Click here to view old videos.Richland County Makes China Daily
I was flipping through the English Chinese newspaper – China Daily – when I came across an article entitled “4 Chinese Mugged in US County”. As I began reading, I half jokingly asked myself, “I wonder if this was in Columbia?” I didn’t really take myself seriously, but I had to read on to find out. Within the very first sentence, my question was answered. It read like this: “Four Chinese were mugged in similar fashion in the north west area of Richland County in South Carolina.” I had to read it twice to make sure that I had read it correctly. Apparently, the people who were mugged worked at Chinese restaurants and had been targeted by armed gangs that knew that they carried large amounts a cash on them. That wasn’t what surprised me though. This did . . . and I quote:
“It’s not unusual for Chinese to be robbed, raped or even murdered in some crime-ridden areas of the US, Chinese People’s Republic Security University Wang Dawei said, attributing their vulnerability to their traditional virtue of tolerance.”
No wonder so many people I talk to think that the US is dangerous. I mean, I would think so too if I read articles like this and had never been there. Richland county may not be Eden, but man, this article makes it out to be an awful place to live or visit and really exaggerates the crime rate. Raped? Murdered? Common? Geeze. That’s pretty harsh.
I guess it’s a good thing that I live in the less crime-ridden county – Lexington – which is right next door. 🙂 Phil is the one that should be afraid. He’s the one that actually lives there . . . in mini Los Angeles. 🙂
Or you could move to Roswell, NM and get mugged by Aliens…from outerspace and from across the border!
May 21, 2007 @ 8:36 PM
hehe,generally speaking,the newspaper r always exaggerate the truth a little bit,that’s very normal,not only in China,but also in USA.
May 23, 2007 @ 3:13 PM
Have people asked you about football here?
I always get the exact same response from them, they mention how violent Americans are and how dangerous football is, with all the pounding and so forth. This is always accompanied by a double punching motion.
Also, you’d think they would have been more vigilant? Not that it what their fault, but every time I go anywhere my Chinese friends tell me 39484 times to be careful not to get my things stolen.
May 24, 2007 @ 2:19 PM
To Jenn – I don’t think my students have said too much about football. The only time we discuss it is if I bring it up in a discussion as a reference or something. When I do, they all pretend to be football players to show that they understand what I’m talking about. They throw an imaginary ball across the room. Thankfully, they don’t try to tackle each other or anything to fully show they understand what I am talking about. 🙂
I too have had many Chinese tell me to be careful about having my things stolen. Over National Week, all of my teachers repeatedly told me to be watch out for people trying to steal my stuff. “Keep your things close,” they said. I don’t know why they wouldn’t watch their own things as vigilantly. I imagine they think we are easier targets because we are foreigners or something to that effect.
May 24, 2007 @ 4:09 PM
To Ray – Yes, I agree, newspapers always make things sound worse than they are. That’s how they make money after all. But geeze – raped and murdered!! That’s pushing the envelope just a little, I think.
Well, at least most of the population knows better to believe everything that the read.
May 24, 2007 @ 4:12 PM
you should tell them that the chinese have to right trying enduse the US in a space race. Who gave them permission to blow up their own satillite? Also. Do the chinese know that we think they will screw up africa worse than 300 years of Western deeds? GEEZ!
hek
May 24, 2007 @ 7:10 PM
I think you mean ‘right next door,’ not ‘right next store.’
June 7, 2007 @ 10:53 PM