July 18, 2008
Report: Beijing bars told to ban black people during Olympics
In a couple of weeks Beijing will turn into a party town and Sanlitun is predicted to be the epicenter of the Olympic night events. The South China Morning Post has however reported that the bar owners in the area were asked to refuse service to black patrons. The article reports:
Bar owners near the Workers' Stadium in central Beijing say they have been forced by Public Security Bureau officials to sign pledges agreeing not to let black people enter their premises."Uniformed Public Security Bureau officers came into the bar recently and told me not to serve black people or Mongolians," said the co-owner of a western-style bar, who asked not to be named.
We checked twice just to make sure: This story comes from the SCMP and not The Onion ... in 2008 ... as the world awaits the ultra-harmonious "One World, One Dream" Olympics. Did you hear that? That was the sound of our jaw dropping.
But something about this report doesn't gel. Could this possibly be true? Could it possibly be enforced? Given the strong national ties that China has built with African nations in the last two years coupled with the fact that many Olympic athletes (and their families) hail from African descent — not to mention that such a policy would be despicable and horrendous PR for a country looking to improve its image — it sounds like, perhaps, some racist in the Beijing government went out on his own on this one.
We hope strong denials from Beijing are in the works.
Will Kobe Bryant (pictured) be barred from enjoying a celebratory drink in Beijing?
UPDATE: More on the Beijing bar ban confusion
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More from the story. Apparently dancing is banned, too?
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I'm more concerned about the lack of prostitutes
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I certainly hope this story is just more of the kind of hysterical exaggeration we see lately, or some sort of translation error. I'll be finding out soon enough when my wife (who is black) visits from America. I live a short distance from Sanlitun, and it is sure to be a destination.
Further rumors have it that all bars will be forced to close early, probably 2am, but I've heard as early as 9pm, which sounds so blatantly ridiculous it could even be true.
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does chinese call them nigga??
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To EL JEFE
---"I'm more concerned about the lack of prostitutes"?
You really dont need to worry as hundreds of genuin American who8e are in town, to take the shift. They wouldnt be that expensive as you worried.
As to banned-black thing, what are you guys still waiting for, if you dont bash China in full swing, with only 20 days left?
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I dunno, maybe i went to the wrong places, but the bars in Beijing are pretty terrible, and not going to them is no big disappointment.
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The Age picked up this story
http://snipr.com/30zaq
Fears of a no-fun Olympics in Beijing | theage.com.au
And someone actually did some research
http://snipr.com/30zaz
Beijing Boyce » Um, really? SCMP claims Beijing to ban blacks, Mongolians at bars
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Rumor is that all of shanghai clubs will be shut down for the month of August...and according to news reports recent years there's been a huge increase of Drug dealers in beijing /shanghai who unfortunetly most ( not all) happen to be from Africa.
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Update:
http://snipr.com/319i5
Police deny bar owners' claims of restrictions on blacks in Sanlitun
SCMP report that a second bar verify that they have been asked to refuse entry to those of Mongolian and African descent but the Police flatly deny it.
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no dancing? anti-black? Did the mormons take over the olympics?
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I am white and my wife is 1/4 black.I travel all over Asia and just spent 10 days in Chongqing the Sha ping ba district.One thing I have learned in my 12 yrs of travel where there are white people there will be disdain toward blacks.Any stories likes this will always originate with somebody white.The great leader of China said "it doesnt matter what color a cat is black or white as long as it catch mice."I was waiting for a story like this to come out before the Olympic.
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Correction,I shouldnt say white people but white men.White women seem to have no part in this constant drumbeat from white men to to denigrate black people.
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no dancing? anti-black? Did the mormons take over the olympics?
Maybe it was the Reverand John Lithgow. We need to send in Kevin Bacon!!!
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Where is Jackie Chan gonna hang out when Chris Tucker visits him for the Olympics
Doesn't Shanghaiist have any black people to try it out? Oh wait.. it's just a bunch of cool white boys and banana asians.
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Yes, excellent point booggerg. I too have often wondered why blogs about Shanghai don't have more black contributors based in Beijing.
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If these stories had a kernal of truth it would be one thing,but it never cease to amaze me how many people grease the wheels to roll the lies down the road.It will be very diffucult for some white men to keep this racism game up when Obama become president.
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This ain't true, I asked my chinese friend who works there and she said nothing like that have happened as matter of fact she think its propoganda from west countries.
Lets wait and see if that gonna happen during the olympic.
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Actually, Kobe won't be allowed to drink because they don't serve rapists.
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the order came from the grand dragon of the kkk.
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In America, an owner of a fine establishment has the right to refuse service to any guest he or she does not want $ from. FREEDOM.
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The absolute truth of the matter is that the Chinese brothers are doing what we good old boys wish we could do now.
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Kobe is not rapist..u know well he was framed by the white chick.
By the way..mcrady are u tryina say that u would do the same shyt?that makes u sound like racist.
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@mcrady
look you imbecile 'in America'.. federal and state laws prohibit businesses from denying public accommodation to citizens on the basis of race, color, religion or national original. Read up the federal civil rights act.
You've been enlightened. you're welcome.
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The term "Black" as used in Asia isn't the same as we in the West think.
Having lived in Asia a number of years and visited a dozen of their countries in the past thirty years, I can tell you, in this case, "Not so fast."
Asians often use the term Black to refer to dark skinned members of their one racial subgroup. A pretty, dark filipina is ofen referred to as a Black Beauty. She might be no darker than Beyonce to us, but compared to the rest of her population she's pretty well tanned!
Asians completely differentiate Black Americans from say, a Black Chinese. Black Americans are very popular around the world - especially, tall basketball players.
As Asia learned to embrace b-ball they learned to appreciate the sheer athleticism of the NBA stars.