西方白人種族主義和中國種族主義的區別

西方白人種族主義和中國種族主義的區別

羅伯特 波爾頓， 英孚英語教授

（注：此文是在Quora上一個美國黑人教授針對“西方白人種族主義和中國種族主義有什麽不同”的問題的回答。穀歌翻譯，雲易稍作編輯修改。後麵附有英文原文）

 

OK, 作為在中國生活了6年的非裔美國人，我認為我非常適合回答這個問題。因此，請坐下並通過一個真正的局外人的眼光來看這個問題。

 

首先，兩者的起源和根源完全不同。西方世界的種族主義是北歐學者創造的，目的是貶低非白人和非基督教徒的人性或人格。這是一種世界觀，旨在使奴隸製和殖民主義合理化，並幫助那些明明知道自己正在犯下無法形容的暴行的參與者能夠在晚上睡個好覺。白人種族主義的思想要深得多，普遍得多，而且要古老得多。白人種族主義得到優生學和進化論等“科學”的支持。它使得人們相信，一個群體的人隻要不是白人、基督教徒和“文明人”，他們就是天生的卑賤者。此外，它是基於固有的歐洲白人至高無上的地位，以及他們如何在各方麵都更加優越的認識。這個認識實際上又是基於曆史是從野蠻到文明的線性發展，並且歐洲人是是這個進化的高峰的理論。

 

然而，現在西方世界的種族主義已被視為一種曆史殘暴，人們也似乎正在努力改變之。在我看來，要麽是在試圖根除（美國），要麽是在說服自己他們已經是如此進步和開明，以至於已經超越了種族主義，甚至不再提種族一詞（歐洲）。在美國，這一點很重要：種族主義是係統性的，這意味著認為黑人卑賤的種族主義已滲透到各種機構和政策之中，雖然身在其中的成員可能不會這樣認為。

 

中國的種族主義甚至還不是種族主義。它更像是仇外心理，其間摻雜了“非洲恐懼症”，以及建立在優越感之上的自卑感。中國顯然存在著膚色歧視問題，並認為，基於其五千年的文明曆史，它絕對應該在某些民族和文化之上。我曾經問過一位中國同事。她說：“我們（中國人）應該處於最高地位，我們應該成為世界領導者。” 她雖然是個個體，但是她的話卻讓我不覺得陌生，因為它和我從許多中國人那裏聽到的關於他們絕對中國應該怎樣的感受產生了共鳴。我不知道為什麽，但是在中國文化中似乎有一種文化至上主義色彩。很多普通的中國人就像美國人一樣，對外界幾乎一無所知，但卻會根據匱乏的信息和非常薄弱的批判性思維能力做出武斷的結論。對這個種族主義傾向我不看好，我覺得隻會變得更糟。在中國的6年間，我看到蓬勃發展的非洲貿易中心被剝奪了，商人因當地對艾滋病和疾病的擔憂而撤離。中國對每個獲得簽證去中國的外國人都做艾滋病和其它疾病檢測，但當地人對“艾滋病”的擔憂則隻限於“非洲人”。

 

中國的種族主義處於起步階段，它的各種不同成分目前才開始混合在一起初見稚形。比較一下中國人認為新疆維吾爾人都是小偷或恐怖分子，以及非洲人都很懶惰的態度，然後將其與歐洲人把在美洲遇到的“野蠻人”和“異教徒”的看法進行比較，之後請告訴我您的想法。

 

 

What is the difference between western, white racism and Chinese racism?

By Robert Burton, Adjunct Professor at EF English First

 

O…….k. As a an African-American who lived in China for 6 years, I think I am uniquely suited to answer this question. So, sit down and see yourself through the eyes of a real outsider.

First, both have completely different origins and roots. In the Western world, what we define as racism was created by Northern European scholars in order to debase and dehumanize people who weren't white and weren’t Christian. It was a world view created to rationalize slavery and colonialism and help the participants to sleep at night, knowing that they were committing unspeakable atrocities. White racism is much more thought out, much more pervasive and is much older. White racism is “backed” by “sciences” like eugenics and evolution. It’s the belief that a people are inherently inferior because they aren’t white, Christian and “civilized.” Also, it’s based on inherent white-European supremacy and how they are supreme in every human way. It’s actually based on the linear progression of history from Barbarity to civilization and that Europeans are the height of human evolution.

However, racism in the western world is seen as a historical atrocity and, it almost feels like, people nowadays are trying to work on it. Either, it feels to me, people are trying to eradicate it ( U.S) or are trying to convince themselves that they are so progressive and enlightened that they are beyond and above racism or the mention of race (Europe). In America, and this is important, racism is systemic, meaning that it has permeated policy, and has been ensconced in institutions that perpetuate the idea of black inferiority even though the members of the institution might not feel that way.

Chinese racism isn’t even racism yet. It’s more like Xenophobia, mixed with Afrophobia, mixed with an inferiority complex that’s on top of a superiority complex. China clearly has a colorism issue and feels that because of its 5,000 years of civilization it should be “above” certain people and cultures. I once asked a Chinese coworker about this. She said “ we(Chinese) should be on top, we should be the leaders of the world.” She is one person, but what she says resonates with me, it resonates with what I hear from many Chinese people about how they feel about where China should be. I don’t know why, but there does seem to be a cultural supremacist tinge in Chinese culture. The average person, is like an American, they know very little about the outside world but make authoritative judgements based on scant information and poorly formed critical thinking skills. I don’t see it getting better, I see it only getting worse. During my 6 years in China, I saw a thriving African trade center get stripped down and the merchants moved out because of local worries about AIDS and disease. China test everyone who gets a visas to work there for AIDS/HIV but these locals were only concerned that in their minds “African” means “AIDS.”

Chinese racism is in the nascent stage, it’s a disparate set of ingredients that are just now beginning to be mixed together in the proverbial soup. Compare Chinese attitudes about how the Uighurs in Xinjiang are all thieves or terrorists, how Africans are all lazy, and then compare that to what Europeans wrote about “savages” and “heathens” that they met in the Americas, then tell me what you think.