Are things too black and white in Beijing?

BEIJING -- The scene on the beach volleyball court, with gold medalists Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor dancing and clapping and mugging for the crowd, felt like a giant embrace.

The scene later inside felt like just the opposite.

At the post-match news conference, an American reporter was the first to raise his hand. He was sitting in one of the front rows. He was large enough to be seen by everyone. He was even recognized by Walsh and May-Treanor, who looked directly at him for the question.

But Milo Bryant of the Colorado Springs Gazette never had a chance to ask it.

He was never called upon by the Chinese official directing the press conference.

That official instead called upon a reporter in the back, a reporter in the corner, a reporter crammed in the middle, seemingly anybody else but Bryant.

All those reporters are white.

Bryant is black.

It was the second time in these Olympics that I’ve seen Bryant inexplicably ignored, and afterward I asked about it.

"It’s happened more than that," he said. "I’ve been trying to figure that out since I got here."

I can guess. In a country where the government reportedly attempted to ban blacks from Beijing bars in a pre-Olympic crackdown, I can totally guess.

Bryant wouldn’t go there, saying, "I’m not one to call out something like that until I’ve studied it, until I know their reasons, and I haven’t been able to do that."

A talented journalist who is sadly leaving the business after the Olympics to help start a professional training company known as "No Bullfit," Bryant said he has had other unusual experiences here.

Everywhere he has gone, locals have asked him to pose for photographs.

Part of that is because he is big enough to be an athlete. But a bigger part is that, in a land of a billion people, he is one of the very, very few blacks.

"I’m certainly different here," he said.

At the beach volleyball conference, Bryant raised his hand so long, the athletes looked at him with pity and shrugged in helplessness.

I wish I could have done more. I wonder if I should have said something.

But I worried that Bryant didn’t want the attention. And what if, against all odds, the Chinese official simply didn’t see him? If I was wrong in calling out a perceived stereotype, would I have insulted an entire country because of my own stereotypes?

I have my suspicions why Milo Bryant has not been allowed to completely do his job here.

But once again, these Olympics have been marred by an elusive truth.

-- Bill Plaschke

Photo: Misty May-Treanor (left) and Kerri Walsh celebrate their gold medal beach volleyball win over China at the Beijing Games on Thursday. Credit: Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times

Comments

[liuyu]

The so-called cracked-down on black is another lost-in-translation. It was mentioned either here or on New York Times website before Olympics. Cracking down on the black, in Chinese, means literally cracking down on organized crime. In China, it's easier to find them in night clubs or bars. Gang was called "black society" in Chinese without any reference to skin color. It's unfortunate that Bryant didn't get a chance to ask questions and I feel sorry for him. But as a reporter, aren't you expected to do a little Google research before writing a story? At least, you are paid for doing that.

[jean]

Passing over an already-standing black reporter poised to ask his question in favor of a white reporter several rows behind translates the same in all languages. Please don't suggest that the Chinese are incapable of racism (in addition to being incapable of doctoring passports).

[BillD]

Can we not point out the obvious? It was already shown that China's showcase of diversity in the Opening Ceremonies didn't in fact contain any minorities. All China knows about blacks they likely read or see in the news. That does not excuse their racism, but could begin to explain it. As China ascends on the world stage, it will be vital that it understand that the civilized world views all people as equal, irrespective of skin color. China has ties with Africa; but they are all expedients to gain access to raw materials. And who knows if China's military power grows, if they will become more exploitive in that region.

It will be a learning lesson for China and its people. In fact, Europe is experiencing this now with Arabs and Pakistanis confined to the ghettos and not accepted by the mainstream in France and Germany. Residents of nations hold outdated stereotypes of inhabitants of other European countries. Spain, of course, has a serious racist streak, which was evidenced in these Olympics.

America's example of racial tolerance, with 30% of the population being non-white, has yet to see a parallel elsewhere. For all the world's oft-warranted criticism of the States, it will need to take a lesson in tolerance from America to succeed in an increasingly globalized and "flat" world.

[cj]

Hey Bill, before you talk about racism ih other contry, why don;t you look iunto your own first? Have you done to improve it? Or just simply say we are not as racist as other?

[KH from Hong Kong, China]

I cannot say for sure as I was there, but I surely hope it is not about race. We Chinese, being a quiet minority in other countries, would respect all cultures & under racism.

Anyhow, thanks for letting your feeling be known. I hope as a culture, we need to learn to be sensitive.

[venus]

This guy is a lousy reporter. Didn't he say a few days ago that all track athletes are doped?
liuyu is right. Black and white refer to evil and good in Chinese, not the skin color. Amercians are constantly misinformed by their media because of stupid reporters like Bill Plaschke.

[PL]

I don't think this is an issue of racism. Most Chinese are curious about foreigners and they show great hospitality toward both white and black. Chinese people don't have the same kind of racism as the kind the KKK did back in the days.

I think this might be a misunderstanding. Perhaps the Chinese officials were trying to pick the media that instead of the skin color of the reporters and it just happens that all the reporters picked were white?

I am surprised by this since this means none of the Asian reporters got picked either. So don't feel bad, Bryan. It's not personal.

[anthony]

cracked-down on black ? Dear lord, that "black" means the organized crime (Hei She Hui: the "black" underworld), it has nothing to do with the color "black". And God knows how you could think it is about the Black (African American). This is such a joke, how coule a piece like this get though published on LA times.

[Jerry]

MY civilized friends in the western world, thanks for the teaching about how the civilized world works. If I were to mention the Opium War, you may teach me to get over the past. So I won't bring up how you robbed and burned a Chinese imperial palaces.

Ok fast forward to the past 20 years. Thanks for the civilized western world for the glorious Iraq War, the shining and continuous bomb hells unloaded on Yugoslavia. Oh, cannot forget how your hedge funds take away billions of dollars from Asian countries, leaving them in chaos.

If you were to ask how black people are treated in China, you need to go to Guangzhou, where there are reportedly over 100,000 black. Of course, Guangzhou is not LA, which, btw, has a long history of race problems.

[Lei]

Crack Down on Blacks?
LMFAO, this reporter either needs to do more research or is wayyyyy too sensitive.
It is crack down on criminal gangs (Dark Organization or Dark Society).

[Yu]

I can't help laughing about this racism complain. It's a pity Bryant got snubbed, but labeling this as racism is kind of hilarious and shows the author's lack of knowledge of Chinese society, not to mention that "ban blacks from bar' part. If I tell my fellow Chinese that a LA times reporter interprets crackdown of black society as crackdown of black people, they would totally laugh out. Back to the racism complain, Bill just presumptuous interprets an incident in China with the American thinking. How Bryant feels about this incident is just another indication that racism is still one of the major issues in American society. Bryant was just being sensitive in China. Racism is never an issue in China. And foreigners are way better treated than Chinese citizen in China. I hope Bryant would still enjoy his stay in China. Anyhow, China is so different from America.

[wolverine]

I completely agree with liuyu. Bill should read what liuyu says and rethink about his own pragmatic post.

" I can guess. In a country where the government reportedly attempted to ban blacks from Beijing bars in a pre-Olympic crackdown, I can totally guess. " ..... yeah, he just totally guessed, and he has no clue. Again, read linyu's post and see what kind of information he distorted

I feel so embarrassed for Bill. Maybe he is the one that should have been ignored.

[oldyellie]

Ask Kobe Bryant, when he comes back, if he and his teammates feel racism against blacks in China.

[Dongdong]

Hey everyone, it's no secret that in China blacks are "lowest on the totem pole". Any Chinese who tries to denies this are in a dreamland.

I lived in China for two years. I talked to MANY Chinese about racial issues and some were unabashedly outspoken about their distrust and views of black people.

It's about the skin tone in general. In China, the lighter the skin color one has, the more "beautiful" that person is. Conversely, the darker skin color one has, the more "ugly" that person is. With China's obsession with beauty, this 'light skin beauty' / 'dark skin ugly' phenomenon factors in in a huge way.

Once I held a discussion on racism at a university in China with about 100 Chinese university students in attendance. I, and several other foreigners posed the question, "Would you let your son/daughter marry a black person?" The responses we got were surprising. As we'd expect from normal people in this world, we got a few "of course" answers. But then we also got some "of course not -- black people are ugly" answers.

Racism, whether its hard or soft, exists and even thrives in China. The Chinese sometimes try to deny this fact though.

"It's impossible for China to have racism," said one of my Chinese students. When asked why, he continued, "because we have no black people."

[jean]

Rather than using Iraq and 16-year-old LA riots to avoid the issue, why not offer a plausible conjecture as to why the Chinese official repeatedly, blatantly snubbed the black reporter -- to the point where the athletes and fellow journalists were uncomfortable?

[liuyu]

Maybe we shouldn't take Bill's blog too seriously. It's not journalism anyway, so he doesn't care too much about every detail of what he wrote. That's more like a personal blog shared among family and friends, just for fun.
Jean,
I have no idea why Bryant didn't get a chance and it is up to him how to interpret this without direct communication with the officer.
Dongdong,
I think my wife is the most beautiful women in the world. Of course, everyone else is ugly compare to her. Am I discriminating all the other women in the world? You are smart enough to ask such a tricky question. Have you asked if they would like to hire an African American if s/he is qualified? Isn't it more objective? The truth is that different people have different preference. In the case of marriage, personal preference may play a big part. If you asked them if they like Baja fresh, most of them would probably say no and then you can use this as an evidence of Chinese discrimination against Mexican people? Everyone has the right to like or dislike any color/food/person as long as it doesn't bother others.

[US Volleyball 1]

I was at the press conference. Yes Bryant was not selected but some of Bryant's comments in this article though are just out of ignorance of the Chinese language.

For one thing as a tall blond Caucasian woman I have been asked for pictures taken of me too. So what? It's new to them and I did not think for one second of it.

The only ones who are making this a black and white issue are the ones who see it as such. Bryant didn't get picked on, so what? Does it immediately mean whoever held the conference is racist? Maybe the Chinese saw him like everybody else, another random journalist. Who is racist then?

In the end some Americans are ignorant, some Chinese are ignorant. It doesn't mean they all are, and it does not mean we have to be either. I hope the media can understand that and stop putting China down so much. I for one enjoyed the Olympics and the hospitality of the Hosts. We did beat them after all in a good natured GAME.

[dannakao]

When are we going to look past race and just enjoy things as they are? It's guys like Plaschke who continue to fan the flames of racism by focusing on it when there is absolutely no need to.

[Pick a name, any name.]

Victor, Pablo, Antonio: For lack caring by your CalTech-educated fellow Spaniards, you are the De facto representatives for Spain on this site. Courage, my fellow human beings. Don't let anyone call you the Three Stooges.

[Pick a name, any name.]

In case the moderator missed my mea culpa or I didn't post it correctly, please disregard my earlier comment. It went to the wrong L.A. Times blog. I'm following about 5 or 6 L.A. Times blogs on the China-Spain-Argentina trifecta. It keeps me young.

[American ex-Pat]

This situation really is troublesome....
Perhaps it was an accidental slight on behalf of the official, but more than likely, it wasn't...
Asians are known for not liking those with dark skin- including their own- going so far as to promote the lightening of one's skin...
Having spent a few months in China last year- I was treated much like this reporter...
Being stopped in mainland China for photos- and stared at constantly...
I've been to many of countries where those with darker skin are not the norm, but nothing like the experiences in China where it seems like we are disliked at first glance...

I personally feel this was a situation where the official knew exactly what he was doing- question is, when will the Chinese stop?!?!

[Chow79]

Plaschke, this has got to be one of your least thought out columns... You really are grasping at straws to come up with this after piling on Gasol and the Spanish basketball team to play the racism card. Believe me, I see and know what racism is like growing up in the ghetto in the east coast. More than 100 years after slavery has been abolished, we still see the separation of classes still existing to today? What I am calling you out for is your world perspective is coming from a very limited experiential base. Let me give you an example.. My best friend is a guy from West Africa living and studying medicine in China. He has a gender non-specificl name in his native Mali language, like Chris or Sandy. Since he was in elementary school, his nickname was "boy" in Mali, because there was always a female in the class. That nickname has followed him his entire life to here in remote China where he has never imagined his name could have such connotations of hate and degradation. Now, this is not the US we are living in. Do I have to bring my racial baggage and tell him to change his name because of the history of the name? Do I berate all others who use that nickname to address him? Or do I respect his name and culture and not bring my bias to something he is completely oblivious to? Are we so obsessed with our own viewpoint that we can't understand the simplicity of others?
By the way, in addition to the remark that "black society" means organized crime there is another explanation of bars in Beijing. Three months prior to the Olympics, there was a police sweep of drug trafficking through Bejing's bar district. For those who live in Beijing, that is no secret of the open availability of heroin, opium and other hard core stuff in the area. In addition to local Chinese, Twenty three foreigners, all Africans were arrested in the sweep and likely deported. The clean up is still continuing, as Beijing is not sure how to cope with such a vice, and how to clamp it down. There have been reports of "profiling" Africans afterwards, which are all the reports that lazy reporters raise hell about and don't go about doing the background research. Although not a complete excuse, are we Americans quick to judge such actions as racist because of our own sense of wrongs in our history?