It shouldn't matter if you are black,brown or white
Discussion
Yes I am a woman of colour . I am an American citizen by birth . My mom is an Indian and Dad is an American (the last time I saw him was when I was in high school that was before he met with that fatal accident which took him away from me ). After Dad's untimely death mom moved back to India and I have lived there ever since .I have always been an over achiever in academics, recognized at my workplace for being proactive and smart and had no dearth of confidence but the moment I moved to China with my fiance who works there I felt my brown skin was something which didn't go down well with the people . I felt I dropped many rungs lower in the social status . . Except couple of colleagues nobody speaks to me . I feel so invisible a mere outline of what I used to be . I barely speak to anybody . I know it isn't because I don't know Mandarin its just my skin colour. If I were a white skinned Caucasian or inherited the skin colour of my dad I would be treated like royalty (I know this for a fact ) . I have many white friends and on many occasions I have seen preferential treatment given to them at the immigration office,restaurants,cafe and even at workplace I feel if I weren't intelligent and just had white skin and acted dumb I would still be given a promotion. At the moment I'm in New Jersey for a month and surprisingly here in the states I feel a lot better and looks like the culture is more open than that of China . In a months time I have to go back to that dreaded place and I just feel so sad and depressed . I cannot picture staying there for even a single month. I feel so disconnected from everything there and keep wishing I had white skin and stupid thoughts like this which never surfaced otherwise keep scurrying through my head.
Why ?? Why ?? Please tell me why being a woman of colour sucks ??? Why should it stop me from being who I am ? I am not an actress or a model . Why doesn't the grey matter count @ workplace ?I think I should just move back to India . I feel disillusioned . Never imagined skin colour would be such a big deal.
Why ?? Why ?? Please tell me why being a woman of colour sucks ??? Why should it stop me from being who I am ? I am not an actress or a model . Why doesn't the grey matter count @ workplace ?I think I should just move back to India . I feel disillusioned . Never imagined skin colour would be such a big deal.
shirt said:
paragraphs?
also think about a Pakistani in india [or vice versa]. same skin colour yet much more hatred than you experienced in china. explain that.
I think you are misguided Indian and Pakistani people feel no hatred for each other . Its more at the political level . i have many Pakistani friends . They are as good as family to me .also think about a Pakistani in india [or vice versa]. same skin colour yet much more hatred than you experienced in china. explain that.
Exactly the same thing here in Thailand - darker skin equals lower status.
Try to network with other Indians there and see how they have dealt with it. Don't think of it putting yourself in a box marked "Indian" so much as finding a solution to a tangible problem from others who have faced it.
Try to network with other Indians there and see how they have dealt with it. Don't think of it putting yourself in a box marked "Indian" so much as finding a solution to a tangible problem from others who have faced it.
Exactly the same thing here in Thailand - darker skin equals lower status.
Why? As I probably don't need to tell you recently industrialised countries associate dark skin with working outdoors on the farm and thus being not as advanced and wealthy as those who work in offices and factories. So the theory goes.
Try to network with other Indians there and see how they have dealt with it. Don't think of it putting yourself in a box marked "Indian" so much as finding a solution to a tangible problem from others who have faced it.
And it isn't all hunky dory being white in Asia either. Most people who "treat you like kings" do so because they want money, plain and simple. Some people actively resent what they perceive (sometimes rightly) as over paid and arrogant foreigners.
Why? As I probably don't need to tell you recently industrialised countries associate dark skin with working outdoors on the farm and thus being not as advanced and wealthy as those who work in offices and factories. So the theory goes.
Try to network with other Indians there and see how they have dealt with it. Don't think of it putting yourself in a box marked "Indian" so much as finding a solution to a tangible problem from others who have faced it.
And it isn't all hunky dory being white in Asia either. Most people who "treat you like kings" do so because they want money, plain and simple. Some people actively resent what they perceive (sometimes rightly) as over paid and arrogant foreigners.
AJS- said:
Exactly the same thing here in Thailand - darker skin equals lower status.
Why? As I probably don't need to tell you recently industrialised countries associate dark skin with working outdoors on the farm and thus being not as advanced and wealthy as those who work in offices and factories. So the theory goes.
Try to network with other Indians there and see how they have dealt with it. Don't think of it putting yourself in a box marked "Indian" so much as finding a solution to a tangible problem from others who have faced it.
And it isn't all hunky dory being white in Asia either. Most people who "treat you like kings" do so because they want money, plain and simple. Some people actively resent what they perceive (sometimes rightly) as over paid and arrogant foreigners.
I don't want to limit myself to just the Indian community here . I love meeting people and making new friends. It just doesn't feel right. In India I worked for a German MNC and had global clients. I earned respect for the job I did and felt so confident . Here I don't feel the same and I don't like to act like I don't have any self respect and try and appease people . It isn't my style as a result I come across as someone very reserved ... I don't feel myself .Why? As I probably don't need to tell you recently industrialised countries associate dark skin with working outdoors on the farm and thus being not as advanced and wealthy as those who work in offices and factories. So the theory goes.
Try to network with other Indians there and see how they have dealt with it. Don't think of it putting yourself in a box marked "Indian" so much as finding a solution to a tangible problem from others who have faced it.
And it isn't all hunky dory being white in Asia either. Most people who "treat you like kings" do so because they want money, plain and simple. Some people actively resent what they perceive (sometimes rightly) as over paid and arrogant foreigners.
needamagicwand said:
shirt said:
paragraphs?
also think about a Pakistani in india [or vice versa]. same skin colour yet much more hatred than you experienced in china. explain that.
I think you are misguided Indian and Pakistani people feel no hatred for each other . Its more at the political level . i have many Pakistani friends . They are as good as family to me .also think about a Pakistani in india [or vice versa]. same skin colour yet much more hatred than you experienced in china. explain that.
i actually think indians have a rough deal in most places in the world. here they're pretty much the bottom of the food chain, africa's the same.
i haven't been to china but work in africa a lot where there is a massive chinese presence. never heard or witnessed any racism although i tend only to socialise with the younger element.
to answer the thread title, no it should;t matter. in my experience there's only 2 types of person in the world - d
heads and none dheads. the racists obviously fall into the former group.And people complain about racism in the UK. I don't doubt that it's pretty bad in China. It's pretty bad in Malaysia, too, between the Chinese and Malay community. (PS I'm Chinese.)
In your shoes, I'd probably feel uncomfortable because I have manly feet, but that's not important right now. If I were your husband I'd be looking to move jobs - he must realise how upsetting it is for you. There's no real middle ground unless you stay in the US.
In your shoes, I'd probably feel uncomfortable because I have manly feet, but that's not important right now. If I were your husband I'd be looking to move jobs - he must realise how upsetting it is for you. There's no real middle ground unless you stay in the US.
needamagicwand said:
hidetheelephants said:
You have the right to live and work in the US, yet you're living in China? Self-inflicted wound, even if the money's good.
It's not out of choice . My fiance soon to be husband works for a Chinese firm 
When you say you wish you had white skin, try wishing that you weren't surrounded by idiots - it's a reminder to yourself of who is in the wrong.
Hoofy said:
And people complain about racism in the UK. I don't doubt that it's pretty bad in China. It's pretty bad in Malaysia, too, between the Chinese and Malay community. (PS I'm Chinese.)
In your shoes, I'd probably feel uncomfortable because I have manly feet, but that's not important right now. If I were your husband I'd be looking to move jobs - he must realise how upsetting it is for you. There's no real middle ground unless you stay in the US.
I'd consider myself well travelled and the UK is the least racist place on the planet.In your shoes, I'd probably feel uncomfortable because I have manly feet, but that's not important right now. If I were your husband I'd be looking to move jobs - he must realise how upsetting it is for you. There's no real middle ground unless you stay in the US.
Mermaid said:
Prejudice is a global phenomenon - colour, race, religion,tribe,family,which uni etc. The UK and some of the advanced western economies are less so.
Work with it, but certainly don't waste energy trying to correct it. Time will sort everything out.
Good post, sums up what's wrong with this world. There will always be someone somewhere who doesn't like someone due to race, creed or colour.Work with it, but certainly don't waste energy trying to correct it. Time will sort everything out.
Just ignore them and live life to the full, if you can do that, consider yourself above them.
Hoofy said:
Asterix said:
I'd consider myself well travelled and the UK is the least racist place on the planet.
There's another thing in play in China. There was a war between the two in the late 50s and early 60s, and India has been critical of the revolution a lot. As the two rising global powers, that emnity will probably get stronger.
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