Mixed-Race TV Contestant Ignites Debate In China : NPR

I just heard about an interesting story out of China. They have their own version of American Idol and one of the contestants is black. Okay, I know that there is controversy about calling mixed-race people black if one of their parents is black is becoming unfavorable, but if a person is dark enough to receive the same racism I get, that makes one black. Lou Jing is mixed - her mother is chinese and her father is African-American so that means she is probably Native American, Caucasian, and who knows what else. In the country with the largest population on Earth, it's amazing to realize how unique she is. Some of the Chinese viewers are so unfamiliar to seeing people who look like her in person and on television, Lou has seen more racisim that she had ever seen in her 20 years. What is also interesting to me is that I know several people who look like her. If she was walking around her I doubt anyone would realize she was half-Chinese until she started speaking Chinese. The other thing is I am amazed that she lived for 20 years without really having deal with racism. i mean most people in America see it much earlier than that. I gather that her mother was able to shield her from a lot. It's just unfortunate that now she must learn how to deal with it - in public. She is having such a rough time that she no longer feels welcomed in China, like it's no longer her home. I'm sure many African-Americans can relate to that.


Here she is on stage


Mixed-Race TV Contestant Ignites Debate In China : NPR