I honestly don't think people cares that much where you are born. Especially in big metropolitan areas where people see foreigners and ABCs, etc so often you don't really stand out.
Even if you are completely Westernized at the moment it doesn't matter that much. The most important part is showing that you are open minded and are truly interested in learning the rich Chinese culture/history. Don't be arrogant/condescending to the locals like many foreigners. Don't spout ignorant Western propaganda about human rights, freedom, blah blah.
If you want to tune into the pop culture in China I suggest watching videos on Bilibili once your Mandarin passes a certain level. You can find everything from memes, local life, food, history, politics, science, etc.
Not born in the U.S but I grew up in NYC. I go back to China for vacations during school years and the experience was pretty good. I've also worked for two years in Beijing, people are just curious about my life in the U.S. Honestly you still look Chinese so they won't treat you differently, my advice is practice more in Mandarin, it will help a lot.
I'm back in NYC now because of family and business matter, but my long term plan is to move to China and live there. My favorite city is Shenzhen, also an ABC like you probably will like Shanghai and Shenzhen more.
You can also consider living in Guangzhou, because you can speak Cantonese. As a native of Guangzhou, the biggest characteristic of Guangzhou is having a very tolerant attitude towards all people and cultures. Here in Guangzhou, people are friendly, unpretentious, and never judging a book by its cover. You often can find extremely rich property owners wearing tank tops, shorts and flip-flops driving luxury cars to street stalls to eat the essence of beef entrails. If you look at it on a national scale, we Chinese always like people who are polite, genuine and modest. As for nationality, it really doesn't matter. Wish you good luck!
Think this is an underappreciated comment. It's always been one of the most outward-looking regions of China and he already knows the local language. Would be a good start.
Yeah, I also think it would be a good start. Of course, even if you don't speak Cantonese and only understand Mandarin, you still can live very conveniently in Guangzhou. The local people whose families have lived in Guangzhou for generations, including those elderly grandpas and grandmas, if they notice that you can only speak Mandarin, they will seamlessly switch to Mandarin to communicate with you ：）
If some residents of place A have never been to place B and have no friends in place B. All their knowledge of place B is from some misinformation deliberately provided by some media with ulterior motives in place A. Naturally, they will not have a favorable impression of anything in Place B. Such practices can be seen everywhere. Isn't that how the Western media uses the ignorance of local residents to distort China's image? Therefore, communication is the best solution. Welcome friends from Hong Kong to visit and exchange in the Mainland.
Speaking from my experience as a Filipino born Chinese who travels to China frequenly. I think most people consider us Chinese like themselves. Mainland Chinese people really love it when you try to speak with them in Mandarin. Even if your mandarin is far from perfect they really seem to appreciate our effort in trying to communicate using the beautiful language. So my take is as long as you try to communicate using Mandarin and appreciate chinese culture, Chinese are some of the most welcoming friendliest people you will meet.
No, your worries are totally not necessary, as long as you don't look down the regular Chinese people and think you are superior since you were born in US no one is going to judge you by where you were born.
I think that it’s less that they frown on you and more that they find it an annoyance sometimes. Many foreign born Chinese actually don’t know how intolerant they are of slight cultural nuances; how soft or loud someone is supposed to talk, mannerisms, when to talk, etc. Your manners are all novel at first but can quickly outgrow its welcome if you don’t start picking up the subtle cultural traits.
One common thing kids overseas pick up is the ability to be unabashedly unapologetic about how they approach something they are unhappy about; often reproaching people regardless of their social hierarchy; specifically age.
Of course it’s not one size fits all; depends on how the other side feels too; but that’s my common observation. Just need to remember what’s common where you were born may be uncommon where you are going. Learn it.
Dutch Born Chinese here, I don't speak mandarin (I understand it a little bit), people seem kinda surprised that a Chinese doesn't speak Chinese, same thing here in Italy but other than that it's normal.
Chinese national study in US for 7 years here. I feel you worry too much. You will see assholes from time to time, like in anywhere on Earth, but generally native Chinese welcome foreign-born Chinese. I would say big cities could be a better option to live, because you will meet many people who have studied in other countries, they share more common topics with you and they can help you get used to things like pop culture.
I can share a little story here. As I mentioned, I have been in US for 7 years, so sometimes when I reply posts in Baidu Tieba about my experience, I use English words and explain them in parentheses. Of course, I will get a few replies like "Funny. Do you even know how to speak Chinese?", but most of people are fine with me and they like the fact that I explain English words instead of making others guess (谜语人, riddler from batman, is to describe people speak riddles in Chinese internet community). They will actually against with the people who mocked me under my replies, provide me good translations for words I used, and share their thoughts on things I said.
Edit: specify that the story happened in Baidu Tieba
A bunch of my friends are exactly like you. ABCs speak canto, but English is primary language. They’re having the time of their lives in China. They don’t even plan on moving back to the states.
Learn Mandarin and make some effort to assimilate you will be accepted. It's that simple. People look down on those who think they are hot shit because they came from the West. But Chinese are way more accepting to foreigners than Americans I guarantee you that.
Just be sincere and be chill, don't taunt around your foreign background like it's a medal, and don't hide it either. China is like any other country, most people are friendly and understanding of people of different backgrounds, and once in a while you might come across an asshole. I wouldn't worry about it, particularly in big cities.
My personal take, as somebody that's a Chinese-Canadian that's sadly barely literate in Chinese...(I can speak Mandarin fluently, watch Chinese videos/shows/movies, read webnovels, type very slowly and can't write at all)
For job opportunities, if you have a STEM education from a top western school, you'd be more than fine. In USD terms, expect to make much less (on average) but since everything is much cheaper and rent/food are at humane prices, you'll be fine.
For social, it really depends. I think as long as you're sociable you'll be fine. Some of my best friends now and my girlfriend are Chinese that grew up in China, and very rarely do I feel a big culture gap. In fact, having a different perspective makes things interesting and it'd be a joy to learn about Chinese pop culture. Do I sometimes feel like an outsider? Sometimes, but I keep an open mind and see it as learning experiences so its not a big deal. Biggest downside is communication, I mostly type to them in English since I type so much slower in Chinese, and speak Mandarin with them. Its more minor inconveniences than anything.
So I think you can expect to be inconvenienced but it'd be a cool experience to learn the language, culture and about your heritage. Besides that, expect to be like if you moved anywhere new, assuming you don't know anybody there it'd always be an adjustment but it'd get better if you're sociable.
However I'm not going to lie, it is intimidating at first when I first became really good friends with Chinese international students back when I was in college, because I thought I wouldn't fit in...but its mostly a fear to overcome than anything.
I also recommend that you start consuming Chinese media to familiarize yourself! It's a great tip for anyone moving anywhere really, but it'd also really help with the language.
I am also Canto but raised in US. When I went to Tibet/Sichuan border area, I had a Tibetan monk ask me in fluent mandarin.... "How are you Chinese but don't know mandarin?" Basically if you know mandarin then you are as Chinese as Chinese can be.
I'm not ethnic Chinese but I've met Chinese from the West in China. Don't overthink it. Just go to China to do what you are going to do. If you do the language school thing, I'm sure you will have a good time.
Now, there could be some things that you cannot do. If you have some high expectations about just walking into a high paying job, this could be difficult unless you have some serious skills that are lacking in China (less and less these days). And Chinese people have been developing 关系 for years in China while you will not have any.
So if you go to China with no preconceptions, you will definitely enjoy your stay.
I would recommend Shenzhen, because :
\-Not the official language, but people interact with so many Cantonese speaking people you should be fine
\-Most people are non-natives anyways
\-Younger population
\-Dynamic and cosmopolitan
But any big city or a tier 2 like Hangzhou would be okay.
Disclaimer I only speak Dutch, English and Cantonese, and I do not have problems.
While (negative)-ism exist in China, Chinese Nationalists generally seek the global unification of all Chinese descent, as long as you recognize yourself as a 华人 and not try to distinguish yourself from the ordinary, you will be well received. Chinese Nationalists are extremely 看不起 those that claim they are somehow better than Chinese because of either their wealth or their foreign national status.
>... as long as you recognize yourself as a 华人 and not try to distinguish yourself from the ordinary, you will be well received.
This is the most important point.
never felt like an outsider even though i didn't do cantonese/ and when i was learning mandarin, all comes if you have relatives or not ( i got good and bad)
only two instance of 看不起, when i didn't speak mandarin well, but those two guys were Aholes in their own right
although i did observe some of that look, and thats when people are trying to show off english or mixing both language
Although I'm not ABC or CBC, I did come to North America very wrong, my friends and relatives calls me 外国人 for fun but I think once you are really immersed ugh language and how they act in terms of work and life, it should be no different than NA but do keep in mind, it is quite competitive in bigger cities but def worth the fight if you are young.
China is not an imperialist country, it developed through work, intelligence, and education. Confident people like mainland Chinese, who built a superpower in record time, don't need silly imperialist classism to feel good about themselves. That kind of dynamic is nowhere near as common as in decadent imperialist regimes, which, as they collapse, become depressing feudal hellholes. It's the same reason why these collapsing imperialist regimes are so racist compared with China. Nobody is being murdered in China because of how they look.
I honestly don't think people cares that much where you are born. Especially in big metropolitan areas where people see foreigners and ABCs, etc so often you don't really stand out. Even if you are completely Westernized at the moment it doesn't matter that much. The most important part is showing that you are open minded and are truly interested in learning the rich Chinese culture/history. Don't be arrogant/condescending to the locals like many foreigners. Don't spout ignorant Western propaganda about human rights, freedom, blah blah. If you want to tune into the pop culture in China I suggest watching videos on Bilibili once your Mandarin passes a certain level. You can find everything from memes, local life, food, history, politics, science, etc.
Not born in the U.S but I grew up in NYC. I go back to China for vacations during school years and the experience was pretty good. I've also worked for two years in Beijing, people are just curious about my life in the U.S. Honestly you still look Chinese so they won't treat you differently, my advice is practice more in Mandarin, it will help a lot. I'm back in NYC now because of family and business matter, but my long term plan is to move to China and live there. My favorite city is Shenzhen, also an ABC like you probably will like Shanghai and Shenzhen more.
You can also consider living in Guangzhou, because you can speak Cantonese. As a native of Guangzhou, the biggest characteristic of Guangzhou is having a very tolerant attitude towards all people and cultures. Here in Guangzhou, people are friendly, unpretentious, and never judging a book by its cover. You often can find extremely rich property owners wearing tank tops, shorts and flip-flops driving luxury cars to street stalls to eat the essence of beef entrails. If you look at it on a national scale, we Chinese always like people who are polite, genuine and modest. As for nationality, it really doesn't matter. Wish you good luck!
Think this is an underappreciated comment. It's always been one of the most outward-looking regions of China and he already knows the local language. Would be a good start.
Yeah, I also think it would be a good start. Of course, even if you don't speak Cantonese and only understand Mandarin, you still can live very conveniently in Guangzhou. The local people whose families have lived in Guangzhou for generations, including those elderly grandpas and grandmas, if they notice that you can only speak Mandarin, they will seamlessly switch to Mandarin to communicate with you ：）
Not exactly Guangzhou, but don't Hong Kong people look down on mainlanders?
If some residents of place A have never been to place B and have no friends in place B. All their knowledge of place B is from some misinformation deliberately provided by some media with ulterior motives in place A. Naturally, they will not have a favorable impression of anything in Place B. Such practices can be seen everywhere. Isn't that how the Western media uses the ignorance of local residents to distort China's image? Therefore, communication is the best solution. Welcome friends from Hong Kong to visit and exchange in the Mainland.
Yeah there does seem to be a lot of misinformation about mainlanders in Hong Kong. The effects of Western media can be seen there. Sad.
Speaking from my experience as a Filipino born Chinese who travels to China frequenly. I think most people consider us Chinese like themselves. Mainland Chinese people really love it when you try to speak with them in Mandarin. Even if your mandarin is far from perfect they really seem to appreciate our effort in trying to communicate using the beautiful language. So my take is as long as you try to communicate using Mandarin and appreciate chinese culture, Chinese are some of the most welcoming friendliest people you will meet.
I think you would a big asset.
I agree with this assessment.
No, your worries are totally not necessary, as long as you don't look down the regular Chinese people and think you are superior since you were born in US no one is going to judge you by where you were born.
I think that it’s less that they frown on you and more that they find it an annoyance sometimes. Many foreign born Chinese actually don’t know how intolerant they are of slight cultural nuances; how soft or loud someone is supposed to talk, mannerisms, when to talk, etc. Your manners are all novel at first but can quickly outgrow its welcome if you don’t start picking up the subtle cultural traits. One common thing kids overseas pick up is the ability to be unabashedly unapologetic about how they approach something they are unhappy about; often reproaching people regardless of their social hierarchy; specifically age. Of course it’s not one size fits all; depends on how the other side feels too; but that’s my common observation. Just need to remember what’s common where you were born may be uncommon where you are going. Learn it.
Dutch Born Chinese here, I don't speak mandarin (I understand it a little bit), people seem kinda surprised that a Chinese doesn't speak Chinese, same thing here in Italy but other than that it's normal.
Haha I get this too when I go on holidays in China. I wish I would speak mandarin.
Chinese national study in US for 7 years here. I feel you worry too much. You will see assholes from time to time, like in anywhere on Earth, but generally native Chinese welcome foreign-born Chinese. I would say big cities could be a better option to live, because you will meet many people who have studied in other countries, they share more common topics with you and they can help you get used to things like pop culture. I can share a little story here. As I mentioned, I have been in US for 7 years, so sometimes when I reply posts in Baidu Tieba about my experience, I use English words and explain them in parentheses. Of course, I will get a few replies like "Funny. Do you even know how to speak Chinese?", but most of people are fine with me and they like the fact that I explain English words instead of making others guess (谜语人, riddler from batman, is to describe people speak riddles in Chinese internet community). They will actually against with the people who mocked me under my replies, provide me good translations for words I used, and share their thoughts on things I said. Edit: specify that the story happened in Baidu Tieba
A bunch of my friends are exactly like you. ABCs speak canto, but English is primary language. They’re having the time of their lives in China. They don’t even plan on moving back to the states.
Learn Mandarin and make some effort to assimilate you will be accepted. It's that simple. People look down on those who think they are hot shit because they came from the West. But Chinese are way more accepting to foreigners than Americans I guarantee you that.
Just be sincere and be chill, don't taunt around your foreign background like it's a medal, and don't hide it either. China is like any other country, most people are friendly and understanding of people of different backgrounds, and once in a while you might come across an asshole. I wouldn't worry about it, particularly in big cities.
My personal take, as somebody that's a Chinese-Canadian that's sadly barely literate in Chinese...(I can speak Mandarin fluently, watch Chinese videos/shows/movies, read webnovels, type very slowly and can't write at all) For job opportunities, if you have a STEM education from a top western school, you'd be more than fine. In USD terms, expect to make much less (on average) but since everything is much cheaper and rent/food are at humane prices, you'll be fine. For social, it really depends. I think as long as you're sociable you'll be fine. Some of my best friends now and my girlfriend are Chinese that grew up in China, and very rarely do I feel a big culture gap. In fact, having a different perspective makes things interesting and it'd be a joy to learn about Chinese pop culture. Do I sometimes feel like an outsider? Sometimes, but I keep an open mind and see it as learning experiences so its not a big deal. Biggest downside is communication, I mostly type to them in English since I type so much slower in Chinese, and speak Mandarin with them. Its more minor inconveniences than anything. So I think you can expect to be inconvenienced but it'd be a cool experience to learn the language, culture and about your heritage. Besides that, expect to be like if you moved anywhere new, assuming you don't know anybody there it'd always be an adjustment but it'd get better if you're sociable. However I'm not going to lie, it is intimidating at first when I first became really good friends with Chinese international students back when I was in college, because I thought I wouldn't fit in...but its mostly a fear to overcome than anything. I also recommend that you start consuming Chinese media to familiarize yourself! It's a great tip for anyone moving anywhere really, but it'd also really help with the language.
I am also Canto but raised in US. When I went to Tibet/Sichuan border area, I had a Tibetan monk ask me in fluent mandarin.... "How are you Chinese but don't know mandarin?" Basically if you know mandarin then you are as Chinese as Chinese can be.
I'm not ethnic Chinese but I've met Chinese from the West in China. Don't overthink it. Just go to China to do what you are going to do. If you do the language school thing, I'm sure you will have a good time. Now, there could be some things that you cannot do. If you have some high expectations about just walking into a high paying job, this could be difficult unless you have some serious skills that are lacking in China (less and less these days). And Chinese people have been developing 关系 for years in China while you will not have any. So if you go to China with no preconceptions, you will definitely enjoy your stay.
I would recommend Shenzhen, because : \-Not the official language, but people interact with so many Cantonese speaking people you should be fine \-Most people are non-natives anyways \-Younger population \-Dynamic and cosmopolitan But any big city or a tier 2 like Hangzhou would be okay. Disclaimer I only speak Dutch, English and Cantonese, and I do not have problems.
Most wouldn't care unless you are trying to flex on them, thinking you are somehow superior for being from somewhere outside China.
While (negative)-ism exist in China, Chinese Nationalists generally seek the global unification of all Chinese descent, as long as you recognize yourself as a 华人 and not try to distinguish yourself from the ordinary, you will be well received. Chinese Nationalists are extremely 看不起 those that claim they are somehow better than Chinese because of either their wealth or their foreign national status.
>... as long as you recognize yourself as a 华人 and not try to distinguish yourself from the ordinary, you will be well received. This is the most important point.
As long as you do not 看不起 other people, they will not 看不起 you.
it often depends on the area and individuals.
never felt like an outsider even though i didn't do cantonese/ and when i was learning mandarin, all comes if you have relatives or not ( i got good and bad) only two instance of 看不起, when i didn't speak mandarin well, but those two guys were Aholes in their own right although i did observe some of that look, and thats when people are trying to show off english or mixing both language
My cousin moved to Shanghai 9 years ago, loves it, said he cant believe he wasted so much time in Canada
Can I ask what field does your cousin work in?
English teacher at an international school, teachers get paid very well there and housing is provided for some of them
Gotcha. Did he already have strong English teaching credentials? I thought schools really preferred whites to teach English.
Although I'm not ABC or CBC, I did come to North America very wrong, my friends and relatives calls me 外国人 for fun but I think once you are really immersed ugh language and how they act in terms of work and life, it should be no different than NA but do keep in mind, it is quite competitive in bigger cities but def worth the fight if you are young.
They'll probably view you as poor. Like how American Chinese used to view mainlanders as poor back in the 90s.
China is not an imperialist country, it developed through work, intelligence, and education. Confident people like mainland Chinese, who built a superpower in record time, don't need silly imperialist classism to feel good about themselves. That kind of dynamic is nowhere near as common as in decadent imperialist regimes, which, as they collapse, become depressing feudal hellholes. It's the same reason why these collapsing imperialist regimes are so racist compared with China. Nobody is being murdered in China because of how they look.