Ethnocentrism

Few months after the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic, Africans faced discrimination in China. According to Vincent (2020), Africans were stigmatized, as indicated in how testing and quarantine practices were conducted compared to other races. A study has found that the stigmatization rose from fear of infection and the perceived mask and food culture for Africans, which some Chinese deemed inferior (Xu et al., 2021).

 Ethnocentrism is revealed in that some Chinese thought their culture warrants them super immunity than Africans. However, Chinese ethnocentrism is tracked before the pandemic by studies on Chinese perception of other cultures. According to Zhou, Shenasi, and Xu, the “Chinese tend to perceive Africans negatively in general” (2016, p.141). Zhou, Shenasi, and Xu’s study were conducted in Guangzhou, the same city where Vincent (2020) reported stereotyping 2020. The study Xu et al., 2021) links ethnocentrism to reasons such as contact perceptive, where Africans were perceived as non-productive and a threat to China’s scarce resources. Therefore, Vincent’s ethnocentrism (2020) may be associated with a general view of Africans as inferior by a Chinese section.

However, the stereotyping could have been avoided from a Christian perspective. The Bible has recorded in many instances that all humanity is equal before God. For instance, Galatians 3:28 ESV says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Therefore, all cultures should coexist in peace, showing love for one another. Besides, 2 Corinthians 5:15 insist that Christ died for everyone, indicating that no one culture is superior or better than another.

References

Vincent, D. (2020). Africans in China: We face coronavirus discrimination. BBC News. Retrieved 12 April 2021, from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52309414.

Xu, J., Sun, G., Cao, W., Fan, W., Pan, Z., Yao, Z., & Li, H. (2021). Stigma, Discrimination, and Hate Crimes in Chinese-Speaking World amid Covid-19 Pandemic. Asian Journal Of Criminology, 16(1), 51-74. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11417-020-09339-8

Zhou, M., Shenasi, S., & Xu, T. (2016). Chinese Attitudes toward African Migrants in Guangzhou, China. International Journal Of Sociology, 46(2), 141-161. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207659.2016.1163984