Big Trouble in Little Africa
January 19th, 2009 by Mitch Moxley | 19 Comments »
I recently travelled north to the Mongolian border and south to Guangzhou and Macao, working on separate stories about human trafficking and China’s African population. Over the next few weeks I’ll be writing some short postcards from each of the cities, since I think they provide interesting snapshots of China today. This one is about Guangzhou, where the African community, China’s largest, is at a breaking point.
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In Guangzhou, you can buy anything. On the chaotic streets of the old city there are stores selling over–sized stuffed animals, Christmas decorations, plastic trees, neon signage, bulk candy, and elastics. There are separate shops for plastic, paper, and reusable bags. Stationary. Wigs. Sneakers. Scooters. Jay-Z t–shirts. Whatever you could possibly want, it’s available here. Guangdong province – the “world’s factory” – is home to 28,000 industrial firms, including 15,000 overseas–funded business. It makes 75% of the world’s toys and 90% of its Christmas decorations (in a country that doesn’t celebrate it). In Guangzhou, the provincial capital, it’s all available for purchase, direct from the source.
Over the years, this access to cheap goods has attracted traders from across the world. Guangzhou was once called Canton, China’s first port opened for trade with foreign countries.** Back in the day, foreigners lived on an island called Shamian. Today, the island is where foreign couples wait, for months at a time, to adopt Chinese babies. Though adoption is getting more difficult, the Starbucks on Shamian island is still packed with young white couples waiting to adopt, sipping lattes all the while. Today, the most visible ex–pat community in Guangzhou is African. What was a community of a few hundred traders a decade ago now numbers as high as 20,000. It’s been dubbed “Little Africa,” or “Chocolate City,” and its residents come from Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Angola, Tunisia, and elsewhere to buy jeans, trainers, fake iPods, and more. There are times walking around Guangzhou when, were it not for the storefront signs written in Chinese characters, the city could be mistaken for Lagos or Accra.
For the most part the community has thrived. Markets are devoted to African buyers and whole neighbourhoods cater to them. There are African restaurants, bars with African music, African churches. Many traders have lived in Guangzhou for years; some have settled with Chinese wives.
But Guangzhou’s African community is at a breaking point. The rising cost of goods, currency inflation, and a faltering economy are putting the squeeze on Little Africa. Numbers are down and business is suffering. More crucially, visas are being denied or granted only for the short term. Africans who allow their visas to expire are often imprisoned and forced to pay a hefty fine. And, according to interviews with over two dozen African traders, the community is facing increased persecution at the hands of police, a crackdown that coincides with the sentencing to death of 8 Africans accused of smuggling drugs into China.**** In the lead–up to the Olympics there were several crackdowns on Africans living in China. In September, 2007, at least 20 blacks, including a diplomat’s son, were rounded up by police in Beijing’s Sanlitun bar district. In the weeks before the Games rumours surfaced that bar owners had been instructed to ban black patrons.
I recently travelled to Guangzhou with a fellow journalist, Tom Mackenzie, and a photographer, James Wasserman, and spent six days hanging out with the African community. We visited markets, ate chicken and rice in a Nigerian diner, attending mass, sat down with an Imam, and interviewed a cross–eyed preacher over Red Bulls and apple slices. What we found is a colourful community that is slowly dying.
Guangzhou is the type of teeming Asian city one imagines before going to Asia. In the old city, the narrow streets are lined with palm trees, and elevated freeways clogged with traffic offer views of apartment towers with barred balconies strung with laundry. The new city features soulless apartment complexes, spotless Audies and Mercedes, and skyscrapers plucked from the Hong Kong skyline.
Little Africa is actually two areas in the old city surrounding markets that cater to the African community. One area is predominantly Muslim, the other Christian. The men (they are mostly men) that frequent them buy bulk goods and ship them back to their home country, where a relative or friend distributes them. The most popular items for purchase, it seemed, were baggy, hip–hop jeans. “G–Star is popular. Diesel,” an Angolan trader told us. “It depends if you can get the cheap price.”
I don’t want to give too much of the story away, since it’s yet to be published, but talks with over two dozen Africans in Guangzhou confirmed that the community is in trouble. It was evident in the markets. At one market in the Muslim area, long aisles of shops on several floors were largely empty. When asked how business was going, Kimba, a sharply dressed man from Niger chewing a matchstick in a leather bag shop, told us, “Look, see for yourself. There are no customers. In China, business is very, very bad.”
More alarming than the business downturn is the increased police persecution. More than a dozen people we spoke to independently reported increased violence against Africans at the hands of police. One man with a cast on his leg said he jumped from a balcony after a chase with police and didn’t receive medical treatment for over 24 hours.
There’s an irony here. For years, Chinese business, from oil producing giants to individual entrepreneurs, have been encouraged to set up shop in Africa and foster trade relations. In 2007, China invested US$7–billion in the continent. In their destination countries, Chinese are welcomed with open arms. In Lagos, Nigeria, for example, a has been established under full protection of the Nigerian authorities. That warm welcome has not been reciprocated in Guangzhou, where African businessmen have few rights and little legal protection.
On a Sunday in late November, we attended mass in the city’s impressive catholic church, where a Cantonese preacher delivered a sermon on the end of days under the church’s high ceiling, chandeliers, and CCTV cameras. The audience of roughly 700 was over 90% black, mostly Nigerian. After mass, the congregation spilled out to the church grounds and an adjacent hall, dimly lit and crumbling, where they sang and danced to the rhythm of guitar and African drums. The mood was festive, but it masked tensions that could see this weekly scene become a thing of the past.
Once word got out that we were journalists, people were eager to talk. Many were angry, some afraid. A group of young men surrounded me and talked about the visa crackdown while I scribbled down notes. For these men, Guangzhou is home, but they are on temporary visas and are worried about over–extending them. Some already have.
“If you over–extend your visa, you have to pay a fine,” a stocky Nigerian named Joe told me. “If you can’t pay the visa fine you are thrown in jail and not allowed out of the country. A lot of us want to leave the country, but we don’t know how.
“I come here to buy goods to send to my country,” Joe said. “I’m helping the economy. I don’t understand why they do this.”
Photographs by James Wasserman.
Would you please provide me with an email contact for Mitch Moxley.
Many thanks
Hi Francisco,
You can contact me at mitch@mitchmoxley.ca. Thanks.
Mitch
re-write policies and extend their visas for goodness sake! Merchants need more flexibility, give it to them!
Not a sentence, not even a word have I read in this article is from a local Cantonese, or even a Chinese’s point of view. Actually this author totaly ignored this point. Or perhaps in the author’s opinion, our local people’s feelings or thoughts are simply irrelevant to this topic?
Chinese society is still pretty homogenous but generally speaking we are friendly towards laowai(foreigners). Far too friendly sometimes, some would say.
As a local cantonese girl, I have nothing against any foriengers, regardsless their races or skin colors, but again….what really worries us(the Cantonese people I know around me and me included) are potential or existing problems caused by:
illegal immigrants, underground activities, disproportional sex ratio among the African expats(the scale propobly male:female 8:2?).Most of the African expats are young or middle-aged male who stay alone or single(at least in China).
The disproportional sex ratio thing has already caused lots of problem and becomes the main reason lots of Cantonese girls always prefer to maintain a certain distance with those Africans in Guangzhou.
Many of them try to dress, walk, talk like AFrican Americans, even lie about their background as African Americans, listen to hiphop and raps, speak coarse English slangs with some broken accents, overuse (actually abuse) cheap perfume which annoys or even irritates Chinese people who are not used to strong odors like this. Somse of the pathetic guys flirt with pretty much each female creature with or without a chance.
There are also large number of expats from other developing coutnries and regions in Guangzhou, Southeast Asian, Indian and Arabic. However you just don’t hear about the local people’s concern, compliants or grievnace as often as this!
These Africans, just like ones in virtually every other non-African country on the globe, are disproportionally violent and are responsible for a disproportionate amount of criminal activity within communities. Then they blame it all on someone else. The same thing over and over again world-wide. Why? Because they are African and it is their nature.
Their visa woes are no different than anyone else. Everyone else deals with it. Africans blame and violate the law.
These idiots violate immigration laws, then run when found by the police, then blame the police when they injure themselves fleeing a legal apprehension of a criminal.
But this is the nature of Africans… violate a country’s laws and people, then blame someone else.
Well, Mitch, not much of a journalist, are you? That explains your “freelance” status. Freelance usually means unemployed or unemployable.
These Africans didn’t get sentenced to death because they were accused, as you stated. They were sentenced to death because they were convicted, as a Chinese court stated.
Africans here, just like all over the globe, minimize their peoples’ disproportionate criminal and violent behavior then blame others for their peoples’ disproportionate violent and criminal behavior. Then they justify further attacks against those they blame for their violent and criminal behavior.
This really confuses the Chinese. They didn’t have any real prejudices or preconceptions before the arrival of Africans. But they now have a very real and justifiable fear and hatred of them now. Africans in China have earned every bit of the fear and hatred toward them, just as they have all over the globe. But the Africans will have you believe THEY are the real victims and that their violent and criminal behavior is justified and the fault of everyone else.
You see, Mitch, I am an American residing, legally, in Guangzhou. I can see, everyday, exactly why the Chinese despise Africans so much. They see them as violent and dangerous, and they are completely correct.
If you are indeed an African, you’re the most pathetic example i have seen of a self-loathing fool. I think you need a psychiatrist.
Your comments border on the absurd and quite frankly require no rebuttal. As for ‘annoyed Chinese girl’, I believe it quite unfair of you to paint these traders, who have come half-way across the globe for legitimate trade as ’sex tourists’. I can assure you that the reason for the ‘disproportionate sex ratio’ is not because Chinese women are so enticing that these horny African immigrants cannot resist. Tell me, I wonder if Chinese embassies are willing to issue visas to dependents? I am sure most traders left their wives and children behind. Please be more open minded to the issues facing these immigrants. Black people are not monsters. I shouldn’t have to explain further.
Well, Yabuku, you are a perfect example of why Africans cannot solve their problems and why so many people around the globe are fed up with your infiltration and pestilence of their countries. You refuse to acknowledge your people’s responsibility in violating Chinese law or its people and you don’t listen, but hurry to open the hole in your face and blurt out unintelligent victim stance rhetoric. I guess you are just too stupid to read properly and listen to other’s opinions, or just too African to acknowledge what you read.
First, none of the repliers stated they were African. Mitch Moxley is a white Canadian, it is evident the Cantonese girl is just that… Cantonese. I am an American, not African. Since your people in America are so bent on and demanding in their title as “African Americans,” when one says American it means all Americans except “African Americans.” Your people there have segregated themselves from their identity as Americans and demanded to be “African Americans” (and, as Africans do, blamed everyone else).
Second, it is certainly not self-loathing to despise in ones people something that brings shame and discredit to ones people. But, again, this is what Africans do. They justify their peoples violence and criminal activity by blaming everyone around them and pointing the finger of responsibility in every direction except their own. If you truly are an African, should you not acknowledge the problems and suggest that your people exercise self-discipline and self-control?
Third, you state that Africans can resist enticing Chinese women. OK, that’s what the rest of us do in order to abide by the laws of China and to exercise self-control. That’s what decent human beings do, Yabuku. Monkeys, apes and lower animal forms, on the other hand, exercise very little self-control and cannot abide by laws because they don’t understand the concept of laws and self-control.
What then what is your explanation of the incredibly disproportionate amount of violent sex crimes Africans are arrested and fined/convicted/deported for against both Chinese nationals and other ex-pats in Guangzhou (and the rest of China)? It’s funny that most ex-pats I know in Guangzhou have the same issues with your people, several having been the victims of those issues.
Fourth, who do you blame? Immigration? Dependent visa issuance? Dependent visas are the easiest visas to obtain because the Chinese government, as do the American and Canadian governments, recognize that visitors with their families are far more stable and less of a community risk. Blaming Chinese Immigration is just another African example of blaming someone else for your people’s violent criminal behavior. I suspect that having your family here would be undesirable to most of your people, as it would actually hinder their ability to commit violent crimes.
Fifth, no repliers said that black people are monsters. But, I am certain that many people, especially Chinese, do think and say that you and your people are monsters. Why? Because your people act as monsters far too often and way out of proportion compared to other ex-pats. Your people are guests here. Start acting as respectful guests… or face the consequences.
I am saying directly to you, Yabuku, that Africans commit these disproportionate amount of violent crimes because they choose to and because they want to… not because they are enticed of forced. Want drugs? Ask anyone here in Guangzhou and they will tell you to go to the Garden Hotel, look in the bars for a black guy and there you will find drugs. It’s not “look for a foreigner,” it’s “look for a black guy.” Your people have chosen and want to commit crimes. They choose to levy violence on this community and those around the globe because they benefit from it and they want to.
Why don’t other ex-pats carry the distinction of being violent criminals? Is it, perhaps, because you and your people have earned every bit of the reputation that people here in Guangzhou witness every day? I say, yes, you and your people have earned it. Now live with it and gain back people’s respect by having respect for other people and their countries and abiding by their laws.
So, Yabuku, in closing I will charge you with finding an intelligent way to respond without blaming your people’s violent criminal behavior on the rest planet.
Either you don’t have a strong command of English or your deductive reasoning is suspect. I meant this statement rhetorically -
“I can assure you that the reason for the ‘disproportionate sex ratio’ is not because Chinese women are so enticing that these horny African immigrants cannot resis”
I never justified the behavior of drug dealers. If you were to interact with the African community in Guangzhou you would discover that the majority don’t either. I would just like you to recognize that a majority of the immigrants are simple law abiding traders. Your issues can be summarized in one word. Racism
Chinese-american, latin-american, etc. For an american citizen, your quite uninformed.
Unfortunately, immigrant populations do often find themselves prone to unlawful activity. It is not a matter of race, country of origin, or final destination.
Check out your history books. Some examples, Chinese immigrants have frequently formed gangs in their various chosen home; Italian mafia, etc. Dig deeper and you’ll find that this problem transcends race or geographical location. Again, i must mention that i am in no way justifying this behavior. I just think it absurd for you to use the current situation as fodder for fueling you racial hatred.
Chinese traders can be seen everywhere on the streets all over Africa hawking and selling their products for anyone who has recently visited Africa. The Chinese are bleeding Africa dry and by the time the silly African Governments wake up, all of Africa’s resources will be extinct.
And now to the issue of Mr. Roger’s who seems to have documented all the atrocities of unwanted African immigrants in China it is very clear that YOU are certainly biased with your views. After all whenever the Western world attacks other peaceful nation and wrecks havoc on innocent civilians (collateral damage as it termed) they are trying to save humanity, civilization and the world from tyrants.
Well I guess the violent sex crimes and other atrocities committed by black Africans against Chinese locals is just as bad and Mr. Rogers is only trying to ram home the point that all blacks are prone to violence and the white man is God. For someone with very little knowledge of history your emotional racist comments are at the very best ignorance and you can blame it on limited education.
I suppose you are another Journey man teaching English while claiming to be enlightened and someday soon when the Chinese authorities will require all foreign teachers in China to submit criminal background check verification documents just like they now do in Korea and Japan, only then shall we know the truth about who the violent sex criminals are, whites of blacks.
Caucasian’s in China are all just as bad because they prey on unsuspecting Chinese students, perform all kinds of unimaginable sex orgies with them while pretending to be opening them up to Western Culture and values.
Chinese companies manufacture and export tainted milk and drugs to other countries, any comments on that Mr. Rogers? Chinese triad gangs export Chinese girls as sex slaves to other countries; they hold these girls captive and make them do unimaginable things any comments on that Mr. Rogers? You come across as a racist in disguise without a cause Mr. Rogers plain and simple.
Michael Kim
Seoul.
Annoyed Cantonese YOU honestly need to ask your Government in China why it continues to do business with rogue regimes in Africa, why it continues to export arms to African countries.
Don’t you think that the Africans moving into China is a direct effect of your Government’s policies? China has invested heavily in Africa, it is stealing the continent blind and making it a dumping ground for inferior products, a lot of harmful and toxic wastes from Chinese factories are shipped and dumped into the waters surrounding African countries causing immense heath and ecological problems. Chinese textile manufacturers and impugning on India’s textile quota by manufacturing garments and labeling them as made in India. The list goes on; I wonder why you have not looked into the impact all the above have on the people and societies on both sides of the continent. You rather vent and complain about the unwanted Africans why? Because all you care about in China is making MONEY!! Isn’t that why the Chinese have this saying ‘WO men tuan chen, wo men mei-yor yong!” Advise your Government to review its trade policies with other countries.
I travel extensively and have seen how immigrant Chinese population constitutes themselves as a nuisance as well. A visit to Manhattan or Soho in London to name a few cities is enough for anyone to wonder if the Chinese have taken over these cities. The same can be said for Canada, Australia, and New Zealand as well.
Now I guess you know how it feels to be on the other end of the spectrum. Chinese businessmen go to Africa, thump their noses at the law bribe their way into the corrupt system all for the sake of securing a contract and making profit while taking away Africa’s resources and what do the African’s get in return for that? Ask yourself Mr./Ms.Cantonese?
Today the internet has given us all a medium to express ourselves so we get to read vile and hateful remarks from people who have very little knowledge of things except for making “ad hominem arguments” and sheer loud mouthing. As a result we get to read comments from Mr. Rogers and angry Cantonese.
Much as I do NOT approve of the behavior of a very small population of rusted, uneducated and unexposed Africans, I see not point in your trying to slander the entire continent by trash talking and name calling. After all Cantonese traders are of the same mentality and creed.
Most traders are simply that, traders and opportunists; they have very basic education and lack any sophistication. If African’s pass themselves as African Americans it is because their in Canton, the young women and men seek for cheap glory and escapades, and the Africans traders who happen to have no sophistication whatsoever take advantage of that.
And when it comes to who speaks better English, honestly the local Chinese do not speak any better than the Africans. As a fact, many Africans speak way much better English than the Chinese or Cantonese based on the fact that African countries adopt English as their official language.
An African with a primary school level of education can speak some form of English crude or otherwise that is up for the debate. Crude English speakers can be found in native English speaking countries as well!!
Michael Kim
Seoul.
Uh, well, Yakubu, if you will read carefully and without haste to spew out unintelligent victim accolades, you will note that I did, in fact, recognize and respond to your poorly written rhetorical statement. Why is it that it takes you two attempts to form a thought and reply? Maybe because you are, as I have already stated, too anxious to trumpet to the world how Africans are victims and not patient enough to read and reflect.
As I do live here, and you, perhaps, do not, I can tell you that the majority of law abiding Africans minimize and justify the criminal behavior of Africans. This is precisely why the majority are largely ostracized and shunned by both the Chinese and ex-pats alike. My good African friends share some of my views and are just as ashamed of these despicable human beings as I am. They all agree that the excuses for violating Chinese law are no different than the excuses Africans vomit out in nearly every other country on the planet. I find it interesting that these Africans, so ashamed of African behavior here, avoid most of them and refuse interaction with “Little Africa” and its African residents, legal or not.
Reflect and take ownership of your people’s criminal behavior you seem to minimize and justify so easily. Immigrants either have respect for their host country, or not. Most of the rest of us do respect the laws of our host countries. Why are Africans special and in need of criminal avenues to vent their frustration at having to be subject to same laws as the rest of the immigrants in China?
One last point; Why have you not spent time explaining all the questions posed by the posters. All I’ve heard from you are race card whining and excuses. Reflect a bit and offer some solutions. For now, I suggest the solution is to prosecute, imprison then deport all African criminals and illegal immigrants per Chinese law. All I’ve heard from you is how all these African criminals are forced by society to violate immigration laws, commit violent crimes, victimize everyone else, and how they deserve a special African sympathy pass.
You and your people have earned every bit of hatred you receive. Too bad, Yakubu. Live with it, own it and make amends to earn back the respect that the rest of us law abiding ex-pats work so hard to maintain with our host countries.
Roger since when does living in China and working under whatever disguise make you any different from the unlawful African residents in the so called “little Africa” in China?
Why are you in China and not living in America? Isn’t America a much better place to live in compared to China? Roger what are your contributions to the development of China? Are you pretending to teach English while enriching yourself at the expense of the locals who know no better.
You are just as bad for China and Asia like the illegal immigrants from Africa. Hatred is not a bad word to use if only you know that it applies both ways. You label yourself an ex-pat. What are you an ex-pat at? Yeah every “Tom Dick and Harry” is an ex-pat as soon as they get off the plane from wherever they originate. You can be who ever you want to be in Asia period! We Asian are clueless and gullible.
By the way what are the violent crimes committed by these Illegal African immigrants? You never made any mention of it except for generalizing and stating that they commit violent sex crimes. You showed No proof in your posting and you have not defined what you mean by violent sex crime because if you do then most ex-pats would be found guilty of the same crime.
All over the internet one can see posting put up by the so called ex-pats who live in China labeling Chinese women as a “dime a dozen” why?
Roger your so called African friends who are ashamed of “little Africa” and avoid “little Africa” for whatever reasons are part of the problem as well because they need to take an active role in educating these traders on how to conduct themselves respectably and thrive in whatever business they are engaged in.
Here in South Korea we had problems similar to what is happening in little China and through active police involvement with the communities they created indigenous associations (Nigerian association in Seoul; Association of Ghanaian’s in Korea, Association of French speaking African countries) to name a few that have now become very useful in helping other African traders to adjust well into living and doing legitimate businesses and abiding by the law here in South Korea.
For those engaged in illegal activities they help to fish them out and get the authorities to arrest and deport them. The same approach can be tried in China because it has been effective here in South Korea.
Another example of such a program is the one that has being adopted by the American forces here in South Korea to reduce tensions between the locals and the American soldiers. They introduced the good neighbor program to help improve the bad image created because of crimes committed by American soldiers against the locals here.
I believe the same approach could be one among many that can be helpful in China instead of name calling, trash talking and finger pointing.
American’s here in South Korea and Japan have the label of being violent sex offenders and they are protected under the status of Forces Agreement it is interesting that with all the documented information out there Roger the ex-pat has not been moved to write a blog in response to that, rather he is very incensed and angry with the African traders who are causing wanton problems because they are going “Ape” on Chinese girls and women and committing violent sexual acts against these innocent peace loving Chinese women.
So a better conclusion for Roger is Africans must take full responsibility for the atrocities of other “African traders and that have gone amok over Chinese girls and women because this has become a serious threat to the entire 1.6 billion people of China, and in addition the Africans are causing the rapid spread of HIV are also evil.
I couldn’t agree more with Roger, after all his analogy is a classic example of “pot calling the kettle black”
So Roger when will you own up to the ravage that your country is causing by killing innocent civilians in other countries namely Afghanistan, Iraq to name a few? Are the locals responsible for the bombings that have left several families devastated?
Michael Kim (I am not Yakubu)
Seoul, Korea.
Note to the editor: this a resubmission of paragraph 12 to correct an error.
So a better conclusion for Roger is Africans must take full responsibility for the atrocities of other “African traders that have gone amok over Chinese girls and women because this has become a serious threat to the entire 1.6 billion people of China, and in addition the Africans are causing the rapid spread of HIV and are also evil.
Michael Kim
Seoul South Korea.
Michael, if I wished to address you, you would know because I would indicate that. If you were capable of following a thought, you would see that your thoughts and opinions were not being replied to.
You’re right about some Asians being clueless. You are an example of a clueless Asian. Your writing doesn’t follow the subjects, gather the points of the authors nor is it intelligent in its conclusions. It wanders in all directions demanding a splatter of facts and solutions to nearly all the world’s problems. You presume to know what the authors think and what their intentions are in China. Actually, you had some good points. If you could but stay focused on those points, your thoughts might express an intelligent view. Spending all your time assuming and presuming really is time wasted.
I will be happy to supply my invitation letter from the Public Security Bureau, Permission from the USDOJ for employment with a sensitive foreign government agency, PSB employment documents, Permanent Resident Visa, Employment Permit, precise PSB job description, Current Diplomatic Passport Data Page, graduate and post-graduate degrees… as soon as you supply all similar documents that I need to do a complete criminal, immigration, financial, credit, education and family verification check on you. Short of that, I guess we all can assume that you too are a criminal incognito, as you have accused me of being. Put up your documents for all see and examine, as you have suggested I do, or close the hole in your face.
Yes, the American blunders. There are many. Yes, I know, Americans are the white devil. It’s been said countless times… unless you plantation dwellers want something from America. Then America is kind, gracious and your county’s best friend, right? Which side of the coin are you on today? Yes, of course, America is responsible for all the world’s evils, including any and all troubles in S. Korea, Africa, wherever. Perhaps America should have avoided the mistake of getting involved in Korea over 50 and 60 years ago. No doubt you would be happier and better off under North Korean, Japanese or Chinese husbandry. I’ll be happy to pitch for a complete withdrawal of all American Forces from S. Korea.
As far as Africans being victimized in Africa… you are amazingly naive. Bottom line… People have choices. When Africans IN Africa make their choices concerning whose bed to sleep in, they get to live with those consequences. Africans are compensated as per their agreements while sleeping with the clients who demand services and resources. If Africa doesn’t want toxic dumps in Africa, then Africans need to find the means to put an end to it. Act, don’t talk. Just like you do with your choices, no? No doubt you and Yakubu blame everyone, particularly China and White Americans, for Africa’s problems, except Africans.
Returning to what I said about you having some good points, I wholeheartedly agree with your points about LLE working with migrant communities to solve neighborhood problems. That has and is being attempted here. The problem is that the African communities here are not interested in vetting out problems. Their focus has been and remains the quest and demand for exemptions from Chinese immigration laws, amnesty for violations laws ranging from simple over-stays to murders. That’s where the Chinese have drawn the line. There is no compromise from the Guangzhou African communities. They “demand” to be given special rights and privileges that appear to the PSB to be nothing more than an unobstructed avenue for even more extensive criminal behavior. Arrests and deportations for law violations has never even been on the table. It’s black and white with this group. “Leave us alone and let us rule our own turf,” seems to be the message the PSB and Immigration are experiencing. I have to agree. There is no respect for the sovereignty of China. Same problem and demands in America and Canada with this “special” group of “victimized” people. There comes a point when the group of people being accused of being the evil overlords, as the local Chinese are now being painted, have had enough and lash back.
I think it’s common knowledge that the Chinese are a dangerous amoral society with a penchant for increased power and wealth. It’s also common knowledge that Chinese crap is being dumped in nearly all countries. Again, it boils down to choices. Choose to buy that crap or not. There is a rapidly growing wave of consumers in America, Panama and Costa Rica that are simply refusing to buy anything made in China or made with Chinese materials. If they can’t find a TV or toaster made in a country they deem worthy, they go without. These consumers are making a choice to improve their lives by their own actions, and not blaming someone else and charging them to improve their live for them. Hear where I’m coming from on this?
As far as the Asian sex trade, it is a misconception that the trade is mostly supported by foreigners coming to Asia to indulge themselves. The foreigners that do come to take part in illicit sex slavery and mostly Eastern European and Middle-Eastern, though there are nearly as many that come from Europe and N. America. Very few make their way from S. America. By far, the greatest number of clients for the illicit sex trades are Asian men. Again, these are facts that are contradictory to what is perceived and alluded to by the media. Check it out for yourself.
This topic and it’s splattered direction bores me. When I see someone that understands that people are responsible for their own choices and subject to the consequences of those choices, I’ll take part in the discussion. For now all we have is Michael and Yakubu who blame all their woes and those of others on the Chinese and White Americans. That attitude will keep both of them on the plantation, with no hope of ever finding a place in the world of self-accountability and self-determination. You will always be someone’s bitch… but, hey, it will always be someone else’s fault, no? At least you will feel better.
Dear All, I have gone through most of postings on this subject. What I may say to the Cantonese girl and to Mr Rogers is that Crime is social constructed. It’s society who defines what crimes is and what is not. Crime is also geographicly defines; what is crime is Canada or America can not be crime in England or China. And when crime escalates, there is always a scapegoat to justify the failure of the system(government or institutions of control). You have to know also that Media creates what we call in criminology “moral panic”. Having saying so, I want to advise anyone of you look seriously and with precaution at the matter put down by the author of the article about africans in china. In every society, Mr Roger, there is law breakers and the most criminals are the “white collars” [crimes committed in the offices] like the one which took the financial system on their knees. No one is above the law and every body should abide to the law. When africans come to a country, thy most confuses their local system(legislation) and their new home (country); so i think the first thing to tell those law breakers is to be informed of the “DO and DONT DO” in china. The responsibility of this task can be given to african association. Saying that african always blame the other instead of themselves is a fact of the pass and depend of the level of understanding of each person. It’s like in a marriage, when it fails partners try to blame each other and no one accepts his responsibility to the collapse of the marriage [this is common not on africans but to every race.]
I will conclude with a real case of how immigration is always a scapegoat to justify the fail of the society: i am writing from England as I am now. The British government is facing a real problem of Knife crime among the young people. Researchers biased by their hatred (may be racist) behavour blamed the rise of knife crime to the Black youth community and the british press did its job by creating a moral panic which means people have to change route when they meet a group of young black. But well conducted survey proved that white young males were among the most users of knives. The same british medias and government blamed immigrants for the rise of credit cards fraud but after a well conducted survey the result proved that it was not africans on top of the list but Eastern Europe citizens and Indians british born.
I am an african living in London – In UK you can not have cannabis and smoke it in public but in Amsterdam you can allow your self to puff.
AFRICANS IN CHINA NEED COACHING ONLY. If a small group is involved in crime, that’s normal because crime is social constructed and we will never have a world without crime. the most criminals being the financial system and the “white collars”
first of all i want to thank u big brother,for ur contribution and ur publication of this blog to the people of nigeria,infact i mean the IGBO’s.a lot of things is happening in this city of guagzhou china,i ve a lot of story in this land.but i ve to mention the few ones,i ve been caugt by the chinese police in to occassions and the first they break my door while i was inside with over 20 police men,they accuse me of what i know nothing about they collected the sum of 20,000rmb from me just to leave me and the second my chinese partner plan for me bcz our business is growing,and she call chinese malfians for me and i ascp and ran to the police station for my safety.but the police people turn against me,ask me not to go back to our office.so what i’m i saying we re not talking about one thing,but all chinese their re the same.i just pray that our God should fight for his children,that is all.remain bless i lke ur good work.ur camera man James is my guy he is now in naija.