I told my coworkers I'm going to South Korea for the May holiday. Zhou Ying and Ye Zi said I should go to North Korea instead. I reminded them as an American, that is not possible...and besides, I find North Korea to be depressing. Then we had the following conversation:
"Depressing? North Koreans are very happy!"
"…how are they happy? They lead brain-washed lives."
"But they don't know they're brain-washed, so they're happy with what they have. They love their country so much! They're probably happier than we are, because they never have to worry about starving or finding a job or buying a house."
"uh... let's not even go into socialism. But is it true happiness if you're denied the truth? They still have a low quality of life, no matter how much they believe in their Great Leader."
"Well…I think you look at things from an American point of view."
"I look at things from a point of view that values the ability to think for oneself and allows individual freedom. Sure, you can call it American."
To be fair, Shi Xiong was on my side. He is also much older and has studied abroad. Being exposed to foreign cultures and ideas really makes a difference...
A few minutes later, Ye Zi started telling me how dangerous Xinjiang people are, how they always steal and are extremely violent. I think she saw my skeptical face, because she then hurried to reassure me that only Xinjiang people in Shanghai are dangerous…because a friend of hers went to Xinjiang and said the people there have normal, peaceful lives. Well, imagine that! I tried explaining to her that being a marginalized, underrepresented, poor part of society tends to make people resort to crimes. She insisted Xinjiang people are naturally prone to being criminals and selling drugs because their culture has a problem. At this point, I just turned around and went back to work.
I don't think my coworkers represent all Chinese people. But at this point, I've met so many--dare I say it--ignorant idiots, that I've already lost faith in Chinese opinions about the world. I know this isn't their fault, that their education system has huge, glaring problems, that their culture promotes conformity over creative thinking, etc... but at this point, I prefer American ignorance to Chinese ignorance.
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I could not agree with you more. A) North Korea has no good food to eat. They're all barely getting by as it is, not worth the visit. ;p. Okay, that was a stupid reason, but B) Just because people "appear" happy does not mean that they are. If you have ever seen some videos of N. Koreans attending performances, they all have such a stern look on their face and don't dare to even crack a smile to enjoy a performance. I think this says a lot about their social situation. C) Yes, while ignorance is often seen as bliss, the fact of the matter is that these people are aware of what's happening to them, but fear the repercussions. I'd say China is the truly brainwashed nation.
ReplyDeleteAs for the stereotypes, I think I too have grown sick of them. ___ person is this way, and ___ is another. Chinese are so xenophobic and fear diversity. The American is white, but when we say something that disagrees with them, they blame it on that "half," the only time they'll ever recognize us as "American" as ABCs. I'm tired of people trying to convince me that I am truly Chinese on the inside and that I am one of them. I am not, and I have major respect that you stood up for your opinions even though it never seems to get through their thick skulls.
haha thanks Melody. My coworkers are actually pretty good about recognizing I am not one of them, since they've had many foreign and ABC interns in the past who don't speak a word of Chinese. Still, I think it does weird them out when they see how "American" I am. Is it bad that sometimes I want to get into a verbal confrontation with them?...I think making them think about different perspectives is a good thing :]
ReplyDeleteWell, the Chinese co-worker of yours probably envies the North Koreans because they don't seem to have as much to worry about. Those aren't grounds to disparage your co-worker as brainwashed.
ReplyDeleteYou do realize that happiness can not be cardinally measured, right? That is to say between two people who have never met, existing in hermetically cut-off environments, you can't say which is happier than the other.
@bitplayer: try living and working with Chinese people for a year. Many openly say themselves that they are brainwashed at school and by the media. But perhaps brainwashed isn't the right word--a better way to describe Chinese people would be apathetically ignorant. All the Chinese people I know complain about how their education system only focuses on rote memorization...but not a single one cares about learning more than what they are force-fed. It's this absolute passivity that makes Chinese people frustrating to deal with sometimes.
ReplyDelete@ Doreen
ReplyDeleteThat I do agree to a large extent, but it reminds me a lot of what it was like working in a telemarketing firm in the United States. What I'm saying is that there are people in China and the US who think in this provincial, hermetic manner, and yet there are also openminded people in the US. Unfortunately, and as you rightly imply, the proportion of such freethinkers and illuminated individuals in China is very low.