African-American youths see the true China
By Yan Dongjie (chinadaily.com.cn) Updated: 2016-05-22 16:35
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2016-05/22/content_25410946.htm

It is not often that I reference China Daily because this web site blog (at www.tourguizhou.com) is about foreigners in Guizhou. Guizhou Province of China is magnificent . . . in the friendly people, the beautiful landscape, abundant water resources, clean air, minority cultures and an incredible variety of local foods. So when I read a headline referencing the “true China” it really set off a little bell. In the USA people always ask me,  “What is it like in China?”.  My answer is always the same . . . “China’s a big place. It’s better to ask me what it’s like in Guizhou, or Guiyang.”

I really wanted to read the article because I don’t know how to describe the true China either. My impression is that about half of the country is still quite rural, with a big percentage of people pulling themselves up out of the rubble that was The Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution. It is a rapidly growing techno society and a sleepy rural place as well. It is on the move, or not. It depends on your bias going in, and what you are shown, and what you choose to see. So I really was curious about what the author and the hosts came up with in describing the trip of “African-American youths”. You have the link now and can read the article yourselves.

So if I wanted to show Chinese people the True America, what would I show them? Perhaps I will try to lead a group to the USA and attempt to show them the “True America”. What will it be? The African American youths were shown Beijing and Shanghai. That would be like showing Washington DC and New York City, only, and calling it the “true America”. What a bastard view that would be.

So the question stands, what would I show them? Well it would be difficult in two weeks to show the true America with any degree of granularity. For sure, I would want to show them New York City and Washington DC. I would also want to show them a pro football game, a college basketball game, a minor league baseball game, Flint, a jazz bar, Harvard, Northwestern Michigan Community College, a small midwest town, some National Parks, an NRA sponsored shooting range, a primary school class, a church service, a medical research hospital, Detroit Recorder’s Court, a township board meeting, a Donald Trump rally, West Point, a Boeing Corporation jet plane factory, … hmmm. Two weeks might not be enough time!

Does anybody else have any ideas about “the true America”?