Why gay people carry the burden of China’s one-child policy
Posted: November 18, 2009 Filed under: BLOG | Tags: china, gay issues, gay rights, homosexuality, Sydney Leave a comment »I gatecrashed another Chinese lecture today, this time about queer/lesbian theory. I was surprised to find that even in that class, of mature, thoughtful, generally female post-grad students, who no doubt have more liberal attitudes than your average Chinese – well even they were very unaccustomed to and felt uncomfortable with gay people/ culture/ rights – with gayness in general.
I tried to forgive them for this, and remember that this country is back by about 30 or so years when it comes to the acceptance of homosexuality. (I believe it was only de-illegalised a few years ago. There are no laws to protect homosexuals from discrimination.)
I think they were a little shocked by my ‘liberal’ attitudes towards homosexuality, plus sexual orientation and gender identities. As I said to them, I come from one of the most multicultural cities in the world, where women have the same rights as men, and has one of the biggest homosexual communities in the world. A homosexual community that isn’t just “tolerated” but is, on the whole, celebrated and has and continues to influence the wider city culture in a big way.
My city is dynamic, open, with lots of different ideas, cultures, subcultures, ways of life, and looking at the world, mixing altogether. And for me, my identity roles: as a woman, as a Chinese Australian, as a (generally) straight person, as a professional, as a hipsterllectual, as someone participating in online communities that know no physical borders, and many others – these are very unstable, mutating, complicated, sometimes indistinct from their so-called binary opposite.
Whereas my initial impressions from China has been that it is a country coming out of a very long period of having been closed. Compared to Australia, there is little multiculturalism (you are clearly classified as either a mainland Chinese born and bred local, or a foreigner) and very traditional identity roles, which are only slowly being chipped away at. Here, it’s very clear that if you’re born with a certain body (male/ female) what you’re meant to do. And so long as you do it, you’ll be fine.
(Too bad if you feel inclinations otherwise.)
I thought perhaps I was being too harsh, but then the tutor leader, also the dean of the department, spoke up. She said when she spent some time studying in Australia, she found the experience to be extremely disorientating, because it seemed like nothing was fixed. It was a challenge, and in some respects began to question herself.
An interesting China-specific gay issue was passed onto me by my gay Spanish friend here. He told me of his gay, Chinese housemate, who at 30 was at the receiving end of increasing pressure from his parents to marry. In truth, he didn’t mind being with women, but marriage was out of the question because it’d mean he’d have to stop having sex with men! Like most gay and lesbian people in this country, he hadn’t come out to his parents.
And he, like almost all the young urban-born Chinese, was an only child. Which meant there was an even greater pressure on him to marry, procreate, and thereby continue the family line.
The land that brought you fake goods, brings you …
Posted: November 18, 2009 Filed under: BLOG | Tags: china, face Leave a comment »Fascinating to see the difference in how the NYTimes treated Obama’s recent town hall meeting with Shanghainese students, compared to the way China Daily reported the event.
From the NYTimes:
The meeting came the day after Mr. Obama tried to hold a frank and public discussion with Chinese students in Shanghai. The event was called a town hall, but Mr. Obama’s meeting with about 500 students had little in common with the sometimes raucous exchanges that have become a fixture of American politics.
It was, instead, an example of Chinese stagecraft. Most of those who attended the event at the Museum of Science and Technology turned out to be members of the Communist Youth League, an official organization that grooms obedient students for future leadership posts.
Some Chinese bloggers whom the White House had tried to invite were barred from attending. Even then, the Chinese government took no chances, declining to broadcast the event live to a national audience — or even mention it on the main evening newscast of state-run China Central Television.
The scripted interaction underscored the obstacles Mr. Obama faces as he tries to manage the American relationship with an authoritarian China, whose wealth and clout have surged as its economy has weathered the global downturn far better than the United States’ or Europe’s.
From China Daily:
Barack Obama was in typical eloquent form Monday for a signature “town hall meeting” with a difference.
While the relaxed style and well-constructed answers were characteristic of the United States president, the fact that he was speaking to around 500 elite Chinese students, possibly the leaders of tomorrow, made the 75-minute session in Shanghai an impressive occasion.
The meeting was heralded as one of the most important events on Obama’s weeklong trip to Asia.
The president fielded eight questions – half from audience members and half from among those submitted over the Internet – during the casual and free-spirited event. Students smiled and applauded politely when Obama answered questions and chuckled appreciatively when he tried speaking Chinese.
The NYTimes aren’t kidding about “Chinese stagecraft.” A couple of weeks ago, the government commanded all the universities to make an upcoming graduation ceremonies for foreign students a big deal. It was going to be filmed by CCTV and everything.
So in a matter of a week, a big budget show was whipped up, seemingly fabricated out of thin air. The morning of the ceremony came, and all the performers got on stage, donned their impressive outfits, and sang and danced their hearts out. Did it matter that the whole thing was obviously done to backing tape? Including the singing?
Nope, the officials clapped. The film cameras captured their 15 seconds of news footage. Everyone was happy.
Similar comments were made about last month’s 60th anniversary. There was a noticeable lack of participation from regular Chinese citizens. The only people lucky enough to witness the parade and show were party officials and VIP guests. The rest of the country had to watch it on television.
And so it was designed, as a made-for-television event.
Now the Western media may cast this as another expression of the Party’s iron-fisted control over this nation, but I can’t help but wonder if this is also just a cultural oddity, related to the Chinese obsession with face. Perhaps the Chinese, not just the Party, would rather events happen hitch-free, and to plan, even if it means sacrificing a kind of authenticity in the process.
China can make, but can it CREATE?
Posted: November 17, 2009 Filed under: BLOG | Tags: china, new ideas Leave a comment »“From the moment I saw you, I knew you were a foreigner,” the Chinese girl said.
“What?! How? I mean I’m 100% ethnically Chinese. All four of my grandparents are from China. I mean sure, I don’t look like I’m from here, but I definitely look Southern Chinese,” I spluttered, laughing, incredulous. “You must have heard me speaking!”
“No you weren’t saying anything, but as soon as I saw you I knew you were hua yi” (sp? means “overseas born Chinese”), she continued. She eyed me for a second over the dinner table. “It must be the way you’re dressed.”
To make my point I stood up and waved from head-to-toe. “Everything I’m wearing I bought here!” I had blue boots on, black tights, a long, chocolate brown cardigan and a ruffly, navy scarf.
“Mmm, then it must be your haircut and your makeup.”
“I got this here too! And I’m not wearing any makeup!!”
But somehow she knew, and she hasn’t been the first to say that despite the fact that I am obviously Chinese, for some reason I am also obviously foreign as well.
Talking about this to some fellow Chinese Australian friends of mine, one explained, “there’s something about how we put our outfit together.” (And I happen to love both these girls’ style, and yes, there’s something “Sydney” about both.)
“Wait, wait, wait. So all I would have to do is style a Chinese girl here, and I could make her look foreign?” I asked, doubtfully.
“Exactly.”
It’s a great analogy for this interesting (possibly a beat-up, but made sense to me at the time) July article from Newsweek that commented on the fact that China may be “famous as the factory to the world” – but they still lag behind when it comes to creating brand.
So far it seems clear to me China has no lack of energy, resources, or capital to assume the role of this world’s top dog. But it’s yet to bring the equally critical creativity, innovation and ideas.
Where have all the revolutionaries gone? A former student speaks!
Posted: November 14, 2009 Filed under: BLOG | Tags: china 1 Comment »Out of all the lectures I’ve gatecrashed, none has topped my friend’s “Chinese Foreign Policy” classes, at another university. In an effort to protect the Chinese lecturer’s identity, I’m not going to post any photos. It may be over pre-cautious of me, but he did tell us things like when he writes a book, he is a lot more careful about criticizing the Party than when he’s talking in class.
And to a class of mainly Western foreigners mind you. I have a feeling his lecture on the same subject, but to Chinese students, is somewhat tweaked. For example today he was telling us the amusing story (he has many) of China during the 70s I think*, who at the time were refusing to partake in any UN peacekeeping operations. Their attitude was one of wanting to fly under the radar – be seen as neither supporting nor condemning other nations.
So during this time, when the UN Council would vote on peacekeeping operations, the Chinese member would … the lecturer mimed looking all of sudden very occupied with something in another direction. Or all of a sudden he would need to go to the toilet very badly. OK so I’m not sure if this is exactly what happened (although knowing the pettiness of politics it wouldn’t surprise me), but it was pretty hilarious.
And the point was made clear, this was a very awkward turtle time for China. They perpetually abstained from voting on these operations, and did not finance or send troops for any of them.
In the 80s, China suddenly decided that it really should be pulling its weight in these matters, and out of the blue gave a $4.4 billion payment to the UN peacekeeping sector. The amount totaled exactly what they should have been giving in the last decade – but unable/ unwilling to admit that they had done wrong – China called it a sort of emergency gift for the peacekeeping sector which they claimed was desperately underfunded.
The lecturer confessed he did not really cover this (or quite in the same way) in his version of this lecture for the Chinese students. It’s humiliating for an Chinese person to have to hear this.
You got to give this lecturer kudos for being so frank in this class. Today a student asked him if, in the next 50 years, the Party would give up one-party rule. “I hope so!” he replied. But he had little faith in the youth of today, which he saw as politically apathetic. You should have seen the students of my generation!, he cried, we were very political! We wanted a revolution!
And this dude has cred. He was part of the weeks of student protesting leading up to the 1989 ‘That Shape’ massacre. Back then he was committed to modernizing China’s political system and was about to start a PhD on such a topic. But after the tragedy he became jaded, and decided that it was hopeless. From then he changed his life’s work to Chinese foreign policy.
So when this guy speaks, you listen. And according to him, the youth of today have no faith in politics, or patience for revolution. The country has seen too many uprisings squashed by the mighty hand of the ruling Party. “You talk to a Chinese student and you know what they say? ‘Dirty politics’ and they want nothing to do with it.” I offered, “they just want to make money.” “Exactly,” he agreed.
He went on to highlight an interesting difference in the way the West and the Chinese look at the idea of “human rights”. For a country like America, an individual’s political rights are more important than anything else. For example, the right to freedom of speech, to vote, and protest against your government. This is what human rights mean.
But for China human rights mean the right to live without hunger, to live in a safe community, the right to clean water, education, sanitation etc. Which is why we have such a stark contrast in what we consider “morally sound”. China believe that by improving the lives of the people they are bestowing “human rights” – but all the West can see are the individual political rights that were taken away.
Personally, I can’t help but believe (or should I say hope that) these “higher tier” rights will be honoured once the lower tier ones are achieved. Although such an act will require a rising Chinese middle class who, once economically powered, can afford to start sticking their neck out for the underdog, and demanding the kinds of freedoms we in the West are accustomed to having.
As for a democracy? A multi-party system? Maybe, although from here now, in the belly of the dragon, it’s hard to imagine. I mean these guys still control so much. They even control the weather! For example before special events (e.g. The Olympics, 60th Anniversary) they shoot up special chemicals in the air to make it rain so that on the day it’s a blue-sky day.
We had our first day of snow on November 1, which according to a local was Party induced, and is occasionally done when the pollution gets too much, so they flush out the sky. It’d be kind of funny (fitting with a total caricature of an overbearing Big Brother communist government – they’re really like GOD!!!!), if it wasn’t so freaky.
*I will get back to you about exact dates when one of the students emails me the powerpoint presentation. Lulz, I’m like a real student!
A living, breathing Aussie youf in a Chinese classroom
Posted: November 12, 2009 Filed under: BLOG | Tags: australian studies, china 3 Comments »As planned, today I gatecrashed a guest lecture from an Australian sociologist doing a series on “Australian Young Adults” – being delivered to about 7 or 8 Chinese students who major in “Australian Studies”. Today focused on the way more and more young adults in Australia are still living at home with their parents, and the tension that arises when a desire for autonomy and privacy, meets the reality of living in someone else’s house, and having to abide by someone else’s rules.
What was interesting for me was the second half of the class, which turned into a discussion. We gathered around, with the lecturer opening up by introducing me. I talked briefly about my own experiences as a young adult and the tensions I’ve had with asserting a sense of independence and “adultness” while living under my mum’s roof.
A student asked us if Australian young adults experienced a sort of identity crises while going through this transition period. The ensuing discussion led me to an opportunity to put forward one of my theories:
People in the West have a strong sense of self. It’s like, who am I? What am I meant to do with my life? What’s so special about me, and what do I offer this world? I want to be famous, I want to be rich, I want to be a somebody, I want to leave a legacy. What’s my personal destiny? What’s my individual purpose?
And the thing about someone from the West is that they’re all too often paralysed by choice. Without (m)any social mores forcing them to pick one over the other. So this results in a sort of neuroses, and yes, an identity crises.
Whereas in my conversations with young Chinese students – tallying up to about 8 or 9 now – it seems like they all just want to get “good jobs.” And ‘good’ is synonymous with ‘well paid and stable’. It almost didn’t seem to matter what the job was – so long as it was ‘good’.
And same with life in general. Take, for example, a mother in Australia. It’s not uncommon for her to feel some kind of pressure to be a career woman as well – to have a life beyond her roles as a mother, to have interests beyond the home. Whereas in China, which is a far more conservative country, identities are based in tradition – simple and fixed – and the majority of people adopted them without question.
When I put this to the students, one spoke up, offering a different picture. She said that at the moment she was definitely going through a time of confusion about what she should do with her life. Should she work as a translator for an international company, or work for the government? Or perhaps as a freelancer? What would be best?
But still I felt there was a difference. An Chinese student here completed their degree and then applied for a job that naturally followed on from that degree – with the only question they seemingly had to pose to themselves being do I work for an international company? Or the government? And then once they do land that job, that’s it. They’re set.
But a student in Australia might not even get a job that directly relates to their degree. They might consider taking some time off and go overseas. They might change companies, roles or even industries multiple times over their lifetimes. And for them, it’s not just about finding a well paid, stable job. It’s about pursuing what you’re really passionate about. What you love. One didn’t just work, one had to find MEANING in one’s work.
The lecturer added that yes, in our world it’s not about getting the best job, it’s about getting the best job FOR ME. Best suited to my personality. And in work, it’s not just about what can I do for the company. It’s about what can the company do FOR ME.
Such is the luxuries of living in developed world!
I put forward another conception I had of Chinese culture: that the children were very obedient to their parents. And that their parents exercised a high degree of control over their children. So in terms of career, the children did as the parents desired, and there was a very narrow set of ‘respectable’ career choices that one should aim for.
This was certainly something that was more evident to me in the Chinese families I knew in Australia, compared to the Caucasian Australian families. And as an illustration I told the story of a Chinese Australian friend who had long felt the burden of her parents’ expectations – the pressure of which had inspired her to complete five years of medicine … before she worked up the courage to pursue the field that she really wanted: in acting.
Again, there was some disagreement among the Chinese students. One piping up, that her father didn’t really know what the job market was like, so was happy for her to make her own decision as to what job was best.
I wondered out loud, perhaps my understanding of Chinese culture via the migrant experience in Australia was not indicative of Chinese culture as a whole. After all, maybe Chinese migrants were different – in that they sacrificed a crazy amount, experiencing a lot of difficulties in moving to a new country, often with the end goal of offering their kids the kinds of opportunities they never had – or at least not without a lot of struggle – in mind.
So naturally these hard-working, ambitious Chinese migrants are going to exert a certain kind of pressure on their kids. Was your average mainlander just relieved when their kids manage to acquire any kind of stable, well paid job? Rather than be the big shot lawyer/ doctor/ accountant that Chinese parents in Australia/ Britain/ America all want for their kids?
All in all, it was absolutely fascinating to be given the chance to put to the test some of my initial impressions of the Chinese youth. And hopefully for them to meet one of these Australians they’ve been studying so hard about!
