Chinese on screen

film101 · Joined: 17 Jan 2007 Posts: 1

Hi there,

My name is Nick, im a film maker in my mid twenties looking to make my first feature film and i'm wondering if members of the Chinese community can assist me with some research.

How would Chinese families react if their daughter brought home or fell in love with a non-chinese. And would it be any different for the following categories:

1)White British
2)Middle Eastern/ Southern mediteranean looking
3)Indian/Pakistani
4)Black

The motive of making this film is to show that multi-cultural britain is made up of more than just Black/Asian and white British.

I my self have a Greek background and plan to make my main character a british born Greek working in his dad's fish and chip shop. Sterotypical maybe? But at the end of the day over 90% of Greeks in my community are either in the fish and chip shop trade or the restraunt trade. And that's what they are mostly going to relate to and laugh at.

Hence, would it be wrong to represent a chinese family in a similar way?

Ellen81 · Joined: 18 Jan 2007 Posts: 2 Location: Hertfordshire

I think more chinese people would be offended if you were to paint the stereo typical picture of chinese in Britain - but it would depend on the rest of your story and how you continued to portray the chinese.

I'm a British born chinese girl in an interacial relationship and i don't think my family or myself really fall into the typical stereotypes. We don't own a restaurant or work in a take away etc. My parents are professionals and are accepting of all my choices so long as I am happy. My sister and I are strong independant women and we work as hard as we play. Which is certainly the way it should be!

Jeff Minter · Joined: 31 Aug 2006 Posts: 342

Why does the ethnic minority in a relationship always have to be female?

I'm all for integration and mixed babies etc., shame virtually everyone can't see it happen the other way other than the well established black male. Indian father with a Scouser blonde? Nooooo wayyyy!!!!

Oh, and DO NOT "represent" any chinese as running a bloody takeaway or restaurant, or I will personally hunt you down and cripple you*. We've had enough stereotypes to last the end of time.

*Not really.

catz · Joined: 12 Jul 2006 Posts: 42 Location: London

hey!! i'm white and my boyfriend would be classed as ethnic minority as he's chinese...take me to china and i'd be the minority though ;-)

i think there is too much emphasis on race and colour, my boyfriend is my boyfriend! to me he's tall dark and handsome, he's intelligent, ambitious, and funny. that he is chinese doesn't come into it! it's an added bonus in that we celebrate cny, and when we have children we'll teach them about traditions and culture, but we'll be teaching them about all cultures.

a person is an individual, not a colour or a race!

Edwina Lee · Joined: 06 Oct 2006 Posts: 1282 Location: High Wycombe, UK

Hi film101,

If you want to make a soap (a drama of ordinary chinese folks in their day to day life), I suggest you get to know a few chinese friends, make observations, then gather numerous interviews with chinese families and see what patterns emerge.

Every mix chinese couple I know about is englishman-chinese girl, and typically the girl is from a chinese university. Often, the girl is much younger and much more educated than the man.

jenpop · Joined: 25 Feb 2003 Posts: 11 Location: Herts, UK

Hi Nick,

I am mixed race white/chinese and my Mother is from Malaysia. I am British born.

From my own personal experiences I do believe they chinese families would prefer if their daughter brought home a white man (whether Northern or Southern European) rather than black of Indian. I know that this is the case from my own chinese side of the family.

I don't think that there is anything wrong in going for the stereotypical chinese take away owner, but I do believe that the main character should be a young professional, as all chinese that I know - second generation British - are professionals, i.e. accountants, lawyers or doctors.

It may be of use for you to also know that not all chinese came over to the UK and started up take aways. Many, i.e. those from Malaysia came to work as nurses and have never been involved in the catering business. Many of those involved in catering tended to have migrated from Hong Kong and nowadays, many mainland chinese work in this business as a way of getting by.

I have known many chinese who have emigrated from Taiwan / China, worked as waiters/waitresses but were either qualified professionals (but couldn't get jobs due to their English proficiency) or were studying in London for a profession.

I hope this helps.

Jeff Minter · Joined: 31 Aug 2006 Posts: 342

I still can't see why it HAS to be a daughter; it would do much to open people's eyes if a family's son brought home a white or black girlfriend instead. Would certainly have more of an impact.

jenpop · Joined: 25 Feb 2003 Posts: 11 Location: Herts, UK

Of course it doesn't have to be a daughter. I was only writing a response from my own experiences as a woman. It would certainly cause more debate if it was a chinese son bringing home a girl from a very different culture, i.e. greek, african, indian, etc.

In fact making the character a son would be interesting, especially since many chinese on this site believe that chinese girls date white men but white girls don't date chinese guys. I guess this seems to be true in the UK, but less so in Australia where I know quite a few white girls who are married to chinese guys.

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