They have a few things in common. The Chinese are called the Jews of Asia and in Indonesia there have been anti-Chinese pogroms just as the Jews have suffered pogroms in Europe.
One of the most interesting aspect of anti-Chinese feeling in the Far East is the different legal status of the Chinese in Indonesia and Malaysia respectively.
Anti-Chinese pogroms are more frequent in Indonesia though they have been known to happen in Malaysia too, but officially the Chinese and the indigenous Muslim Indonesian have parity of status. We must remember that Indonesia is also an empire and this necessarily means having a dominant culture, the quelling rebellions from time to time and basically kicking minorities around for the purpose of imposing and retaining imperial hegemony.
In Malaysia, the bumiputra - the indigenous Malay Muslim, translated as the Prince of the Land - has privileges that the other races are not entitled to in terms of university places, employment quotas etc.
On this matter my family are divided. My father says this is obviously unfair. My mother however says it is imperative that the Malays keep their privileges because if they don't, they won't be able to compete with the other races and will for this reason get angry and then have their anti-Chinese pogroms.
Does this mean the Malays have racial superiority? I would suggest not.
I know the BNP would love indigenous whites to have racial privileges over non-whites, but does this mean they are racially superior? I would suggest not.
But then this is not a question of who is racially superior but what is fair, practicable and conducive to national harmony.
What is a racist?
It seems this means anyone who proposes any policy that discriminates on grounds of race, but it is certainly arguable that in certain circumstances it can be fair to do so, and even conducive to national harmony.
If I were to say that the Jews are a superior race, does that mean I am racist? I am not a Jewess, but I like to think I am in thinking like one. I have said before that Judaism is like an exclusive golf club while Islam is more akin to a political party in a single party state. It is certainly possible to be both a member of an exclusive club as well as a member of a political party in a single party state and I like to think I am capable of both.
Why are the Chinese considered the Jews of Asia? Probably because we are thought to be good with money and too clever by half, with an impenetrable language operating by the rules of patriarchy with many rituals and traditions.
Why might I say the Jews are a superior race to the Chinese?
Because the strength of the Jewish tribe comes from adherence to their traditions, which may in time triumph over the numbers of the Chinese, especially if they lose their traditions, which I feel bound to say they have.
The Jews have also been around even longer than the Chinese who are also well known to have been around for quite a while, hence all those Jewish jokes about what the Jews did before there was any Chinese food.
https://forums.egullet.org/topic/113757-why-jews-like-chinese-food/
http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-life-and-religion/53569/jewish-christmas
One of the most interesting aspect of anti-Chinese feeling in the Far East is the different legal status of the Chinese in Indonesia and Malaysia respectively.
Anti-Chinese pogroms are more frequent in Indonesia though they have been known to happen in Malaysia too, but officially the Chinese and the indigenous Muslim Indonesian have parity of status. We must remember that Indonesia is also an empire and this necessarily means having a dominant culture, the quelling rebellions from time to time and basically kicking minorities around for the purpose of imposing and retaining imperial hegemony.
In Malaysia, the bumiputra - the indigenous Malay Muslim, translated as the Prince of the Land - has privileges that the other races are not entitled to in terms of university places, employment quotas etc.
On this matter my family are divided. My father says this is obviously unfair. My mother however says it is imperative that the Malays keep their privileges because if they don't, they won't be able to compete with the other races and will for this reason get angry and then have their anti-Chinese pogroms.
Does this mean the Malays have racial superiority? I would suggest not.
I know the BNP would love indigenous whites to have racial privileges over non-whites, but does this mean they are racially superior? I would suggest not.
But then this is not a question of who is racially superior but what is fair, practicable and conducive to national harmony.
What is a racist?
It seems this means anyone who proposes any policy that discriminates on grounds of race, but it is certainly arguable that in certain circumstances it can be fair to do so, and even conducive to national harmony.
If I were to say that the Jews are a superior race, does that mean I am racist? I am not a Jewess, but I like to think I am in thinking like one. I have said before that Judaism is like an exclusive golf club while Islam is more akin to a political party in a single party state. It is certainly possible to be both a member of an exclusive club as well as a member of a political party in a single party state and I like to think I am capable of both.
Why are the Chinese considered the Jews of Asia? Probably because we are thought to be good with money and too clever by half, with an impenetrable language operating by the rules of patriarchy with many rituals and traditions.
Why might I say the Jews are a superior race to the Chinese?
Because the strength of the Jewish tribe comes from adherence to their traditions, which may in time triumph over the numbers of the Chinese, especially if they lose their traditions, which I feel bound to say they have.
The Jews have also been around even longer than the Chinese who are also well known to have been around for quite a while, hence all those Jewish jokes about what the Jews did before there was any Chinese food.
https://forums.egullet.org/topic/113757-why-jews-like-chinese-food/
http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-life-and-religion/53569/jewish-christmas
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