Chinese-Americans taken at face value

• Source: Global Times
• [08:30 November 06 2009]
• Comments

David Henry Hwang, the playwright who is best known for his award-winning Broadway show M. Butterfly, once told me he hated being called Chinese when he was a kid. But now he quite enjoys it.

"Now I fly to China once or twice a year to learn more about it. I like the fact they think I am Chinese. I am overseas Chinese but I am still Chinese. I think it's me getting older and China has changed a lot," Hwang said.

Still, American-born Chinese and the Chinese in China can sometimes be as different as chalk and cheese. 

The former may not understand why boycotting the French supermarket chain Carrefour because of French support for Tibetan independence is considered patriotic. And the latter may be hard pressed to take comedian Rosie O'Donnell's mimicking of Chinese talk in the phrase "Ching Chong" as offensive.

The former may never be tired of searching for their identities, and the latter is without confusion and therefore may not have much interest in the topic. And, although all are called Chinese, nobody expects Locke and Chu to represent the interests of China.

But what could really cool down the newly formed sense of belonging of American-born Chinese might be the fact that sometimes their face can become a drag, even in China.

Take my friend Jason, who has recently gone for Englishteaching jobs in China and been frustrated.

The recruiters didn't bother to hide their disappointment when they saw his Chinese face, and those who would hire him only offered him a much smaller salary than his Caucasian coworkers.  The fact that Jason was born in New York and holds a bachelor's degree in English didn't seem to matter.

The face may not reflect values or talents, but, for many, it's still the first way they're judged. The author is a New York-based Journalist

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