I recently realized that the fact Chinese-Americans (any and all of us from various original locations in the world) have trouble dealing with the disparagement of anything “Chinese” might be because we really cannot separate ourselves from that concept.

While shopping for stuff from the Peoples Republic of China (Alibaba) I requested the word China be printed on the products. I was met with significant resistance. It would appear that the nation-state of Peoples Republic of China considers the word “China” it’s own trademark. One cannot besmirch the mark in its presence. In fact, I am not even allowed to associate with it. I cannot use the word “China” or “Chinese” in the engraving of items I purchase.

Chinese people probably have some builtin cultural barrier that regards “Chinese” as a highly treasured culture mark. We associate it because it (effectively) means civility, might, affluence and nobility. Indeed for much of Chinese history this might have been factually true. Just that in recent centuries we have fallen in these considerations.

Consequently, it is very challenging for a Chinese person (of any sorts) to stand up in broad daylight and say out loud: “I am not Chinese and I am not China.” We cannot imagine “We the people of XXX…” where XXX is not “China” or a notable subset of “China”. Even as I write this, the most I can consider is to refer to myself as Chinese-American. I am not just American and certainly I am NOT not Chinese.

(Case in point, Taiwan, is still China, according to their official doctrine, and NOT an independent entity that broke away from Peoples Republic of China. My opinion has been, like many around me, that Taiwan really oughta do it for real, be America and declare independence. Then win back China if it wants to, by peaceful means if possible. Or just live merrily in the bliss of freedom as Americans do. Why be Chinese at all?)

The political and emotional consequence is that we continue to suffer (reasonably or not) for actions of an entity that we neither control nor influence. We are taxed (punished) by a nation with no representation and participation from us.

I have not done it. I am not free for China, perhaps I never will be.

But this distinct connection needs to be recognized when we consider the plight of Chinese-American in America. While we are free and bound as Americans, we seem to nonetheless be bound as Chinese as well. As much as we are hated for it, we are still all indelibly Chinese!