'International Relations' and 'racism'

I decided to be 'controversial' for a change.

In AIESEC, it is rare to date another person with the same nationality. We are doing all we can to create international understanding and 'cooperation'. ;-) Some of my friends, who have never been abroad, not with AIESEC either, are ONLY dating 'Lao Wai' (foreigners) today - we all owe something to 'globalizatin'. One of my cousins just got married to a Vietnamese which I call 'strategic alliance of emerging markets and modern communisim'. Hehe...

I posted on the Shanghai Blog that today in Shanghai, I am more shocked to see a white couple instead of a couple - a white guy with a chinese girl (the more common version) or vice versa. I remember I got a lot of dirty looks when I was walking with a white guy friend on the street of Beijing some time back. I am wondering, do these couples today still get dirty looks? Are those girls hanging out a lot at the pubs and bars still perceived desperate for a white guy? If I am dating a Lao Wai today, do people still think that all I care about is his money?

Then what do Laowai's think? Do they feel insulted at being judged as having 'Asian Fetish' or any evil thoughts by being together with a Chinese? Then what if an Asian and a European are dating each other living in Africa? What will peole say then?

I was told that, in Europe, old and ugly rich men go to Asia to 'buy' wives. So again, you get judged by having an international relationship in Europe. Though none of those judgements or dirty looks are holding us back from dating someone different, it is indeed interesting since it is not well accepted anywhere in the world.

Nevertheless, it is very well accepted in the liberal AIESEC world. ;-)