Why do they consider racism, orientalism and lies disputed long ago “valid criticism”. Not even mentioning the lack of humility or a will to learn, just constant snarkiness, smugness and an unrelenting feeling of superiority. Just please, engage with us on equal terms and don’t be dismissive.
Edit: Don’t go into the comments if you value your day…
People like those in the comments are why I worry about my students from the PRC who want to study in the imperial core.
I had a few classmates from the PRC when I was in college. At the time I criticized them and thought they were weird for only keeping to themselves and not wanting to socialize with people outside their group. Now I think I know why they were like that, and i don’t blame them.
I’d be more worried about the savvy propagandists. Idiots in that thread can’t even comprehend the perspectives your students would have from actually living in the PRC, so there will most likely just be a communication breakdown.
Sure. A little background first, my students are relatively well-off and mostly did not succeed during their time in compulsory education. So, they decided to study outside the PRC, mostly because they had a small chance of making it into the better domestic universities.
Most students, at least at this school, go to either the UK or Australia. Though a few occasionally do go to Canada or the US. Of course, I don’t feel comfortable actively dissuading the students from going (they get enough pressure from parents and other staff at the school), but sometimes I wonder if I should.
Anyway, looking at comments that infantalises an entire group of people just because they were born on a different piece of dirt, not to mention downright genocidal rhetoric, makes me think that students from the PRC isolating themselves from that sort of brain rot is a successful self-preservation technique.
Which, while answering the question of “why do Chinese students seem to only stick together.” It feels like people who would comment in such a provocative way are just minutes from doing actual bodily harm to others.
But maybe I’m over thinking it and these folks have little or no chance of coming into contact with PRC citizens.
Of course, I don’t feel comfortable actively dissuading the students from going (they get enough pressure from parents and other staff at the school), but sometimes I wonder if I should.
It might be worth just mentioning about your perspective on the racism issue, but you’re right to avoid adding pressure.
