Are the Chinese really Black people?

Guest Writer: Jo Kelly-Gan, An African-American woman born in Columbia, Missouri. After putting herself through University, learning to speak Spanish fluently and a messy divorce from a self-proclaimed gay man, Jo is now happily married to a wonderful Chinese man 14 years her junior and living in the People's Republic of China. Jo blogs about life in China at Life Behind the Wall

Chinese People and Black People have more in common than you think. As I was visiting the local McDonald's here in Yuyao City, Zhejiang Province, China I noticed that the menu seemed quite different than the ones in the USA. Yes, they had the Big Mac, and the McChicken and even the McFish ... but .. I also saw.. Spicy chicken wings, corn, chocolate pies, sweet potato pies, and a drink that was basically... Kool-aid and sprite mixed together .. in Peach, Grape, and some Red flavor.

Now I don't know about you guys, but that sounds like a Soul-Food menu. I really didn't think about that to much more until I went to KFC.. not to far from the McDonalds.... again a Soul-Food menu that had... corn salad, rice & beans, some kind of shrimp sandwich, and a lot of spicy Chicken items from wings, to legs to other parts unknown to the naked eye....

I thought at first this was an American way to grab the Chinese attention and give them something new.. so I wanted to research this farther into the traditional Chinese foods too see if there were any similarities. And restaurant after restaurant. I saw... pig's feet, Chiltlins', Chicken feet, crayfish, fried potatoes, red bean dishes, fried fish, Ox tail with gravy and even grits with eggs and homony.... What was this? I never knew how close the food was to the Soul Food I grew up on. They eat BBQ (sweet and spicy kinds) and even various greens with bacon fat or ham hocks.

People really do not know how close the food is to downhome southern (or Northern cooking). People look at my Chinese husband and I and think what could these two have in common? What could they do that interests each other?

Well now you know one big thing is FOOD! .... The Chinese people are all about eating together and spending time with family. At a traditional Chinese dinner I attended, I saw everyone eating, joking with each other, making fun of each other, and just all around having a good time. Showing off how much someone could eat, or drink or even who can sing better. It amazed me how similar it was to our Black families at home. Everyone praised the women who cooked all the food and complimented how wonderful the food was... and she beamed with pride just like my mother and grandmother before had always done.

It was a wonderful feeling and it felt like home and I felt accepted as a part of their family, just like my friends did when they would come to my home for a holiday dinner. Every made sure you had enough to eat, and kept trying to give you more even though you were stuffed. Just when you were ready to bust, they would start bring out desserts. They showed the family love that we experienced when we were growing up in our families.

Black women do not worry your beautifully styled heads one bit about cooking or pleasing an Asian man stomach because I really believe that deep down inside the Chinese people are just Black people at heart.

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