Here’s a situation that i noticed within the Chinese community in our local universities.
The ‘racial’ divide within the Chinese community.
Alright… alright… not exactly ‘racial’ but you’ll get the point.
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There are basically 2 types of Chinese. The Mandarin speaking Chinese (lets call them ‘oranges’), and the English speaking Chinese (‘bananas’, if that’s what you prefer to call them).
Oranges are generally more subtle and indirect when communicating. They are also more politically correct and polite. Bananas just can’t understand why they keep beating around the bush. Sometimes, they can be so subtle that it gets in your nerves.
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Bananas are more direct and in-your-face. If you are stupid, they look straight at your face and say, “You’re a bloody idiot with mash potato as brains.” Oranges see this bluntness as being very rude and proud.
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Oranges have this working culture of ‘the more the merrier’. With so many kaki tangan (literally), things get done faster. Though not necessarily more efficient. But they also have the discipline to ensure things don’t go out of hand with so many people doing a million things.
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Bananas prefer to work with a smaller group of people. Easier to monitor and moves around faster. In most cases, one has to multitask a lot. It’s always one person doing a million things. Each member are also given more freedom to get things done their way.
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Oranges are more aware of the political climate in the campus and also outside the campus. They are well aware of descrimination against them even if it sometimes doesn’t exist. A little too sensitive towards things that might not necessary be of bad intentions.
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Bananas just don’t care. They don’t know, don’t want to know, and worse… don’t want to listen to anyone talking about it. Ignorant? You say. Not my problem! They say.
This situation is especially bad among college students in Malaysia. Why is this the case? Let me explain. STPM students who enter the local universities would attest that most are not given their choice of courses, when less qualified matriculation students get to choose better courses. They are being allocated to universities they didn’t choose, courses they don’t want.
Forget meritocracy. It’s a total farce and every Ah Beng, Ah Lian and La La Chai know it (Tom, Dick & Harry would be too ignorant to notice). Who the hell is the gahmen trying to cheat?! We not stupid lor.
College students are lucky to skip this round of blind roulette. They get to study their course of choice. And there’s no institutional descrimination against them. They don’t have to fight against the corrupted system. So they are happily unaware of this. Did I hear you say ignorance is bliss?! Well, good luck to you then.
So, there you have my observations.
Yours Sincerely,
the (half-banana)CHinese.
