Thursday, 5 April 2012

blog 5: Why Chinese leave a bad impression in overseas?


Why Chinese leave a bad impression in overseas?

Before I went to Singapore, I had learned that Chinese people do not have a good reputation in foreign countries. As it was my first chance to step out my homeland to a completely new world, I was more sensitive to how foreigners think of us. Some people hold the idea that the people who are not well educated and do labor jobs in the overseas are the ones to blame. Due to their less educated knowledge and lack awareness in moral, they initially set an impolite and non-personal-responsibility impression in foreigners. However, my thought goes deeper as I stay in Singapore for a few months. In contrast, I gradually enlighten that this is not just as simple as a matter of earlier bad impression. This disgusting impression gets updated with an enormous number of Chinese immigrating to foreign countries every year. I always see Chinese people behave improperly in public. For instance, they talk loudly in a place where people are required to lower their voice; they sit on a bench in the MRT in a disturbing manner, which caused people around feel unease and disgusted; they speak sex-related words loudly in public areas without face going red. All of these behaviors result in leaving others bad impressions, and later accordingly they contribute to people’s unfriendly attitude towards Chinese people.
The root of this problem can be dated back to the recent history of China. Before the foundation of Republic of China, considered in the long lasting invasion, the situation made less chance for Chinese people to receive knowledge and focus on moral education. Even after the foundation of Republic of China, the significance of knowledge and morality did not awake too many people. After the market leading economy policy was released, the society developed so fast that people left even less room for moral consideration. In addition, due to the one child policy, in most cases we are the only children in our families. Our parents do their best to meet our demands and we sometimes take it for granted without showing our gratitude.  Some of us do not know their concerns for others and how to share when facing team works.  
We Chinese people have a long way to go if we want this situation to go into reverse. Our words should be consistent with our actions after we always talk about moral issues. Only if every one of us lifts a hand to make a difference, then the promotion of our impression will have a better prospect.



















5 comments:

  1. Yes,I cannot agree with you more.I also see a lot of people come from china behave improperly,butsome of the people from other countries also not always behave properly.So,do not look down up on our compatriots.What we need to do is to try our best to behave ourself.

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  3. I cannot agree with you. In fact, at the beginning I came here, I was very sensitive due to the fact you mentioned. Yet I gradually found we Chinese students in Singapore seldom do something improper. I think, that is because we all know our own identity. In fact, most of us have a good discipline. On the contrary, I came across a few local people had an improper behavior, such as running the red light, making noises in the study room. Of course, these are minorities after all. I do not know situations about students in other countries, at least we Chinese students in Singapore, I think, do not lose face to our motherland.

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    1. i hope you could insist on your idea when you remembered how much food we wasted during Chinese New Year, and this is only one reflection on my point of view. so many examples support what i am trying to say. i am not saying something bad to Chinese but the sad point is that some of Chinese don't even realize they are losing face.

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  4. It is important to learn intercultural sensitivities and communication when we go into another culture. Between Malay, Chinese, Indian and Eurasian cultures, there are also sensitivities the Singaporeans must be aware of.

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