This book explores the role of Chineseness or lo chino in the production of Chilean national identity. It does so by discussing the many voices, images, and intentions of diverse actors who contribute to stereotyping or problematizing Chineseness in Chile. The authors argue that in general, representing and perceiving China or Chineseness as the Other is part of a broader cultural and political strategy for various stakeholders to articulate Chile as either a Western country or one that is becoming-Western. The authors trace the evolution of the symbolic role that China and Chineseness play in defining racial, gendered, and class aspects of Chilean national social imaginary. In doing so, they challenge a common idea that Chineseness is a stable signifier and the simplistic perception of the ethnic Chinese as the unassimilable foreigner within the nation. In response, the authors call for a postmigrant approach to understanding identities and Chilean society beyond stubborn Orient-Occident and us-them dichotomies.

Maria Montt Strabucchi is Assistant Professor in the Institute of History and Member of the Center for Asian Studies at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

Carol Chan is Associate Professor of Sociology at Universidad Academia de Humanismo Cristiano, Chile.

María Elvira Ríos is a researcher in the Institute of Aesthetics at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

Autorentext

Maria Montt Strabucchi is Assistant Professor in the Institute of History and Member of the Center for Asian Studies at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

Carol Chan is Associate Professor of Sociology at Universidad Academia de Humanismo Cristiano, Chile.

María Elvira Ríos is a researcher in the Institute of Aesthetics at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

Zusammenfassung

This book explores the role of Chineseness or lo chino in the production of Chilean national identity. It does so by discussing the many voices, images, and intentions of diverse actors who contribute to stereotyping or problematizing Chineseness in Chile. The authors argue that in general, representing and perceiving China or Chineseness as the Other is part of a broader cultural and political strategy for various stakeholders to articulate Chile as either a Western country or one that is becoming-Western. The authors trace the evolution of the symbolic role that China and Chineseness play in defining racial, gendered, and class aspects of Chilean national social imaginary. In doing so, they challenge a common idea that Chineseness is a stable signifier and the simplistic perception of the ethnic Chinese as the unassimilable foreigner within the nation. In response, the authors call for a postmigrant approach to understanding identities and Chilean society beyond stubborn Orient-Occident and us-them dichotomies.

Inhalt

Chapter 1. Introduction: Chineseness in ChileSituating Orientalism in ChileHistorical Imaginary of China in ChileOverview of the Book Chapters Chapter 2. The Enduring Duality of ChinesenessChina/Chineseness as Threat or OpportunityPolemic Discussions about China in the 21st century: Threat or Opportunity?Conclusion: China as a Double-edged Sword or Mirror Chapter 3. Dynamics of In/comprehensibilityThe Silent or Incomprehensible StrangerComprehending the Ethnic Chinese: Towards Greater Understanding and Distinguishing Between "Chinos"Problematizing Chineseness as Other/IncomprehensibleConclusion: Towards Chineseness as Potential or Radical Openness Chapter 4. Racialized Femininities and Masculinities, and the Queerness of the Ethnic ChineseOrientalizing Ethnic Chinese/Asian womenUndesirable or Asexual Chinese MasculinitiesThe Impossibility of MiscegenationQueering Gender/Sexual Binaries Through ChinesenessConclusion Chapter 5. Marca Chile, Marca ChinaThe Interdependence of Marca Chile and Marca China(Re)Branding China in ChileWhen Marca Chile is Actually Marca China: the Global Raspberry ScandalConclusion: Towards Incorporating Chineseness into Marca Chile Chapter 6. Many-faced Orientalism: Racism and Xenophobia in a Time of the Novel Coronavirus Covid-19The Many Faces of Orientalism During the PandemicExperiences and Responses in Chile to Anti-Chinese/Asian RacismConcluding Remarks Chatper 7. Conclusion Chapter 8. Deciphering the Written and Spoken "Chinese:" "Me Estás Hablando en Chino"