main points. Every culture has different ideas and expectations of each other. I also had my personal beliefs. But accepting that there are differences (and similarities) between cultures, makes you more likely to have successful co-cultural interactions.