chinese stereotypes of europeans?

[Alleluia]

There was an old thread on this forum about the kinds of stereotypes Chinese people have concerning Americans. But what about Chinese stereotypes of Europeans? Have you experienced / do you have any?

I'm especially interested to hear if the Chinese have a certain stereotypical view of us Scandinavians. Ok, so probably any stereotypes of Scandinavians are bound to be way less interesting than stereotypes of Americans. No violence, racism or drugs, probably just hardworking, honest, shy, blond vikings...?

Or do we just get grouped in with the Americans?

[sunyata]

probably just hardworking, honest, shy, blond vikings...?

it seems like you are pretty fond of scandinavians...

I honestly don't think most Chinese know much about europe, not to mention scandinavia. Sure, there are some educated people who might surprise you, but to the 老百姓 you will just be another 老外.

I think generally though, Europeans are respected more than Americans, but that's just from personal experience.

[kentsuarez]

I'm a half-hispanic white American, short, dark hair, dark eyes, light skin. Once I was travelling from Guilin to Yangshuo on a minibus with a bunch of Chinese locals. I started chatting in fluent Mandarin to the farmer-type sitting next to me, and after a while he paused, and asked 請問, 你是哪一省的? (Pardon, but which province are you from?) It's a question I've never expected, of course. I just stared blankly at him for a moment, and noticed that everyone else on the minibus was staring at this poor fool, too. When I told him I was American, he looked back at me quizzically, and said "但是, 美國人不是高高的, 有金頭髮, 也不會說中文嗎?" (or something to that effect, i.e., "B-b-but aren't foreigners tall, with blonde hair? And they don't speak Chinese, either...) I found this very amusing.

[林彪]

Your Hispanic blood must make you look Chinese.

[Alleluia]

probably just hardworking, honest, shy, blond vikings...?

it seems like you are pretty fond of scandinavians...

Hmmm... Well yeah, it does sound a bit daft now that I think about it. I'm not that conceited, really!

No, actually I think that's the impression my Chinese teacher has given me about how the Chinese view Scandinavians, or especially Finns. Nice, quiet people, and honest to the point of being a bit stupid, easy to fool or sth. But I guess that's just the 0.000001% of them who have ever even heard of Finland!

Naturally, anyone who's ever been to Finland knows that we're actually an alcohol-consuming, overtly violent and introverted race...

[TSkillet]

Your Hispanic blood must make you look Chinese.

Just like occasionally I get people asking me questions in Spanish around here (I'm Chinese - but being a Southerner, I'm dark and short - in fact when in China, many people think I'm Filipino)

[Marco]

Live in China now for about 9 moths, I find that Chinese people don’t really know much about Europe, some think it's one country, some don’t even know that we speak different languages.

One person wrote that Chinese seem to think that that Americans are tall and blond and I feel that that is true, I often get the question 你是美国人吗？, I am blond lol. But the question is utterly annoying of course, especially in this time and with the behavior of Americans aboard. Some people simply presume that I am a American and start question me about these things in rather harsh way. Explaining to them that I am not an American and definitely don’t support them changes their attitude immediately.

marco

[ala]

Hairy in a different way. I'm a pretty hairy southern Chinese myself, but it's different in the minds of East Asians.

gives a new meaning to 羊毛衫!

[ala]

I honestly don't think most Chinese know much about europe, not to mention scandinavia. Sure, there are some educated people who might surprise you, but to the 老百姓 you will just be another 老外.

Live in China now for about 9 moths, I find that Chinese people don’t really know much about Europe, some think it's one country, some don’t even know that we speak different languages.

Um it depends on where you are. I would be surprised if the bulk of people between 16 to 30 don't know anything about Finland in the major cities... Nokia? When I was in high school in Shanghai, lots of people dreamed of working for Nokia, Philips, etc. We sure digged up stuff on those countries, etc. And soccer fans for sure!

老百姓 are all uneducated?

[skylee]

I thought "羊毛衫" was just a Cantonese term.

[ala]

I thought "羊毛衫" was just a Cantonese term.

We use it all the time in Shanghainese. /yA~ mO sE/. 衫 is pronounced exactly like 3 and Japanese 'se'.

[Jose]

Live in China now for about 9 moths, I find that Chinese people don’t really know much about Europe, some think it's one country, some don’t even know that we speak different languages.

While it is true that Chinese people don't know much about Europe, in my experience, at least here in Beijing, most are familiar with the main European countries. I am Spanish, and taxi drivers often start talking about bullfighting and the Real Madrid football team as soon as I say that I am from "Xibanya". That may not be much, but at least they know that such a country exists

Something that probably prevents Chinese people from mistaking Europe for a country is its Chinese name Ouzhou, with its zhou, rather than guo, ending.

On a different matter altogether, this use of zhou for the names of continents, as opposed to guo, also accounts for the fact that Chinese keeps the useful distinction between Meiguo and Meizhou, which has been lost in other languages. In English, the appropriation of the terms "America" and "American" by the US means that we have to resort to awkward expressions, like "The Americas" or "Panamerican", for the whole continent.