Discrimination everywhere

As superficial as it sounds, the truth is in China IT MATTERS whether you’re an asian with dark hair and yellow skin or a caucasian with blond hair, blue eyes and white skin. Outer appearance determines your experiences here in China, regardless of whether you speak the language.

I was waiting for a friend at Guomao today and decided I’d strike up a conversation with the janitor cleaning the floor at the subway station and the guard, a boy looking no older than 17. This is how it went:

Me: Why aren’t you using the cleaning machine to clean the floor?

Janitor: Because it won’t clean between the grooves like this one here.

Me: Wow, that looks so hard.

(she keeps on scrubbing while the Guard smiles sheepishly with me)

Guard: Do you think you could do that too?

Me: No way. I don’t think I can stand squatting like that and scrubbing. It’s just too hard.

Guard: (smiles)

Me: How long does it take you to scrub the floor like this?

Janitor: 8 hours

Me: Wow! That’s a long time!

Janitor: Yes, I have to use this much soap water to scrub with. Then when it’s gone, I don’t have any more to wash with so I have to clean it with this amount of water, then clean the soap up with this mop.

Me: Are you two from Beijing?

Janitor: (she immediately replied incredulously) Of course not! If we were from Beijing, we wouldn’t be doing these jobs, would we?

Guard: (laughs sheepishly)

Me: Oh! I didn’t know. Sorry. I just came from America. Where are you from?

Guard: Gansu

Janitor: Henan

Me:(Turning to the janitor) So do you enjoy this job?

Janitor: Yes, I do. (Then a long pause before saying) But I have to work 12 hours a day. From 9am to 9pm! It’s long. 

Then my friends came to so bid them goodbye but in that short amount of time, I discovered a little bit more about migrant lifestyle here. I keep getting surprised by how willing people are to talk when I initiate it.  I guess discrimination exists everywhere in every color and form.