China Overseas Chinese Network July 13 Question: Overseas Chinese in the first half of 2020 Keywords: Which one do you pick?
2020 is an extraordinary year, and the sudden epidemic has brought great influence and changes to the lives of overseas Chinese. Looking back at the past six months, what are the memorable experiences? Come take a look, did these keywords hit you?
Italian overseas Chinese set up a stall in Florence to distribute living supplies to local residents in need. Photo courtesy of Li Weikang
"Play the whole game"
"The first half in China, the second half abroad, and the Chinese overseas." Some overseas compatriots described their situation in the fight against the New Coronary Pneumonia epidemic.
When the epidemic started in China, many overseas Chinese and overseas Chinese generously donated money, bravely "retrograde" and supported the domestic anti-epidemic with practical actions.
Among the overseas Chinese who are eager to run for their home country, there is no shortage of beautiful figures of "retroverts". He Caixia, a Chinese nurse who has lived in the UK for more than ten years, resigned from the Royal Invalid Rehabilitation Hospital and flew back to China to fight against the epidemic. Wang Chunyan, a returned overseas Chinese, went to the front line of Hubei to fight against the epidemic, and fought 12 hours a day...
There are many such touching stories...
The heart of the overseas Chinese at home and abroad gathered together to form a majestic force to support the fight against epidemic in the mother country. According to Jining Ning, the owner of the China Overseas Chinese Federation Public Welfare Service Management Service Center, according to incomplete statistics, since the anti-epidemic, overseas Chinese nationals have donated nearly 1 billion yuan through relevant domestic institutions, and the value of donated materials has exceeded 1 billion yuan. The enthusiastic overseas Chinese donated through the Chinese Overseas Chinese Charity Foundation cover more than 40 countries and 105 overseas Chinese groups on six continents.
As the epidemic spread overseas, overseas Chinese and overseas Chinese not only consciously abide by the epidemic prevention and control measures in their country of residence, but also do their best to help fellow citizens and local people in need, and help the "second hometown" to fight against the epidemic, showing the good image of overseas Chinese.
The Overseas Chinese Delegation in France donated 100,000 surgical masks to the Greater Paris Town Union. Everyone applauded and thanked the overseas Chinese in France for their donation. ("European Times" / Photograph by Huang Guanjie)
Austrian Chinese and overseas Chinese have spontaneously established a mutual aid group for epidemic prevention, not only contacting medical experts to answer questions on health and epidemic protection online, but also inviting senior people in various fields to provide assistance to visa, tourism, tax, and legal issues faced by overseas Chinese during the epidemic.
In the Italian city of Prato, where many Chinese live, many Chinese merchants proactively provided employees and customers with masks, disinfectant hand sanitizers, etc. before the outbreak, and urged customers in the store not to gather as much as possible to achieve "zero infection" in the Chinese community. High praise from the local government.
Several overseas Chinese compatriots in the West spontaneously organized through WeChat groups to establish a platform for the exchange of Chinese and Western doctors, assisted in contacting experts and translated questions and answers, facilitated the sharing of anti-epidemic experiences by Chinese doctors, and helped more than 1,000 first-line doctors in nearly 30 countries.
Faced with the shortage of supplies in the country, overseas Chinese groups and individuals in many countries and regions donated a large number of masks and protective clothing for local hospitals, communities, nursing homes, etc. The New York Times and other Western media have praised "in front of the epidemic, the kindness and unity of the Chinese are obvious to all."
"Discrimination"
With the outbreak of the epidemic in many places overseas, discrimination and prejudice against Chinese ethnic groups have emerged in some areas.
In a Chinese supermarket in Ontario, Canada, a white man without a mask had a dispute with the Chinese, screaming at the Chinese for insulting vocabulary involving new coronary pneumonia.
In the early days of the resumption of work in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, a chef of a restaurant in Seedorf publicly declared on social media: "Chinese are not welcome here!"
The New Zealand Asian Family Service Center (AFS) pointed out that nearly half of the victims in New Zealand were Chinese.
A number of Chinese groups have jointly organized anti-discrimination marches in San Francisco to oppose discrimination against the Chinese population because of the new coronavirus, and support Chinese and global anti-epidemic actions. (Sino-Singapore video screenshot)
In the face of discriminatory speech and behavior, overseas Chinese not only unite and protect each other, but also speak out rationally, using sincere communication to eliminate misunderstandings caused by cultural differences and information gaps, and enhance understanding and mutual trust with different ethnic groups in every bit of words and deeds .
Some overseas Chinese in Spain, France and Italy launched the “I am not a virus” publicity campaign in the language of their country of residence, vocalizing Asian-American groups, including overseas Chinese, and also telling local people through popular science that going out to wear masks is not only for protection He is also to protect strangers who pass by.
Chinese societies in London, Birmingham, Manchester and other places jointly established the "All-British Chinese Anti-racial Discrimination Group", calling on compatriots to unite and actively strengthen cooperation with the government and the media to provide guidance and assistance to Chinese who are discriminated against. The group also published an "open letter to the British media and the public", calling for "unity and mutual support of all ethnic groups" to fight against discrimination.
The well-known American overseas Chinese leader Li Bangqin Foundation and other 17 American Chinese and Asian community organizations jointly issued an open letter to the American public, emphasizing "refusing to speculate on political tactics of racial division and segregation," calling on all ethnic groups to communicate friendlyly and work together. Get through.
Chinese media such as the American Overseas Chinese News, the European Times and the Canadian Seven Days have also called on everyone to speak rationally and respond sensibly.
"Breakout"
In this epidemic, the Chinese business community has been greatly affected. In order to get out of the predicament, "breaking through" has become the basic operation of the Chinese businessmen on the road of counterattack.
Before the large-scale outbreak of the outbreak, some Chinese shops in Prato, Italy, actively closed their business to reduce the spread of the virus, and suffered many losses such as rent and labor costs. In Chinatown, such as New York, Chicago, and San Francisco, businesses in the United States also suffered from The epidemic ushered in a winter of business ahead of time...
Recently, many governments have gradually "unblocked" and various industries have resumed work one after another. But the path of Chinese businessmen to resume work is not easy.
The picture shows the street view of Chinatown in downtown Washington. China News Agency reporter Chen Meng
In order to reduce the spread of the virus, Liang Qimei, who runs a Chinese supermarket in Mexico, opened a service for customers to order through WeChat, etc., and the staff delivered it to the door without contact. She said that most local Chinese restaurants are also more cautious and currently only provide takeaway business.
Ms. Chen, a manicurist in Los Angeles, New York, also said that she must first buy isolation panels, disinfect the storefront, and prepare for a complete epidemic prevention before reopening the store, before welcoming customers to return.
There are also Chinese businessmen who are bold and careful, seizing "business opportunities" from "crisis". Starting from the main needs of customers during the epidemic period, the old store "Haiwan" in Chinatown, Nagasaki, Japan launched a "lunch lunch" that is convenient to take out and affordable, with sales on the first day more than 4 times higher than expected.
The Italian clothing factory owner Chen Zhengxi began to shift his focus to online operations. He plans to develop e-commerce operations and original designs, cooperate with live broadcast platforms, and develop applications to strive for transformation and upgrading in the post-epidemic era.
"Cloud Life"
Out of consideration for the prevention and control of the epidemic, many governments have asked the public to reduce their outings. Overseas Chinese compatriots actively responded to the call for home to avoid the epidemic and started the "cloud life" mode.
Inconvenient to go out and meet, then there will be more "cloud communication". Gao Xianzhong, chairman of the Russian Chamber of Commerce in Russia, established two WeChat groups. "Members share medical prevention knowledge, introduce local policies and regulations, communicate needs, and give each other masks, vegetables and other materials."
Enthusiastic overseas Chinese in Montreal, Canada spontaneously organized and established a "mutual help group". Overseas Chinese chatted jokes on the Internet, relieved everyone's psychological pressure, and some people started free online Cantonese classes.
Overseas Chinese living in their homes also took advantage of this opportunity to "cloud travel" and have "poetry and distance" without leaving home. The Chinese Cultural Center of Paris, France, launched the "Cloud·Hubei" video exhibition through the website. Through exciting and vivid pictures and videos, people can enjoy Hubei's natural scenery and cultural heritage online.
Liu Jingxian, the national representative inheritor of "Liao cuisine" traditional cooking skills, shared the cooking skills of "Liao cuisine" with netizens. Photo by Yu Haiyang
Due to the inconvenience of "going out of the restaurant", many overseas Chinese began to "cloud learn to cook" and were very busy.
Some overseas Chinese in the UK have set up a "Chinese small-headed" food exchange group. Everyone will show dishes in the group, "punch" on time, exchange their experiences, and even teach their friends to cook their own hometown dishes remotely. In the fireworks of the kitchen, the helplessness and boredom of home epidemic prevention are somewhat diluted.
Looking back at the first half of the year
What other words make you feel the most and remember?
Looking into the second half of the year
What other words make you look forward to?
Leave a message to share with us!
(Sources: China News Network, People's Daily, Qiushi, U.S. World Daily, European Times, Ouhua Net, etc.)
Author: Zhao Jing Zhu