Cross-cultural, Daily Living, & Adjustment Issues

Dear Dr. Greg

I have taken a job teaching at a university in Shenyang, up in the northeast. I'm aware that the dong-bei region has a much higher number of minority ethnic groups (Manchu, Korean, etc.). I'm rather curious as to what, if any, differences are to be expected among minority population? I have two questions.

The first is professional. What are the issues minority students face in China? Obviously it isn't like the situation in America, but is there anything to bear in mind such as higher or lower college attendance? Do colleges try to attract ethnic students like they do in the US?

Second, what about minority women? I'm single and in my mid 20's. The Guide only listed, as near as I could tell, the following:

1.Women who are considered to be relatively unattractive or just mediocre in appearance by Chinese standards... This also includes women with darker-toned skin and probably all minority women.

Last, I'm aware that with so many ethnic groups in China most, if any, have little in common. Yet whatever you can tell me would be appreciated and in particular as it concerns the northeast population.

Thank you.

The 55 officially recognized ethnic minorities in China are distinctively different from minority groups in the United States in that, combined, they comprise less the ten percent of the entire population and, for the most part, they are highly assimilated into the mainstream national community. For example, Hui Chinese and Han Chinese are distinguishable only by the fact that the former practice Islam. Exceptions to this rule would primarily include Tibetans and the Uyghurs, who purportedly harbor a great deal of resentment towards the Han majority.

Due to this high degree of cultural assimilation, I can't say that there are any significant differences regarding ethnic minorities in Shenyang that one needs to be aware of for the purposes of teaching or dating. Certainly, during my 10-month stint in Shenyang, when I first arrived in China, I wasn't aware of any cultural differences nor was I able to differentiate who among my students might not have been of Han ancestry. Anything in the Guide in regard to teaching and dating will, generally speaking, apply to ethnic minorities as well.

There is a Korean town in Shenyang that I used to visit occasionally with other foreigners for some excellent Korean barbecue and, again, I can't say that I was aware of any notable differences between the Korean-Chinese and Han majority. In fact, there was another foreigner in Shenyang who was dating a Korean-Chinese girl at the time and, aside from some discernible differences in facial features, there were no other differences that he ever mentioned or that I ever noticed. This is not something you need to be concerned about as a practical matter.

Having lived in South Florida for so many years prior to moving to China, Shenyang was ultimately too cold and polluted for me, but there are many foreigners there who love Shenyang for its rich history and culture and call it home year after year. Enjoy your time there.