Racism in China?

It's been all over the media. If you haven't seen it yet, here is the advertisement in question.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRM_9aNw8O8

This sub 1 minute advertisement has been a point of debate since its release, and has opened up the almost non-existent topic of racism in China.

SerpentZA and I decided to cover two hot button issues, and his video about whether Chinese girls are easy or not can be found here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=So0wXRR8BYU

Being as homogeneous as China is, racism has never really been a topic that has been discussed about.  However, with more than 200,000 Africans living in Guangzhou, and the ever growing partnership that China has with African nations, black people are not only seen on the streets, but also in the media.

Whether it is defined as cultural ignorance, or blatant and malicious racism, the chance for debate is being lapped up by both sides of the brewing argument.

Kyzer Sose says:

"It is NOT Racist!, seriously, China doesn't have the liberal "White guilt" of the West, they're just Curious about different people and if they don't like someone they'll will tell you with no PC bullshit, it's only the FOREIGNERS living in China who are making a drama about it, for the rest of Chinese it's just funny, f****** westerners that try to impose their feelings of moral superiority and virtue signaling, China is proud of their ethnicity and is not committing cultural suicide like the stupid west"

While SerHaHa says:

"Asians in general are FAR more racist than we are in the west, or certainly what's considered acceptable behavior and speech. I've been to Japan many times, lived in Hong Kong for 1/2 a year, visited South Korea, and Vietnam once as well. Nearly every Asian nation I found to be pretty racist. Japanese vs Black and White people, tons of slurs and other insults. Hong Kong - HAH! It's completely racist vs everyone, even fellow Chinese from the mainland (they called them "squatters" when I was there for the way they squatted like "peasants" according to the local chinamen in Hong Kong.)"

The Chinese perspective is much different, with the general consensus being somewhere along these lines: Rita Tan says:

"This "qiaobi" advertising creative is so silly! Maybe most of Chinese people think "black" means" dark" , just see their skin color , get frightened...it doesn't mean Chinese People are racist ( just don't have chance to know them ) ... Many years ago , i also don't like black , because at that time , i just heard of some bad things about black men. never have chance to real know them . But one day, when I met some black friends and get close to them , I found that they are very adorable , talented and smart, especially good at dance , sing , also languages. Now , my one very good friend is black , when he visited my family as my good friend, my parents also like him very much , to be honest ,at first , im a little worried about my parents is afraid of him . but my parents told me ~we are all human , just different color , he is so good boy , why are afraid of him？...my parents words make me moved...SO, if the chinese people don't get close to black or brown skin people , they won't have chance to know them , they all info, just from the chinese news or tv-show , or heard . that's why they say ----white is handsome , black is not ..."

White people have always enjoyed a fairly reverse role of racism here in China, usually getting preferential treatment in terms of foreign employment and romantic prospects, so I felt that it was not only unnecessary to state my viewpoint, but also fairly inappropriate.  However, I can't help but chime in a little.

A certain amount of cultural ignorance can be expected in the "teething stages" of China's opening up to the world. Black people were simply not an entity at any point of Chinese history.  I have always felt a certain sense animosity and tinges of xenophobia towards foreigners during my time in China, and this feeling can go from "wow foreigners are so exotic, and so handsome!", to "wow, look at that foreigner, his nose is too big, and he looks weird." But I can safely say that I have never been called a "black devil", or "a violent dirty race, who needs to go back to their poor Africa."

Racism is a real thing in China. Is it to be expected? Yes. But I will not take the stance that this kind of advertisement was made because China "enjoys more civil liberties, and freedom of press" than the west, "riddled with the disease of the PC and SJW phenomenon."

While I am sure people tend to blow things out of proportion, and this movement for social justice has gone way too far in some areas, this is simply not the case in China. This advertisement was allowed to air because from the viewpoint of most Chinese people, black people are on a lower racial ladder than themselves.