Given my position as a media practitioner, I have made a concerted effort not to engage publicly in political discussion. For me, it does not seem appropriate since my job is to provide objective news to inform the public. However, something I have witnessed is how the ever-growing anti-Chinese sentiment in the Philippines has compelled various sectors of the public, particularly “netizens,” to immediately dismiss discussion when the argument comes from somebody with a Chinese last name.
Have seen it across comment threads on certain news stories, along with it affecting members of my family; make a point that may be critical of Philippine policy and the response merely points out how the opinion is written by somebody with a Chinese last name as if it invalidates the viewpoint.
My last name is Lim. Do a quick google search and it notes the name is derivative of the Chinese surname “Lin” and has its origins in the Fujian region. My father always said our family origins can be traced back to Amoy, which is the modern-day Xiamen, the largest city in the Fujian region (perhaps will have to do one of those DNA tests to confirm everything).
Why are so many willing to dismiss an opinion because of one’s ethnicity? Despite being born in the Philippines to parents who were also born in the Philippines, it would appear all of that is negated by carrying a surname of Chinese origin.
Catalina Ricci S. Madarang penned a piece for interaksyon.com earlier this month where she highlight a reddit thread entitled “It’s official: I now hate the Chinese!” The writer claimed to have never harbored racist inclinations until encountering Chinese people in the Philippines.
Among their grievances the writer expressed include Chinese people are “loud and obnoxious,” “they stink so bad,” are obsessed with money, among other arguments—ironically, they also complained about Chinese people being “racist.” They went on to cite others who allegedly reached out to share their “Chinese horror stories” including some saying “they (the Chinese) don’t care about us—only themselves,” “I can’t stand them!,” and “Chinese here are not so good… they’re parasitic.”
Scrolling through the various updates, they even heralded being mentioned in the aforementioned article; “This post made the news,” they wrote in bold font.
Towards the end of last year, Al S. Vitangcol III wrote an op-ed for The Manila Times entitled “Rising anti-Chinese sentiment.” In the piece, he transcribed posts from netizens expressing their views on the Chinese.
Some of the opinions read “[the] Chinese lower class has now more money and can afford to travel” and “A number of us were CAUGHT BY SURPRISE by their gross manners… THEY are here and THEY are disrespectful—STAND YOUR GROUND;” it’s unclear if the author of that post was referring to American stand-your-ground laws, which pertains to the right to self-defense, including lethal force.
The writer then shared a story about, as he called it, “a Chinese national ‘exalting’ himself with a ‘sense of entitlement.’” For somebody writing about “rising anti-Chinese sentiment,” by adding his own two cents, he only exacerbates the issue.
A few years back, after China beat the Philippines in a basketball game, beyond people claiming the game was fixed, there were also those calling for a boycott of Chinese goods; other even suggested burning down Chinese-owned businesses. It would be interesting to see how the Filipino public would do without Chinese-produced goods. There are a multitude of videos online of people taking on the “Made in China” challenge, either pointing out everything in their home made in China or trying to go through a day without using items made in China—spoiler alert: it’s not an easy task.
Given the ongoing maritime conflicts between the two nations, while it can spark debate on how to handle the issue, it should not be an issue that encourages discrimination against a certain portion of the populace. When a basketball game drives individuals to thoughts of violence and vandalism, the situation is treading in dangerous waters.
However, as one who chooses to remain an observer on most controversial issues (what was once a social media account that would occasionally babble about various political issues now sticks to travel, food, and hallyu), it’s obviously better career-wise to stay silent and, as it appears, a personal matter of safety./WDJ