Returning from the Middle Kingdom
by Maia Stewart
How was China?
Since I’ve returned to the United States, many people have asked me that question. I have always responded with “Not bad” or “ It was good.” I’m not sure how honest my responses should be. I would love to tell them about the constant staring, the random photos taken of me and racism. Yet, I don’t want to make others feel uncomfortable. I have found it difficult to explain my experiences to the people I love. I don’t want them to think of China as a “ strange country”. I want them to know that China isn’t perfect. If you come from the west, it can be difficult for you to embrace everything about China. There are processes in China that you may think are cumbersome, but if you live there, that’s just the norm.
Black Beauty in Little China
Being a black in China was frustrating. I wasn’t always taken seriously, even when I was assertive. My skin color wasn’t seen as beautiful, but how many places in the world see darker skin as beautiful? Also, I am a woman, furthermore, I was a black woman with a white boyfriend. For some reason, people thought that we were married and that he was the point of contact for the both of us. This includes my schedule and my important documents. These events always made me upset and sometimes I would ask myself “ Why am I still here?”. By the way, this article isn’t meant to discourage black people from traveling to China. Actually, I encourage you to travel to China. I want you to help break the stereotypes of us not traveling. If you work as an English teacher, like I did, I want you to inform your students that black people aren’t bad. People do bad things, regardless of their skin color. I want you to keep in mind that my experience was different because of where I lived. I lived in a small town in China that most people, at least the ones I asked , had never heard of. When I visited larger cities, people were different. People were more concerned with themselves. My picture was rarely taken and people wanted to know about me. They didn’t look at me as if I were an animal in a zoo, or laugh when I walked by. They asked me where I was from and would welcome me to China.
Moving Back
This week, I’m moving back to China. I’ll be living in a bigger city that is well-known. I’m excited and nervous about moving back. Sometimes, I am overtaken by anxiety because I am worried that my experience will be the same. I’m worried that it will be difficult to make friends, because of the amount of people there. It wasn’t hard to make friends in the previous town I resided. I’m anxious about how I’ll be perceived by my coworkers and supervisors. Yet, I am hopeful. I’m optimistic about the opportunities that may be presented during this upcoming year. I’m excited to experience China one more time.
