Black or White
No, this is not in reference to the Michael Jackson song.
According the WSJ China Journal blog, a high court in South Africa ruled yesterday that Chinese-South Africans will be classified as “black,” thereby giving them benefits previously denied them. Wait, it gets better. Apparently in the 1940s Chinese people were classified as “colored” and forced to live in segregation. Then in the 1970s, Taiwanese were given “honorary white” status, allowing them privileges to vote, drink from the same drinking fountains as everyone else (I assume), etc. But with the end of apartheid, “white” became a negative class and Chinese people were lumped in as “white” and denied benefits and privileges. With “black” status, they receive denied rights, and educational and business opportunities are now restored to them.
Is it just me or is this just sad? Why do we have to see the world in terms of color?!!! Why do I have to be black or white? Why can’t I just be a girl who happens to be Chinese? (And if we really have to discuss color, I’m technically yellow.)
In the words of MJ’s Black or White:
I’m not going to spend my life being a color.
What about pink people? Where do they fit into all this?
Hey Danu, I have to relay a funny story. I was teaching the 7 yr olds last Sunday and one of my kids said, “You’re Chinese and you married a white boy?!!” She’s a cute little “black” girl who apparently found it appalling that I married someone “white.” So I said to her, “Well, what color is his heart? And what color is my heart? Then both of our hearts are red. Isn’t that the same?” The other little kids said, “it doesn’t matter what color he is.” So I continued, “That’s right. What if he was purple and I was green? Or what if an orange person loved someone who’s blue?” They were giggling by this time.
I found it interesting and a little sad that a 7 yr old child found it unacceptable for a yellow person to marry a white person…