OPINION PIECE
It has been a rumour that has been brewing for years now, that Chinese people often treat black people badly.
However, while it is not right to stereotype a whole race or country, just because of a few occurrences, recent reports show that this may be more than just another rumour.
A video emerged recently on YouTube, showing how Africans who were in China for business, were complaining about being kicked out of their hotels and made to live on the streets.
The Chinese have been going through a lot lately, not only in their country but also in the western world, due to Coronavirus.
Their businesses were among the first to be deserted when this whole Corona epidemic got here. No one wanted to get close to them. Every Chinese around suddenly became a suspect. No one even wanted to care if they had never been to China.
Then to worsen it all, Donald Trump refused to stop calling Corona “The Chinese Virus”.
A lot of people came to their aids by refusing to stop associating with them. Many also spoke out against Chinese businesses being deserted or naming the virus after them.
However, to our surprise, we recently began to see reports online, of black people being put out of their houses or hotels in China, just because they are black.
Tweets like these are not only heart-wrenching but a disappointing, knowing how nicely the Chinese are often treated in Africa.
Black people are said to be banned from entering supermarkets.
Even McDonalds banned black people from entering its branch.
It is reported that their museums still display black people as animals. Is this the first century?
China is said to be the most racist place in the world. I don’t know how far that is true but these reports make it sound true.
While this is still not a justification to be racist or xenophobic against them, it is important to note that, a lot of Chinese people live in Africa. Reports like these, are more-than-enough to trigger already-angry Africans, in certain neglected communities around the continent, to wage violent attacks against them.
