nick’s (n)-line life

(Via BWG) Hong Kong journalist Chip Tsao has commented that

In this day and age [Hong Kong women] have to be careful when choosing a gweilo [foreigner; lit: "foreign devil"]. They no longer have cars or property. You might end up stepping on a penniless landmine. It’s too much to sacrifice for a passport.

It’s sad that some Hong Kong people feel the need to relate to Westerners in this way. It’s reminiscent of the attitudes of many Thais to such an extent that it’s scary.

In Thailand some of the girls use the pronoun man to describe farang, i.e. as animals - a beast to be milked of money; a walking ATM. Other Thai people will invariable presume the worst when they see a foreigner with a Thai (or even Asian) girl.

Of course, in Thailand there’s some good reasons why people might feel like this. The vast majority of foreign men living in Bangkok, Pattaya, and Phuket are there just for the girls; why shouldn’t Thai people support taking advantage of foreigners with such a predisposition? After all, these foreigners are themselves in the process of trying to take advantage of the Thai people? It’s not that I support these attitudes, it just very easy to understand why they are so widespread in the circumstances.

To suggest the same in Hong Kong, however, is plain daft, and doesn’t have any backing in fact. While I’m sure there are girls who are only interested in Westerns for the money, to suggest that all (or even the majority) of the women in these relationships are in it for the money does a great disservice to these women and is grossly unfair to them and their partners.

With attitudes like this around it really isn’t surprising that Hong Kong’s LegCo is looking to enact preventative legislation next year (with the Race Discrimination Ordinance under consultation and currently in draft form). Of course, Westerns get off lightly compared to many of the Indian, Philippino, and mainland workers in the City, but comment’s like Chip’s make it clear as to why this legislation is necessary.

As a slight aside, looking back at BWG’s earlier post, I’ve always found the best thing to do when I’ve been accused of being an egg / “inverse banana” is to take it as a compliment: “Someone who has a great interest and knowledge in and of China and Chinese culture”. After all, many of the British Born Chinese (BBCs) I known are quite happy to refer to themselves as Bananas (something which made me jump the first time I heard them do it!).

Sometimes you need to just stand back and leave people to deal with their own personal hangups, let’s just hope this is how it works out in Chip’s case.

Update: 5 November 2005

Well, it was rather a vein hope I guess. Chip did respond to the criticisms levied at him, but it wasn’t his most constructive effort…

“If these people saw what Apple Daily and the rest of the Chinese-language papers write, they would not have been so shocked by my column. Hong Kong papers nowadays are always talking about how these foreigners are old and penniless. I find their comments racist.

So… you think the Chinese language Newspaper comments are racist, but you justify writing the same things in English and say that’s alright because the Chinese language papers are writing it anyway. WTF?!? Maybe it’s just me but isn’t that a fraction contradictory?

While he’s on a role Chip decides to have a whinge about the mainlanders:

Now [Hong Kong is] a Chinese colony and no longer a western colony. When you go to Lan Kwai Fong, all the mainlanders act like they are the biggest thing.

And finishes by having another go at Westerners for their lack of ability to detect his sarcasm:

I am deeply disappointed that western readers… could not read between the lines and find the sarcasm in my statements.

This last one is rather pathetic. If you say something that many people find offensive fair enough (not as if I’ve never done it! ;) ). But afterwards… you should either hold fast to your opinion and defend it, or you apologise and repent. I could respect someone for doing either, but here Chip is trying to have it both ways: “well it’s all true, but even if it isn’t then I was being sarcastic and it’s your fault you don’t get it”.

The only phrase that springs to my mind is: “for god’s sake, grow up”.