When I meet people in China, foreigners and locals alike, they usually ask me, "Where are you from?" When I say, "America," most people's reactions fall somewhere between shock and disbelief. Once they have taken a moment to comprehend what I've said and erase the I-just-saw-a-unicorn look off their face, while still a little skeptical, they'll say:
"THERE'S NO WAY YOU'RE AMERICAN; YOU MUST BE FROM...AFRICA."*pause for dramatic effect*
This comment always perplexes me. Usually I am prone to give people the benefit of the doubt and assume they haven't been exposed to Western culture or global affairs, so their ignorance is valid. But this situation has occurred too many times for it to just be a coincidence. And as I mentioned before, these are not just Chinese people with these beliefs. There has been people from Greece and Australia who reacted the same way, as if being black and anything but African is an abomination.
The President of the United States is a black man. Black men built the United States with their bare hands. The American NBA players idolized by the world are black men. How is it so shocking that there are black people who live in America? I guess it shows how successful America has been in erasing the identity and history of black people for all these years. I just hope that by seeing me, a BLACK AMERICAN GIRL in the flesh, at least one person can realize that what the media portrays America to be is not an accurate depiction of American life.
- FBG