This article written by Lin Yi it’s about a southern city in China, Guangzhou, that has drawn thousand of African immigrants in the last decade, in fact the Guangzhou Academy of Social Sciencies has estimated that the number of Africans arriving grew by around 30% to 40% between 2003 and 2008.
In recent years this situation has become in a very controversial issue, because the African immigrants, most traders, cheaper than the other traders and with a variety of goods made in the surrounding Pearl River Delta, are victims of prejudice and harassment mostly by police, who pursue them around the streets or even in their own houses. But the common people of China is also very intolerant, despite their important role in the market as clients and sellers, the immigrants feel discriminated in the streets. Mary Ngum – not her real name-, accuses that Chinese people is not mean but ignorant, “they are always talking about colors” has she said.
The popular fear is growing and fuelling the crackdown, for example, problems in obtaining visas by African immigrants are recurrent, the police demand passports from any black faces present and the government tightened immigration controls ahead of the Olympic Games. This has caused that migrants are already leaving Guangzhou for cities with more sympathetic officials.
However there is a positive side, Professor Barry Sautman, based on a recent survey of residents says that about half had a neutral impression of the African community, and far more had a good or excellent impression than a negative one. Friendships are developed.
1 comment:
I like very much your news, because It is very common situation in differet countries...
We should no longer be talking about colors and develop friendship...
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