Sunday, September 7, 2014

Racism in Asia as it Pertains to Dating

This post is a semi-response to the post on East Asian racism found at Voyage to Asia. If you like upbeat articles with information about Asia from the perspective of Black people (and others), then be sure to check out that blog. My writing, on the other hand, is a bit more gritty to digest.

On just about every pick up, dating, sexual-conquest-bragging, etc. forum out there, there are Black posters that ask if girls from such-and-such nation go for brothas. Given that most of these forums are White-centered (which makes sense as most of the posters are likely White men), you can expect a lot of discouraging answers. Some posters give reasonable anecdotes (that doesn't mean "feel-good rhetoric" where Black men slay, but realistic and/or objective anecdotes), while others seem to have an agenda to keep you from hopping on a plane and checking things out for yourself. As always, you can expect entities to act in their best interests, and it is in their best interests for them to defeat their rivals (us) mentally before we even embark on our journeys.

Now, let's be honest, brothers: you know that Black men are not really as in demand as White men, especially in East Asia. When you post on these majority non-Black forums looking for answers, what you are really doing is seeking for someone to hold your hand and tell you that everything is going to be alright before you go online, look up pictures of the women that you desire, and frig yourself with said hand. I know because I used to do the same thing in the past before I got fed up and decided to go on a campaign telling Black men to avid travel to East Asia by any means necessary. I would still say that you must acknowledge the position that you are likely to be put in as a Black man in Asia, and wouldn't suggest travel there unless you have clear-cut objectives or an undying desire to travel or live there (as I have), but if you have a chance, and if you get the opportunity and want it, you should take it.

Now, just because I had a good time in Asia doesn't mean that you will. Just because I had a good time over the summer doesn't mean that I will have a good time next time. There really are no guarantees, even for super-duper White guys, as some forum posts indicate. I must also say that although I like looking at statistics and hearing stories about the experiences of other Black men in these countries, I advise you to choose the country that best suits your needs and gives you the most opportunities as an individual. Despite this belief, I am going to briefly go over some generalities in the dating scenes for Black men in Japan, Mainland China, South Korea, and Taiwan. This information is based on personal experience, conversations with other Black men that have lived in these countries, observations, and forum posts from users of various races that have lived in these countries. Remember that your mileage may vary though.

Japan




The Land of the Rising sun is probably the best of the four countries when it comes to dating for Black men in general. Hip-hop, Reggae, and other forms of Black music have sizable followings there, and there are more "Black groupies" here than any other country. In my experience, I didn't act "Black enough" to do too well with the hip-hop honeys, but given that the country is more open-minded to Black people and is more polite in general, I still ended up doing OK.

Mainland China



I would wager that the Middle Kingdom is a distant second for Black men after Japan, although some say that South Korea would work better for us. I am of the belief that in general, Chinese people are friendlier and more down to earth than Koreans, so it would be a better place to grind a numbers game. Also, if you are from an Anglophone Western country, you might gain a bit of status since some Chinese girls might see you as a vehicle to get a green card. On a personal note, I did much better in China than I did in Japan in terms of quantity. I got into clubs for free and got free drinks just about every night and made quite a few friends (some with benefits). There were way less Chinese girls that were open to Black men in general compared to Japanese girls, but Chinese girls seemed to like me for me rather than liking me because they wanted me to sing 50 Cent to them.

South Korea



Compared to Mainland China, I would think that South Korea would be less open to Black men in general, but reports indicate that there are more hip-hop groupies there, so if you can fit that look and persona you might do OK in some locales. I have never been to Korea, nor do I have much of an interest in the country, so I cannot give personal commentary. I can say that Korean exchange students seemed more approachable than their Chinese counterparts when I was a university student though.

Taiwan



I would wager that there are probably more Black groupies in Taiwan than in Mainland due to being more Westernized and having a bit of a Japanese vibe. On the other hand, hip-hop, reggae, and other forms of Black music didn't really seem to take off there like they did in Japan, so you'll have a smaller "fanbase" to play with. Also, being from a Western country isn't special like it would be in Mainland since Taiwanese girls don't seem to be hunting green cards like girls in "China proper". I didn't spend a lot of time in Taiwan, but people seemed nice enough, and with enough time I could probably get the Taiwanese flag. Reports say that Taiwan is probably the least open place for Black men to get dates, but I'm inclined to believe that it is possible.

In conclusion, we have to keep in mind that the world is dynamic. Today you may be hated, but there is a chance, albeit slim, that you can be loved tomorrow; the converse is true as well. With that in mind, I urge you to look into opportunities to improve your (and perhaps our) economic and social standings to make sure that you have a say when it comes to your future. Best of luck wherever your destinations may be.

2 comments:

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