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Don’t be a Foreign Ghost!
Written by Robert Vance on March 4, 2008 – 10:51 pm“Wai guo gui zi! Wai guo gui zi!” (Foreign ghost! Foreign ghost!) I heard this term again recently while I was visiting a small town in the countryside of China. The nickname didn’t bother me. My English name is certainly not an easy one to pronounce so I wasn’t surprised that people found other ways to ‘identify’ me. In fact, it reminded me of being called “gringo” in Mexico which I had never found offensive. It was just simply humorous. I had always assumed that the term ‘foreign ghost’ had something to do with the color of my skin and my hair but eventually I discovered that the word could be traced back to a darker time in China’s history. According to my friends, the term was used to describe the invasion of the Japanese in the 1930’s and their ability to sneak around a Chinese village and steal “chickens, goats, lambs, food” and other items of value. Of course, that war ended many long years ago but the memories and the stories of those invaders still live on and there is understandably still some mistrust by the older generation of any foreigners.
Unfortunately, the irresponsible actions of many foreigners in China do not help to alleviate the misgivings that some in China have of the “wai guo ren.” Some of these actions seem very trivial but in fact lead Chinese people to believe that foreigners do not have respect for their culture. Throughout China, for example, I have never failed to spot foreigners walking the wrong way around a temple or touching an item that is clearly marked as sacred. It annoys me to see this type of behavior, especially in the case of walking in the wrong direction, when everyone else is clearly walking in one direction. I simply want to disappear or transform into a Chinese person because I know that people in China will judge me based on the actions of these foolish foreigners.
I have also heard stories about foreigners who have cut in line at train stations and restaurants. Granted, the Chinese people are not particularly known for their “keeping in line” skills but there is no question that some foreigners think of themselves as stars anddemand special treatment. Recently, one of my friends got a foreigner fired from her position at a training center because she cussed at him while waiting in line at a KFC. He happened to know her boss and let him know what had happened. She was asked not to come back.
Public drunkeness is probably what irritates me the most about the way that foreigners sometimes behave in China. I enjoy a good beer now and then but I can’t tell you how many times I have been mortified to be sitting in a restaurant/bar somewhere and witnessing a foreigner acting like a complete fool. I have seen foreigners yelling at each other, fighting, and treating their servers like garbage. These kind of actions severely damage China’s perception of all foreigners.
Finally, I have often been ashamed of how my “fellow” foreigners treat the Chinese people in general. It especially bothers me when foreigners try to impose their culture or their opinion on a Chinese person. I have seen many a foreigner lecture a full grown Chinese adult as if they were children about how “we do things” in other countries. These foreigners talk as if their country is morally and ethically superior to China. There is always a place for exchanging ideas and learning from each other but this process needs to take place from the perspective that we guests in China. And if you spend enough time in
China, you will discover that there is alot that you can learn from their culture as well.I could probably write a book about my observations of how foreigners have treated Chinese people but that isn’t necessary. I simply want to urge my fellow teachers in China to remember that we are being watched wherever we go. Your behavior, positive or negative, and the way that you treat other people, will have an effect on how Chinese people view and treat foreigners in the future. Much progress has been made in the relationship between foreigners and Chinese people and you can help foster that relationship by being respectful of the culture and living by the Golden Rule.
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Your articl is funny..
haha..Wish you a good time in China..
I hate to be the pessimist here but I find your article to be a bit ridiculous. Perhaps because I haven’t lived in a small Chinese city only large ones. In my experience most of the foreigners (that live here) I come across are respectful and inquisitive.
I remember the first time I went to McDonalds here, when I was done I picked up my tray to take it to the trash, I was with some Chinese friends and they asked me what the heck I was doing? I said I’m throwing away my trash, they said we don’t do that here just leave it.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen Chinese throw trash on the ground feet away from a trash can, spit, or hold there small child over an ash tray in an upscale mall to urinate (or anywhere else for that matter)
The existence of a single file line is something I personally never seen here, almost as if, everyone for themselves. I put up with people breaking in line in front of me for the first couple of years here, but have since stopped, and will make them get behind me. That is just common decency in my book, not disrespecting their culture.
As far as foreigners touching things they shouldn’t I never seen, nor have I seen any foreigners walking the “wrong” way down a side walk, as seems to me there is no wrong way, when it comes to walking on a side walk in China, much like the single file line comment.
Through all the spitting, line jumping, spitting food on the table, peeing any where, getting on an elevator before others can exit, jumping in front of you to get a cab, name calling, staring, racism, littering, and total disregard for personal space, I never once gave a holier then thou lecture. However, call a spade a spade. If an action is rude then it is rude. How could it be polite to feel like you can jump in front of someone in a line when they have stood there for 20 minutes?
I’m no longer a teacher here, but when I was teaching I taught mainly adults in Language schools. All our lessons were provided to us by the schools, some of them pertained to manors. Overwhelmingly the students would agree that these actions are rude, however most admitted to doing them, because “everyone else does”.
I’ve known many foreigners here that have fell in love with China and it’s ways, and I myself have a love for this country. But sir, the fact is you are not Chinese, you never will be, nor will they ever accept you as being Chinese no matter how you act. We will probably always remain the “Foreign Ghost”, and be more of an oddity.
I mean no disrespect to you only stating my own opinion. There are things about this country I absolutely love, and things that are not a part of MY culture, I understand that. I try to be respectful but I am a man and will not be walked on either, no matter where I am. I have done my best to learn the language and abide by the customs, which vary widely from place to place, but I do not tolerate rudeness, nor am I rude to anyone else here.
jason i agree with you, respect for each other is important, but a bad habit shoulidnt be allowed because want to respect chinese habit. some people here dont like me because i always try to correct peoples habit, but some will say iit is because of our different cultures, i say no to this, bad habits are unacceptable in a culture by people from different countries. why is it that you might have ten people from different countries,they will try as much as possible not to misunderstand each other and they will be successful but the only chinese amongst them will be lagging, why? i love china and chinese more than some of those fanatics call nationalist here, we dont need to raise our voices before people can recognize our patriotism, in deed china is God ’s gift to the world. i think ancient chinese were gifted, well mannered and cultured than present day ones. ….anyway china is changing and it changing for the best lets give them a chance to show up and teach us what they have which is benefitial to the world, and i think they do….
Jason said,
As far as foreigners touching things they shouldn’t I never seen, nor have I seen any foreigners walking the “wrong” way down a side walk, as seems to me there is no wrong way, when it comes to walking on a side walk in China, much like the single file line comment.
Robert says:
Wow, you put words in my mouth. I was talking about walking the wrong away around a temple, not a sidewalk! Read what I wrote again! Do you realize that there is a ‘right way’ to walk around a temple and a ‘wrong way?’ Not only have I seen foreigners touching things that were clearly off limits, but I have seen foreigners STANDING on things that were clearly off limits. Do a little traveling in China and you will know what I am talking about.
@Jason
Thanks for your comment, Chinese really have lots of bad habits. Tell us what you feel about them in your classes and help us correct them.
@espero
well, many Chinese are quit defensive, they use culture different as an excuse. And don’t get disappointed, your words still have effect on them, many of them will probably not practise the bad habits again knowing a foreigner is around, or feel ashamed after doing that. Bad habits die hard in corrent generation, Help us correct them and not pass them to the next generation.
As for the “Foreign Ghost” phenomenon, I can’t predict the future, what I can tell is this Chinese culture has successful embraced different culture before, and it can do it again. The word “Foreign Ghost” is slowly transform form a derogatory sense to a somehow neutral sense, So I’m confident things are going for the better.
It’s kind of sad how this thread was turned around to berate Chinese people. Did anyone notice who I was writing about? I was writing about foreigners whose behavior in China often leaves much to be desired…
@Robert Vance
Nobody is trying to berate anyone here, It’s important we talk about those habits of both Chinese and foreigners, communication is what we need, Let’s keep it that way.
@Chen,
What you and others seem to overlook is that the majority of the articles that I post on this website (excluding those in Sino News and Vance Report) are targed at foreign teachers in China. That is why this website is called “The China Teaching Web.”
@Robert Vance
Ok, my bad. I’ll forever shut up on posts other than those in Sino News and Vance Report