Recession no excuse to demonize Chinese immigrants

Chinese businesses launched a one-day strike in Madrid, Spain, on Saturday to protest local media reports which they thought defamed Chinese businesses. They wanted to draw attention to how this discrimination has hurt Chinese businesses.

After Spanish police arrested several Chinese suspects in a huge money laundering clampdown in the middle of October, the specter of "Chinese gangs" was hyped up by the local media.

There was already hostility toward Chinese businesses in Spain. In 2004, in a protest against Chinese-made shoes, quantities of shoes worth more than 1 million euro ($1.28 million) were burned by local Spanish protesters.

Because of Chinese immigrants' hard-work and thrift, many Chinese were able to acquire a large amount of wealth in a short period of time. But they easily became the focus of hostility due to certain rule-breaking styles of doing business, for example, longer business hours and cheaper prices.

Misunderstandings can be deepened in times of economic recession. Many European countries have been suffering from economic crises. At this time, they are susceptible to being tempted to directing their fire toward immigrants.

Some European media and officials have connected Chinese people with words like "gangs" and "mafia." Online Focus, a German media outlet, has said that a Chinese "Mafia" has about 250,000 members in Europe and the members of this gang are even more brutal than the Italian mafia.

Chinese are known for being reserved and tolerant. This encourages provocations and discrimination. Politicians may also seize the opportunity to score political points during an election season. China and Chinese immigrants can be easy scapegoats for local politicians seeking to shift the focus of domestic pain.

Out of respect, Chinese people always trivialize conflicts to avoid intensifying them. Chinese immigrants are not good at speaking out for themselves. However, they will have to become accustomed to stepping forward to safeguard their legitimate rights.

Governments should also support Chinese businesses abroad, especially at times when Chinese businesses are unfairly targeted for political purposes in a foreign country. Diplomatic departments should step in to ease the tensions and be a bridge for communication at critical times. It is important to send the message to Chinese immigrants that they can count on the government for help when they need it.