A Facebook friend posted a CNN video about China's racial issues around Lou Jing born 20 years ago in Shanghai to a Chinese mother and an African-American father. Having visited China in 2001 myself pre-Sisterlocks back when my hair was braided, I was constantly gaucked at on the streets, photographed from a far and was asked to pose with natives while I was in China... and my dear Chinese brothers and sister KNEW I was a tourist! (See the photo with me another white guy with braids who befriended over the attention we recieved our braided hair. I had to take a pic of HIM. I joked with him that I had to come all the way to China to see the white guy all braided up...)
I can only image how Lou Jing was viewed as clearly the "black pearl" she is.Further, I couldn't help but think of the HAIR issues Lou Jing and her mom MUST have had-- and HAVE. Can you imagine?? See the video link below and take note of the wigs, hats and obvious attempts at chemical treatments to straighten Lou Jing's hair (i.e., hair breakage and chemical damage.)
Family and friends attempted to explain away Lou Jing's skin color with statements like the following:
"...it's because she likes dark chocolate. So her skin turned darker gradually."
Another classmate weighed in, "We said it's because she used to drink too much soy sauce."
Even Lou Jing's maternal grandmother admitted in a taped interview, "I told Lou Jing she was black because her mom was not very well and had to take Chinese medicine."
Wow! Really...
See the video here
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