El sol andaluz #2 : Chino chino cochino
Somebody told me that in Mexico there is a saying "Chino, chino, cochino" - "Chinese pig". I have not heard of racist words play like this in Spain about Chinese immigrants. But xenphobic attack, yes.
In September 2004, Chinese-owned shoes factories in Valencia were set on fire by a group of vandalisers. 200,000 pairs of shoes were destroyed and the loss was reported to be over 2 millions euros.
Why? Because Valencia is the biggest shoe producer region in Spain and they are suffering from the competition from cheap Chinese shoes. The much repeated arguments - "they" are taking away "our jobs".
Chinese immigrants had not been victims of overt xenophobic agressions. In almost every country you go, I am sure you will find stores and restaurants run by Chinese selling Chinese and Asian stuffs. Spain is no exception. The tranquil diligence and willing compromise for survival and harmony, which are virtues in traditional Chinese culture, certainly play a role. As long as the Chinese do not "transgress" the virtual boundaries of the trades they are usually good at - groceries and restaurants - they are in peace. The highly organised but enclosed groups of Chinese immigrants are more a myth than object of xenophobia.
But when economic interests comes into play, things are different.
Categories: China, Discrimination, Europe, Race
In September 2004, Chinese-owned shoes factories in Valencia were set on fire by a group of vandalisers. 200,000 pairs of shoes were destroyed and the loss was reported to be over 2 millions euros.
Why? Because Valencia is the biggest shoe producer region in Spain and they are suffering from the competition from cheap Chinese shoes. The much repeated arguments - "they" are taking away "our jobs".
Chinese immigrants had not been victims of overt xenophobic agressions. In almost every country you go, I am sure you will find stores and restaurants run by Chinese selling Chinese and Asian stuffs. Spain is no exception. The tranquil diligence and willing compromise for survival and harmony, which are virtues in traditional Chinese culture, certainly play a role. As long as the Chinese do not "transgress" the virtual boundaries of the trades they are usually good at - groceries and restaurants - they are in peace. The highly organised but enclosed groups of Chinese immigrants are more a myth than object of xenophobia.
But when economic interests comes into play, things are different.
Categories: China, Discrimination, Europe, Race
posted by Man Yee at 2:13 pm
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