The China Teaching Web

“I’m not offended,” a Chinese friend told me today when I asked her about the controversial photos of Spanish and Argentinian Olympic teams making ’slit-eyed’ gestures. “They can do what they want.” she said laughingly as she used her fingers to try to make her eyes look more “Western.”

I have been surprised by the lack of reaction from my Chinese friends and students as these photos have emerged on the internet. Usually when a country says something or makes a gesture that could be construed as racist or degrading to China or its government, there is immediate outrage on the part of the Chinese people. Not this time. Other than some booing at last week’s basketball matchup between China and Spain, it seems that most in China could care less about these photos. My students, who are usually quick to react to these stories, have not even mentioned it once in the last few days.

The Chinese seem to be much more sensitive to critical remarks made about their country or culture than they are about racial gestures such as these. Judging by by the way that the Chinese have seemed to ’shrug’ this off, I am not so sure that many of them are even aware of the racial undertones that accompany these photos. The people here seem to be much more concerned with what the world thinks about their government and about China’s progress over the last 30 years. They could care less about what Spain and Argentina are doing with their eyes in photos.

Spain and Argentina should be thankful that the Chinese are not taking offense to these photos. After all, making slit-eyed gestures in photos that were sure to be seen by millions was a stupid move. For once, I believe that China should be demanding an apology from these two countrys’ Olympic squads. A protest might even be appropriate in this situation. A clear message should be sent to the two teams that such crude impressions of any group of people are not appreciated; such behavior is beneath the dignity of the Olympics and should not be tolerated. Most likely, though, the Chinese simply do not have time to care. After all, they have won 43 medals as of this evening. With 4 gold medals combined, Argentina and Spain are just afterthoughts in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.