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China and Africa
Chinese South Africans are blackPosted by Jeremy Goldkorn, June 19, 2008 2:27 PM
![]() Chinese South African writer Darryl Accone, now with Empowerment Well, not exactly black, but it makes for a good headline. From The BBC:
Unfortunately, white South Africans who have spent their entire adult lives in China, such as your correspondent, will not be reclassified as a result of the new ruling. Links and Sources
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Comments on Chinese South Africans are black
In late 2006, it emerged that the Chinese Association of South Africa was preparing legal action to have Chinese recognised as having been disadvantaged under Apartheid, in order to benefit from Black Economic Empowerment. Complicating this attempt is the presence of immigrant Chinese who were not disadvantaged by Apartheid, and vastly outnumber locally born Chinese. A further complication is the less lenient restrictions faced by Chinese under Apartheid, and the honorary white status of Taiwanese and Japanese under Apartheid.[1] (Wikipedia, "Asians in South Africa."
I distinctly recall that Taiwan pressed for and got "honorary white status" for its citizens in the late 1970s or early 1980s, no doubt through political pull and the fact that they were big investors in this pariah apartheid state. Given that most Chinese in South Africa are immigrants (see Wikipedia, above), the odds are that many benefited to some extent from a special non-colored status prior to black rule.
This mixed history does sort of complicate the claim to "(honorary) black" status, doesn't it?
That it's complicated is without doubt, but it should be seen in a broader context of redressing historical imbalances. I welcome this as another nail in the coffin of that f$^&&^*^*-ed up system that screwed my country and my people and really is still to blame for an unimaginable amount of suffering.
I bet the Chinese LOOOOOVE being classified with a group they despise (or at least treat as untermensch here in China)...