Hyphenated identities: Why can’t I be just ‘South African’; why do I need to be ‘South- African Chinese’?
South Africa, like other multicultural countries such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia, are known as rainbow nations, with immigrant communities dating back centuries and with legislation that promotes equality and dignity for all citizens.
If one divided the globe into Eastern and Western hemispheres, it could be construed as the macrocosm of the human brain. The Eastern half, the right side, comprises the holistic, imaginative, and intuitive side — rooted in ancient China under the philosophies of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. The Western half, the left side, represents the logical, linear, reasoning side — rooted in ancient Greece under philosophers Plato, Socrates and Aristotle.
This dominant worldview has produced slavery, hunger, greed, exploitation and aggression, prompting a universal movement towards an integrative global society based on values that promote harmony, peace and dignity for all. However, for this to work, East and West must be treated as equal and complementary.
Another universal stereotype is the perception that Chinese and East Asian people possess positive traits such as being studious, industrious, intelligent, productive and politically inactive, and have elevated their socioeconomic standing through merit, self-discipline and diligence. Although perceived as positive stereotypes, these can also be used to silence minorities seeking equal rights, even today.
Moreover, anti-Chinese sentiments are spreading rapidly around the globe, to the extent that it seems the mere presence of a Chinese person — regardless of where they come from or their level of assimilation — is sufficient to activate embedded stereotypes of yellow peril.
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