Our Desk | The Macau discrimination chain

Julie Zhu

The non-Portuguese look down on the Portuguese, the Portuguese look down on the Macau residents, the Macau residents look down on the Mainland Chinese, and the Mainland Free Scheme Chinese look down on the package tours.

Those who wear luxury brands look down on the ones who wear high street fashion, and these, in turn, look down on those who wear Hong Kong-designed brands, who then look down on those wearing Mainland brands.

Whoever watches US TV programs look down on whoever watches Japanese TV programs, with the latter looking down on whoever watches Korean TV programs, who look down on those watching Hong Kong TV programs, who, finally, look down on those watching Mainland dramas.

Those who believe in BBC and CNN look down on those who believe in Portuguese newspapers. Those who believe in Portuguese news look down on those reading the Hong Kong press, with these looking down on the ones who believe in Macau Concealers. However, those who believe in Macau Concealers, as well as in local English and Portuguese news, look down on those reading the Macao Daily News.

Those eating beef look down on those eating pork; those eating pork, in addition to those who eat what they consider ‘normal food’ look down on the ones eating chicken feet.

Those speaking French look down on those speaking English, those speaking English look down on those speaking Portuguese, those speaking Portuguese look down on those speaking Cantonese, and everyone looks down on those speaking Mandarin.

If one uses an iPhone, he or she will look down on someone using Samsung, but those using Samsung will look down on those using Huawei or any other Chinese mobile phone brand. Nevertheless, those using Chinese brands will look down on those using Chinese brands which copied other Chinese brands.

Those having their children studying in international schools look down on those whose children study in Luso-Chinese schools, and those whose children study in Luso-Chinese schools look down on those children studying in Chinese schools.

The salesmen look down on their customers, and the customers look down on the salesmen.

Besides this discrimination chain, there is also a brand of class hierarchy in the city.

The Europeans deem themselves better people than the Americans, the Americans deem themselves better than everyone else. The westerners deem themselves better than all the Chinese, and the Macau Chinese deem themselves better than the mainland Chinese, while the mainland Chinese look down on the Filipinos, the Vietnamese, the Indians, the Thais… and the Westerners who achieved a state of uprightness among the world’s citizens help those at the bottom of the discrimination chain, namely the Filipinos, the Vietnamese, and the Thais who, in turn, blame the Macau locals for discriminating others.

This is not a completely original opinion, as I happened to have read an article depicting the discrimination chain in Mainland China, which, according to my beliefs, was perfectly accurate.

Not only Macau has its own discrimination chain, but it also has a blaming chain.

Locals blame the Mainland Chinese for breaking the rules when they, for example, cross the streets when the traffic lights are red, and the Mainland Chinese who live in Macau blame locals and foreigners (westerners) for playing a major role in breaking such rules.

Hence, it is hilarious to expect the world to achieve peace or to claim that we want Mainland, Asia, Africa, and all other under-developed regions to become great, when we cannot even achieve inner peace within our own community.