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February 7, 2007
The Chinese on the Business Acumen of the Jews
The happy belief that Jews are, to a man, accomplished money-makers -- hard-working and smart as well! -- is widespread among Chinese. Ask just about any Chinese -- worldwide -- what he thinks about Jews and the response will be precisely that. Go ahead - just ask your colleague.
Deprived of contact with Jews, perhaps having only a vestigial recollection of the Persian Jews, like the Sassoons and the Kadoories, who emigrated to Shanghai in the 19th century to build business empires, Chinese consider it positive, acceptable and accurate to lump all Jews together into an easily managed concept. (Blacks are similarly roped and corralled, but with harshly negative overtones.)
Jewish people might find any stereotype offensive, but this one bestows substantial respect upon Jews, especially when one's Chinese business counterpart discovers that he is Jewish. My suggestion to Jewish businessmen is simply to grin and bear it. Repeat after me: "Yes, damn it, you bet I'm smart. But we're friends and we can make money together!"
(Japanese, to their discredit, have a somewhat similar view of Jews, but the thrust is unkind, with vague reverberations of world conspiracy that is absent from the Chinese. Lots of Japanese publications on that score...)
By the way, ask any Shanghai resident if what other Chinese say about them is true -- that they are without exception the craftiest businessmen, exceeding even Wenzhou people, in the nation. Most Shanghai born and bred folk cringe and deny. But when asked whether Jews are smart businessmen, they readily agree. [Rapidly nodding heads with ejaculations of "oh, absolutely!"]
Here's a fun little read. Books such as these have been on mainland Chinese shelves since the late 90s, but, If I remember correctly, publishers in Taiwan sold similar books in the late 70s and 80s. The titles escape me. Might a reader remember?
Comments
So a Chinese guy and a Jewish guy were talking about their histories and their cultures. The Chinese guy says Chinese culture is more than 3,000 years old and he lists some of its achievements. The Jewish guy acknowledge's China's rich history and then says Jewish culture is more than 5,000 years. The Chinese guy then interjects: "no way, what did you eat for the first 2,000 years?"
This is the only Chinese-Jewish joke I know.
Posted by: Dan Harris ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.asiabizblog.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at February 8, 2007 8:15 AM
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