Jump to content

Anti-Henan sentiment

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In the 20th and 21st century, in Mainland China, there has been discrimination against people from Henan, seen in the widespread negative stereotyping and discriminatory attitudes towards the people and province of Henan, China. This phenomenon is fueled by various social, economic, and historical factors. Misrepresentations of Henan residents have manifested in derogatory jokes, media portrayals, and public discourse, often painting the province as a hub of crime, deceit, and backwardness. Understanding the roots and impacts of this demonization sheds light on broader issues of regional prejudice and social inequality within China.

Background

[edit]
Henan_locator_map_(China)
Location of Henan province in China

Henan is located in Zhongyuan, one of the cradles of Chinese civilization,[1] and the reputation of its residents was historically relatively positive. During the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China era Henan people were viewed as 'pure and straight' and traditional, and not as deceitful.[2]

Sometimes these ancient characterizations were extended to negative stereotypes about Henan, such as several fables about people from places in present-day Henan. The fable Catching the Rabbit from the Warring States period Han Feizi concerned a peasant refusing to change old methods and Zheng buys shoes satirized an overly dogmatic person.[3][4]

During the Ming, Qing and the Republic of China, there was no systematic prejudice against the region;[5] However, Wang Shixing, who held the "geographical environment determinism" in Ming Dynasty, believed that this region was "vulgar and honest and straight in quality".[6]

Contemporary negative stereotyping of Henan people can be traced back to the second half of the 20th century, caused by a combination of causes.

Examples

[edit]

Misrepresentations of Henan residents have manifested in derogatory jokes, media portrayals, and public discourse, often painting the province as a hub of crime, deceit, and backwardness.[1]

Some factories have clearly indicated that "Henan employees will not be recruited",[7] and a local police station in Shenzhen directly issued a warning banner on the street that "resolutely crack down on Henan extortion gangs".[8] In the society, there is also a popular phrase "without Henan people, there would be no anti-burglar doors", and some people's impression of Henan people is "stealing manhole covers", "selling blood", "collecting garbage".[9]

Male migrant workers from Henan were found to earn less than those from Anhui when working in Shanghai.[10]

In 2023, Taiwanese singer Rainie Yang joked at a concert in Zhengzhou, Henan that the people of Henan "have a reputation for lying", and she later apologized for the incident.[11]

The city of Zhumadian has been singled out especially.[12] This may have originated from the aftermath of the 1975 Banqiao Dam collapse, when locals affected by the disaster eventually become the first large batch of migrant workers to go to Guangdong. Most of these workers had little education and lived together in impoverished communities, leading to a negative perception of Zhumadian people.[13] A popular quote going around was:[12]

十亿人民九亿骗，河南人民是教练，总部设在驻马店
A billion people, nine hundred million deceived, the people of Henan are the coaches, their headquarters are in Zhumadian

In the 2017 CMG New Year's Gala, actor Guo Donglin played in a sketch in which he prevented a relative from being scammed. The scammer's voice was noted to have a thick Henan accent, to which Guo's character said '10 out of 9 scammers are Henan people'. Afterwards, the sketch's screenwriter apologized, claiming his own accent was close to Henan accent. Guo suffered severe reputation loss and did not appear in the New Year's Gala for the first time after 23 years.[14][15]

Causes

[edit]

From a political perspective, in mainland China, due to the fact that provinces serve as geographical units of centralized central government administrative divisions, rather than independent and complete structures, entities, or organizations of education, legislation, politics, language, culture, beliefs, and other functions, powers, and spirits, the understanding of these units and scales does not have definite and objective cognitive and deductive value beyond certain natural attributes and related statistical characteristics. Like other forms of discrimination, the logical basis of generalization and differential treatment is equally inadequate. However, due to the dependence of human society on language and words, improper use of conceptualized cognitive forms and essentialist ways of thinking may lead to confusion and misconceptions, making it difficult to completely remove this existing fixed pattern for a period of time. The real and valuable issues are the background factors and prerequisite conditions for the occurrence of this phenomenon, as well as the social regulation and control ability of the phenomenon. Although the Henan has a large population, it is in a weaker position in terms of voice compared to all surrounding provinces that receive Henan immigrants. Commentators analyze the reasons for related phenomena and summarize them as follows:

War and famine migrants

[edit]
See also: Chinese famine of 1942–1943 and 1975 Banqiao Dam failure

In the history of thousands of years, the Central Plains has undergone dozens of dynasties, as well as foreign invasions by the Mongols, Manchus and Japanese. Especially since modern Manchu Dynasty suffered from natural disasters and man-made disasters. Typical for example, in the 1930s and 1940s, due to the serious and sustained drought and flood disasters,[16][17] but also due to the man-made 1938 Yellow River flood.[18] Garden estuary of the Yellow River embankment, resulting in large-scale displacement of refugees in the yellow plain area and the Central Plains Mandarin area,[19] and emigrate to the northwest region or elsewhere.[20] Similarly, in modern and contemporary history, the prejudices encountered by refugees in northern Jiangsu in southern Jiangsu and Shanghai are based on similar reasons.[21] It is assumed that persistent and widespread prejudice against the region began around these areas. Before the 1980s, the transportation was inconvenient, and the proportion of Henan immigrants in Jiangsu and Zhejiang was very small.[22]

Plasma economy and AIDS epidemic

[edit]
Main article: Plasma Economy

Dr. Gao Yaojie was the first to reveal that farmers in some rural areas of the province were infected with AIDS by selling blood products for profit by government health departments. This has been exaggerated by some as the "Henan problem".[23] However, Gao Yaojie and others later pointed out that this problem is common in the vast majority of provinces, regions and cities in the mainland, and Gao Yaojie pointed out that the infection of AIDS caused by blood sales and blood transfusions is definitely not a case. Again, this is not just a Henan province problem. Just because a Gao Yaojie came out of Henan and lifted the lid on Henan, other provinces, more serious than Henan everywhere, in the mid-1990s, many Henan farmers are running there (other provinces) to sell blood. Late last year, newspapers exposed illegal blood collection at the North 'an Farm Hospital in Heilongjiang Province, where a blood seller infected 19 people. An HIV-infected person surnamed Song in Dehui City, Jilin Province, sold blood to the government blood station 17 times in a year and a half, resulting in 21 people infected with AIDS.[24][25][26]

Suffering from the injustice of the planning system

[edit]

Henan province suffers from a scarcity of higher education resources, with lower college admission rates and more selective college entrance exams compared to other provinces. To obtain an acceptable quality of higher education, students have to overcome fierce competition against thousands of people. The suspension of the expansion of list of Project 211 has further suppressed the development of higher education in Henan. Internal migrants in China, particularly individuals hailing from Henan and the northeastern regions, often face formidable challenges in their lives.[27]

Since the 1980s, the central state policy is inclined to invest in the North, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen regions, and the central and western regions have no policy support, resulting in brain drain, less foreign investment and economic development lagging behind coastal provinces. The imbalance of economic and cultural development under the planned economy system is also related to the unequal socio-economic and political environment of the region - Henan has long been positioned by the national development strategy as "ensuring the agricultural foundation",[28][29] and the degree of openness is the lowest in the six central provinces, and the data at the end of 2006 shows that the relevant openness index is only 2%,[30] far lower than the domestic average level. Similarly, the province has the largest population base in the country, but its average GNP is low, its per capita resources are relatively small, its higher education[31] is backward, it has a large number of migrant workers and a relatively small proportion of the middle and cultural classes. In response, some Henan residents started producing counterfeit goods. For example, in 1993 a scandal emerged after a medicine factory in Henan was found to produce fake medicine.[32][33]

As one of the few countries in the world that implement the household registration system to manage the population, China's dual division of urban and rural identity and the practice of some people or enterprises to act according to their native[34] place make the farmers in the province that export a large number of migrant workers in the situation of injustice or discrimination from time to time. In terms of social public rights and interests, taking higher education as an example, the state's division, allocation and restriction of public education resources in provinces have caused substantial damage to the rights of people in some regions,[35][36][37] including the region, which is a phenomenon of official discrimination that has been widely criticized and criticized in recent years.[38][unreliable source?] For example, Xu Youyu, a philosophy scholar at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, criticized that "the probability of Beijing students entering Peking University is 60 times that of Henan and 34 times that of Guizhou."[39] The inaction of the corresponding management is seen to be largely the maintenance[40][41] of the status quo by vested interests.[42][43][44][45]

Chinese media rendering

[edit]

Sensationalist reporting by commercial media has contributed to anti-Henan sentiment. It was found that "outside of Henan Province, the media usually emphasize the place of origin of Henan suspects by describing the fraud suspects as Henan fraudsters." In the commentary sections of news portals, users' locations by IP address are shown next to their comments, which encouraged discriminatory texts against Henan people.[46]

Influenced by Chinese chauvinism and collectivism

[edit]

Traditional Chinese society relies on and relies on the deep-rooted concept of group and tribal consciousness, which tends to recognize and label the essence of human beings by the internal blood and clan relationship and the external social and political identity or even some accidental group attributes. In ancient times, there was the principle of "nine ethnic groups" and "punishment of the company", but the identity politics in contemporary mainland has intensified,[47][48] and after the founding of the People's Republic of China, various "identity discrimination" from the government has emerged in endlessly. In addition, due to the long-term promotion of strong ideological "class struggle" thinking, "collectivist" propaganda and "patriotic" education, and the serious failure of "education" to cultivate people's cognitive ability, critical consciousness and humanistic spirit, it is easy to cause individual rights, values and dignity to be ignored or even trampled on. And cause blind "self-centered" praise, beggar-thy-neighbor "chauvinism"; The collective unconscious of "non-self", "otherization" and even "demonization" strengthens and even creates the psychological basis and social environment on which regional discrimination depends.

Accordingly, the people are immature and lack the consciousness of "citizen" based on the modern society, and the regional consciousness and regional discrimination are the reflection and result of the traditional "private society"[49] and the consciousness of small farmers. Similarly, the dispute between "southerners" and "northerners" has a long history and a long history in reality. In view of the fact that such prejudice is also echoed and disseminated in many people in secondary and higher education, some analysis believes that mainland education lacks the ability to cultivate people's respect for others, responsible words and deeds, independent thinking, rational identification and critical thinking.

Jung's theory of the collective unconscious and James Wilson's theory of the Broken window effect can explain this phenomenon. This phenomenon is also studied and concerned by experts and scholars who study mass communication and discrimination.[50][51]

Responses

[edit]

Significant backslash first started appearing in the early 2000s. In 2001, the Henan provincial government released an official statement calling for a stop of 'demonization of Henan people'.[52]

In the first case of regional discrimination, the Internet portal NetEase designed and produced a special webpage [53] entitled "Ren Chengyu, Li Dongzhao, Honor Defender of Henan People" in February 2006 and quoted distorted and fabricated insulting and discriminatory reports [54] by Shanghai Evening News. After browsing, Li Dongzhao said, "NetEase is biased and uses distorted, fabricated, discriminatory and offensive old news as material, and contains a large number of insulting words on the Web page, which infringes on his own survival and health," so he filed a lawsuit against NetEase and other representative media.[55] On June 18, 2008, the Chongwen District Court of Beijing accepted the case. But now NetEase has added "civilized society, starting from rational Posting" next to the window for filling in comments. No territorial attacks." The prompt.[56][57]

In 2019, a Henan woman won an anti-discrimination case from a Zhejiang company which rejected her job application by included 'Henanese' as the reason for rejection. Her lawyer later said that "the case may serve as a wake-up call to employers that such practices are illegal."[58]

In response to various non-objective and irrational words and deeds, the province's media and people from all walks of life have tried to analyze, clarify and even resort to law, such as Ma Shuo,[59] who wrote the book "Henan people provoke", Henan lawyer Ren Chengyu, Li Dongzhao sued the Shenzhen police discriminatory slogans and was eventually dropped by mediation,[60] Li Dongzhao sued the Internet media NetEase media discrimination and so on. In recent years, local government departments have also been working to improve the overall image of the province, and have launched some "image optimization projects", which have made some changes. Analysts generally believe that the fundamental solution to this problem lies in the awakening of people's "civic consciousness",[61][62][63] the sound spirit of social "rule of law" [unreliable source?],[64][65] and the balance and equality of the central government's political and economic development policies.[66]  For example, the "regional discrimination case" was finally withdrawn by "mediation" due to the intervention of the "superior" of the defendant's police station, which disappointed the hopes of scholars who hoped to promote the progress of the rule of law through this case.[67]

See also

[edit]

Reference materials

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Buckley, Chris (2016-10-11). "Henan Province, a Butt of Jokes in China, Gets a Champion in Court". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  2. ^ "妖魔化河南是病态的表现". Archived from the original on 2011-02-08. Retrieved 2013-08-21.
  3. ^ "郑人买履原文|译文_文言文翻译_古诗文网". www.gushiwen.cn. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  4. ^ 李奕霈,张云茹,陈宣合,刘鹤,陈思先,凤泽人. "炒作还是真实—中国地域歧视问题的实证研究". 北京科技大学. Archived from the original (DOCX) on 2024-09-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ 周, 振鹤. "地域歧视是思想上的不正确". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2009-01-19.
  6. ^ 吴, 宏歧; 闫, 希娟. "从《广志绎》看王士性的军事地理思想". Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2009-01-19.
  7. ^ "公司招聘竟注明"河南籍已招满"". 南都网. 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-02-10. Retrieved 2012-12-07.
  8. ^ "挂横幅打击"河南籍敲诈勒索团伙"是地域歧视？". 网易. 2012. Archived from the original on 2014-02-02. Retrieved 2012-12-07. 打击"河南籍敲诈勒索团伙"
  9. ^ "河南人口大省｜從「偷井蓋」到文化之都 擺脫妖魔化現實問題待解". 香港01 (in Chinese). 2021-06-24. Archived from the original on 2023-05-10. Retrieved 2023-05-06.
  10. ^ Maurer-Fazio, Margaret; Connelly, Rachel; Tran, Ngoc-Han Thi (2015-12-18), Robyn, Iredale R.; Fei, Guo (eds.), "Negative native-place stereotypes and discriminatory wage penalties in China's migrant labour markets", Handbook of Chinese Migration, Edward Elgar Publishing, doi:10.4337/9781783476640.00011, ISBN 978-1-78347-664-0, retrieved 2024-09-11
  11. ^ Lim Ruey Yan (2023-12-11). "Taiwan singer Rainie Yang apologises for joke deemed offensive to Henan people". The Straits Times.
  12. ^ a b 马志強 (2004). 点评河南: 一个外地河南人眼中的河南 (in Chinese). 书海出版社. ISBN 978-7-80550-593-0.
  13. ^ sina_mobile (2018-02-20). "这句话的最初始的原因来源于1975年8月的驻马店板桥水库". k.sina.cn. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  14. ^ "北京台春晚郭冬临小品骗子河南口音引争议 编剧道歉-新华网". www.xinhuanet.com. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  15. ^ "他是春晚釘子戶！因一句話被索賠1億". Yahoo News (in Chinese). 2021-09-22. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  16. ^ 雷, 颐. "白修德与40年代"中原大饥荒"(1)". 广西师范大学出版社. Archived from the original on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2009-01-19.
  17. ^ Mengmeng, ZHANG; Lijun, ZHANG; Yaochen, QIN; Xiaowan, YANG; Mengnan, TIAN; Xiufang, LIU (2022). "Spatial pattern and influencing factors of small town population and economic growth and contraction in the Yellow River Basin". Progress in Geography. 41 (6): 999–1011. doi:10.18306/j.issn.1007-6301.2022.6.dlkxjz202206005. ISSN 1007-6301.
  18. ^ "资料：遭遇地域歧视 河南人心中不可言明的痛_新闻中心_新浪网". news.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  19. ^ "秘而不宣的真相:战争逻辑下的花园口与黄泛之灾-中华网-新闻中心". News.china.com. Archived from the original on 2013-05-17. Retrieved 2012-10-23.
  20. ^ 李, 准 (作家)|李准]]. "《黄河东流去》". 北京出版社. Archived from the original on 2005-09-11. Retrieved 2009-01-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  21. ^ 朱, 学勤. ""地区歧视"植根于人性的普遍弱点：嫌贫爱富". 搜狐网. Archived from the original on 2016-12-12. Retrieved 2009-01-19.
  22. ^ 孙, 大胜. "中国西北生态难民出现 "河南歧视"缘自生态灾难". 瞭望东方周刊. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2009-01-19.
  23. ^ "河南人不容被"妖魔化"". Archived from the original on 2018-11-17. Retrieved 2013-08-21.
  24. ^ "高耀洁：山东仍有黑血站 博讯新闻，简体中文新闻". Peacehall.com. Archived from the original on 2014-12-28. Retrieved 2012-10-23.
  25. ^ "四川爱滋镇的自我救赎_网易新闻中心". News.163.com. 2006-11-30. Archived from the original on 2014-03-09. Retrieved 2012-10-23.
  26. ^ "山西运城逾百卖血人染艾滋病(疾病与性)". 100md.com. Archived from the original on 2019-08-15. Retrieved 2012-10-23.
  27. ^ "Many Chinese suffer discrimination based on their regional origin". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
  28. ^ "温家宝参加河南团审议称要舍得投入农业_新闻中心_新浪网". news.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  29. ^ "存档副本". Archived from the original on 2016-08-20. Retrieved 2008-09-20.
  30. ^ "中国中部六省平均开放度不及全国平均水平20%". News.xinhuanet.com. Archived from the original on 2014-02-21. Retrieved 2012-10-23.
  31. ^ "实现高招公平不能久拖不决". Ha.xinhuanet.com. 2006-03-13. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.
  32. ^ "Fake medicine maker sentenced to life in prison". Press-Republican. 17 October 1993. p. 10.
  33. ^ 李伐飡 (12 September 2024). "河南省为何被称为"骗子大省"？".
  34. ^ "因是河南农民工求职屡遭拒 地域歧视何时休 -就业频道-中国教育在线". Eol.cn. Archived from the original on 2019-08-18. Retrieved 2012-10-23.
  35. ^ "徐友渔：地区招生特权应该取消-搜狐教育". learning.sohu.com. Archived from the original on 2016-08-20. Retrieved 2012-10-23.
  36. ^ 徐友渔：北京考生上北大的几率凭啥是河南的37倍: 徐友渔：北京考生上北大的几率凭啥是河南的37倍 , accessdate: July 28, 2016
  37. ^ "存档副本". Archived from the original on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2008-09-20.
  38. ^ "南风窗：高考歧视背后的省籍鸿沟 - 神州学习网". Archived from the original on 2014-02-21. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
  39. ^ "存档副本". Archived from the original on 2014-03-01. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
  40. ^ "高考地域歧视 北京人上北大概率是河南60倍--河南大河网". Archived from the original on 2019-08-20. Retrieved 2008-09-20.
  41. ^ "存档副本". Archived from the original on 2016-08-19. Retrieved 2008-09-20.
  42. ^ "存档副本". Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
  43. ^ "网友: 高考制度主要是维护广大既得利益集团的利益". Archived from the original on 2014-02-21. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
  44. ^ "高考公平：从招生指标投放开始_光明日报_光明网". www.gmw.cn. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  45. ^ "存档副本". Archived from the original on 2008-09-06. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
  46. ^ Peng, Altman Yuzhu (October 2021). "Amplification of regional discrimination on Chinese news portals: An affective critical discourse analysis". Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies. 27 (5): 1343–1359. doi:10.1177/1354856520977851. ISSN 1354-8565.
  47. ^ "右派网=>等级森严的中共身份社会". 2019-08-16. Archived from the original on 2019-08-16. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  48. ^ "计划经济体制和户籍身份制下的中国农村社会阶层". Archived from the original on 2007-04-27. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
  49. ^ "Page Not Found! 网页未找到!". Archived from the original on 2007-10-09. Retrieved 2007-05-02. {{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  50. ^ "妖魔化河南人是病态表现". 2006-03-22. Archived from the original on 2006-03-22. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  51. ^ "专家激辩：河南人事件冰山一角 歧视离我们很近-搜狐新闻中心". Archived from the original on 2016-12-12. Retrieved 2007-03-13.
  52. ^ "资料：遭遇地域歧视 河南人心中不可言明的痛_新闻中心_新浪网". news.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  53. ^ "存档副本". Archived from the original on 2019-08-15. Retrieved 2008-09-20.
  54. ^ "存档副本". Archived from the original on 2005-09-06. Retrieved 2008-09-20.
  55. ^ "中國首起傳媒歧視案：网易被指歧視河南人". Archived from the original on 2014-12-28. Retrieved 2008-09-20.
  56. ^ "人民网--404页面". www.people.cn. Archived from the original on 2020-08-24. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  57. ^ ""地区歧视"植根于人性的普遍弱点：嫌贫爱富-搜狐新闻中心". news.sohu.com. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  58. ^ Cai, Xuejiao (28 November 2019). "Hating on Henan? Jobseeker Wins 'Geographic Discrimination' Suit". SixthTone. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  59. ^ "《河南人惹谁了》：河南人的痛和愤". 人民网. 2002-03-28. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-03-04.
  60. ^ "人民网--404页面". www.people.cn. Archived from the original on 2020-08-24. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  61. ^ "地域歧视呼唤公民理性心态_随笔砸谈_财经纵横_新浪网". Archived from the original on 2019-08-19. Retrieved 2007-04-27.
  62. ^ "河南人诉讼：公民意识觉醒的一个标志_新闻中心_文化_新浪网". Archived from the original on 2019-08-18. Retrieved 2007-04-27.
  63. ^ "童大焕:如何消除对河南人的地域歧视". Archived from the original on 2006-02-22. Retrieved 2007-04-27.
  64. ^ "存档副本". Archived from the original on 2012-09-19. Retrieved 2007-04-27.
  65. ^ "人民网--404页面". www.people.cn. Archived from the original on 2020-08-24. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  66. ^ "中部逐渐成为政策"洼地" 期待平等政策环境". Archived from the original on 2012-07-11. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
  67. ^ "首例地域歧视案：原告赢了，法治却不见进步".

Extended Reading

[edit]

"Who Did Henan People provoke", Ma Shuo, Hainan Publishing House, 2002-03-01

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Anti-Henan_sentiment&oldid=1255815345"