The “attitude towards minorities” is not poor. In fact, among all countries I’d say it’s probably quite good.

There are the occasional ignorant and stupid comments from individuals that happen to be “Han” Chinese, but these people are viscerally hated by the rest.

From the accounts of Mongolians, Manchurians, Koreans, etc in China I have spoken to they tend to be very nationalistic as Chinese citizens despite occasional discrimination they may face.

I think the worst discrimination you can find is between Han subgroups (particularly North/South), but then again 99% of that is harmless and in good humor.

Ferin/yourfriend/hello – thanks for adding your two cents.

Sorry for the delayed comment appearance – you were caught up in my pending file for a while.

As for the quote above, I’m not sure it holds true with attitudes towards the minorities in modern China.

China is not really a homogeneous society. Europeans, Near Easterners and Indians are far more related to each other than North Chinese are to South Chinese according to the most up to date genetic studies.

The reason why this is not well known is because of a general lack of understanding and a lot of bias and general ignorance on the part of “Westerners”.

The fact that the genetic equivalent of “mulattoes” have been treated as equals in Han-ruled Dynasties for thousands of years is a testament to how little emphasis China put on perceived race as defined by late 18th Century European pseudoscience.

Those in the far West, although they are late-comers (proto-Sino-Tibetan speakers predate the “Beauty of Loulan” by at least 3,000 years, according to genetic analysis of remains found in the Kunlun Mountains) were not treated any worse with many Han Emperors taking Caucasoid/Turkic wives.

if the English language had a comparable phrase directed ad nauseum at overseas Chinese meaning, say, ‘person not of this place’

“Asian Americans” are discriminated against far worse than whites are in China. Whites are given special treatment all over the world, and the fact that you take issue with such an innocuous term really just shows how accustomed you are too being coddled and accommodated wherever you are.

That’s all you needed to say.

Well, I don’t ‘expect’ murder, beatings, cheating, and discrimination from anyone. Is that your definition of ‘procedural nicety’?

So? You’re more likely to be beaten, murdered, cheated or otherwise harmed in your own home country given the crime rates.

Your beef is with Frommer, not me. But I do know that to call a Chinese called ‘laowai’ in my country would probably not be received with the same grace that I accept it with here. Not an insult? Go figure.

“Where are you from?” is the same.

Stonehenge predates the Great Wall by at least 3000 years. Game over.

And the Chinese neolithic predates Stonehenge. The main difference there is that the Chinese neolithic was advanced and Stonehenge was quite primitive.