IMAGE Source: John Thomson, 1869 / Welcome Collection
When my youngest son was about seven, we lived in China for about two and a half years while he trained in Shaolin Kung Fu. We lived in rural mountainous regions and my son's life was consumed with training and competing. Our American passports, his fluent Mandarin and Kung Fu prowess paved the way for a good life in China. However, I was horrified by the pain I saw in other African people living in the region.
I still remember the day that we all gathered at a particular corner waiting for the government vehicle that carried the young man from Ghana to pass by. He had been accused of marijuana possession and was sentenced to death. We wanted to stand in solidarity with him and give him some level of solace as he rode to face his death in a foreign country. I heard stories of African people brought to China to teach English. It's a great opportunity when you come from countries that lack economic stability and jobs for highly educated people are hard to find. The problem is that schools in China prefer teachers that are blonde and blue-eyed. They even advertise it during recruitment! So, if they have selected an African from the continent it is often due to being desperate and as soon as they can find a replacement, preferably with an American passport, they will oust the African teacher. The schools control the work Visa. If the school fires you, the Visa gets canceled and you only have a short time to leave the country. If you are not prepared to leave, you end up overstaying your Visa, which has criminal implications. For each day you overstay the Visa, you pay the equivalent to $73 per day, with a cap of about $1500. Once the Visa has expired, you must live almost in hiding. It's a vicious cycle that I have seen many African young adults experience. It's heartbreaking to watch. It's like being trapped. You can't leave the country because you don't have the money to pay the fines. But, you don't want to stay in the country because you will face jail.
During the pandemic things got even worse for Africans in China. The jobs that lured many Africans to China stopped paying their employees as the country shut down. The prevalent xenophobia in China was intensely directed toward black Africans. Our people were blamed for the spread of COVID and evicted from their homes and refused service in establishments. In cities like Guangzhou, our people were sleeping under bridges and along sidewalks with no place to go; the Chinese border was closed. There was no travel into or out of the country. It was absolutely devastating. I am broken-hearted and still always in awe of how much we, as Africans, struggle all over the world.
Beyond that, I need to recognize the contributions of our people to the education of Chinese youth. My oldest son spent time teaching in China. He and his African friends were among the most loved and celebrated teachers in the schools where they taught. My best-friend in life, a beautiful woman from Uganda, has taught in China for almost 20 years. She is BRILLIANT and loving, compassionate and creative.
This entire issue is related to historical trauma. During the Berlin conference of 1884-1885, European settlers convened and determined the fate of Africa's future. Among other things, the countries involved in the colonization of Africa, decided how to divide up the continent and which European country would control each of the newly divided countries. They strategically cut up the continent into often small countries, dividing members of the same tribe, leaving some members in one country and others in another country. Britain took control over one country, France took the neighboring country, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, Italy and Spain did the same. Ultimately, creating a communication barrier, varying allegiances to neighboring countries and difficulties in trading due to different currencies etc. This was done to support the divide and conquer ideology. The countries were constructed in a way that would not support a stable economic infrastructure so that the countries would always remain dependent on a European nation. Right now in 2023, more than two-thirds of Africa's 54 countries print their money in Europe and North America. The West continues to siphon huge amounts of money out of African economies each year. Despite many countries becoming independent from European rule between 1945-1960, many are still economically dependent on their colonizers.
African people as a whole value education. We find academic brilliance among African people. But, with unstable infrastructures it is difficult for many highly educated young people to find jobs and create prosperity in their own countries, hence the lure of China is appealing. With all of the trade agreements between China and especially West African countries, I was frustrated that there were no African sanctions against China as our people were being evicted, while our college students studying in China were quarantined without enough food and water and forced to take vaccines that were in the trial phase. I was angered by the lack of support. Despite all of that I also remembered that generations of trauma, lack of food, water and resources breeds corruption and individualistic attitudes.
Read newsone's article below:
China has a long and complex history that is full of cultural exchange and migration. While most people are aware of China’s rich history of interaction with other Asian cultures, few know about its history with African cultures. In fact, in recent years, historians have found more evidence about the rich history of the first Black people in China.
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