White privilege is a real, and saddening, phenomenon in many developing countries where people of Caucasian descent are treated in a different way than those of other descent. In China, this is clearly seen in all matters of daily life. Even in Shanghai, a city with a huge international presence, people of different races are treated differently, as well as different from Chinese locals. Sadly, foreigners in China still operate as if fixed within a tier system. Yet that system is not organized by country of origin, it is strictly constructed through color of skin. Those with white skin are treated with best, making up the most privileged tier. Those with darker skin, such as Latinos or African Americans, are given a second tier status. Lastly, Chinese locals are disrespectfully placed in the third tier.
In China, white preference is clearly showcased in beauty standards. Unlike in the US, in China skin color is not a sensitive topic, instead it is a bluntly discussed topic. Chinese people try hard to keep their skin as pale and white as possible, because in China whiter skin is a symbol of high status. Chinese people will carry around special umbrellas to keep the sun from darkening their skin, put on skin whitening creams, and wear long pants and shirts in the heat of the summer to protect their skin. Aside from skin, people in China also believe that Western eyes are the epitome of beauty, and many will get plastic surgery to change their appearance to be more similar to that of Westerners. For example, in China the most common plastic surgery is a surgery to pull back your eyelids, making the eyes bigger and rounder. Chinese women are naturally beautiful, and it is upsetting to me to walk around and see all the fake eyelids on the streets.
Chinese locals, especially those not from or in the big cities, go out of their way to treat white foreigners with the upmost friendliness and warmth. Restaurant owners will talk with and gape over foreigners, ignoring their other customers. Venue, hotel, or event staff will let foreigners in places, while preventing Chinese from entering. Going out at night in China is actually one of the most racist things encountered in the country. Most Chinese people would never be let into clubs without paying exorbitant prices, upwards of a couple thousand dollars, while foreigners are let in for free and given free drinks. Some promoters will only put white foreigners on guest lists, no Chinese or other ethnic-looking peoples, no matter their country of origin.
Ultimately this treatment leads many white foreigners to have a privileged attitude when they come to China, believing they can do whatever they want. Many foreigners will believe that they are “above the law”, and do things without getting punished that Chinese people would not dare to do. Additionally, foreigners will treat Chinese locals in disrespectful ways, especially if they had a few too many to drink, making fun of the language, and teasing Chinese women. Sadly, many foreign men who come to China take advantage of the Western-preference beauty standards to sleep around with multiple Chinese women. Many foreigners also will not interact with Chinese people on a personal level, instead preferring to only hang out with other foreigners. White privilege in China is a real, saddening phenomenon.
However, this problem is less of an issue than it was 10 years ago. People in China, who have now been exposed to the outside world for a long time and have become successful globally, no longer treat foreigners with the same attitude of reverence that they had before. Also the government is taking serious steps to ensure that foreigners do not so lightly break the law without facing consequences. Foreigners who drink too much and mess around, for example stealing bottles of champagne or knocking over things in a convenience store, will be subject to Chinese jail – not a pretty place. Drugs, which foreigners could widely use before, while Chinese people wouldn’t dare to, will land you in jail for life. Hopefully in the future white privilege will no be so prevalent in China.