Growing number of African-American China experts work to gain recognition, puncture stereotypes
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US congressional staffer Mark Akpaninyie, an African-American, had clumps of his hair hoarded as souvenirs. Think tank analyst Bryce Barros was told his skin was too dark to be an American. Technology expert Shirley Hargis was asked if she was Beyoncé.
Black people living in China faced their share of jarring interactions, whether motivated by prejudice, racism or ignorance.
Hargis, deputy manager of the China Technology Transfer & Emerging Technologies at civic group CRDF Global, said that while living in Suzhou, Harbin and Taiwan, people would typecast her based on stereotypes of black women’s bodies.
“Some rubbed my palms – oh does this come off? Much of it was just curiosity. But grabbing? I was like: Stop, that’s rude,” she said. “They looked at me stunned like ‘Oh, it’s moving.’ I think they were more shocked that I could speak the language.”