Stereotype 19 : The Changing Stereotypes of Northeast China

The Changing Stereotypes of Northeast China

Given the vast territory of our country, it is inevitable that the local customs have their own regional characteristics. For example, in the Spring Festival Gala of the past years, most of the small people with broken mouths are Beijingers, and most of the funny and humorous people are Northeasterners, such as Figure 19-1, Song Dandan and Zhao Benshan who play Baiyun and Heilu in "Xiao Cui Says Things", and the rich bosses are Shanghaiers and Cantonese. When we get to know a brand new person or an unfamiliar thing, the quickest way to enter is labeling. The author focuses on the stereotypes of Northeasterners.

In modern times, there was an influx of immigrants to Northeast China, and unlike the Hakka, the new immigrants who arrived in a scattered manner tended to form societies, which maintained civil order instead of clans. This led to the notorious "Northeastern Triads". After the founding of New China, the people's government swept away the old social order, and banditry and various triad societies gradually died out. Now if someone says he is a northeastern triad, nine times out of ten he is a liar.

In 2016, CCTV news uncovered the "I am the Northeast triad" phone fraud case, and the 426 key suspects identified were from several villages in Fengning, Hebei. A suspect said: "Outside do not say that the northeast is tough? Hebei people are not as ruthless as the northeasterners, said Hebei people are not afraid." In fact, the northeastern people are not only not ruthless, but also quite gentle, you do not see, they have to ask a polite question beforehand: believe it or not I cut you?

In today's society, the discussion of the northeasterners is increasing, backwardness and poverty, violence and militancy, low quality and heavy relationship, etc. have become common comments on the northeast and the northeasterners, negative regional stereotypes seriously affect the image of the northeasterners and self-esteem, which is not conducive to the harmony of intergroup relations. However, what are the perceptions and attitudes of Northeasterners, the perceptions and responses of Northeasterners to discrimination, the causes of negative stereotypes, and the way forward? In the eyes of the "other", Tohoku people are perceived as a highly enthusiastic, low-capacity group, which generates both liking and wary emotions, and their main behavioral responses are active help and passive harm. Accordingly, Tohoku people have an in-group preference for themselves and a high opinion of themselves. Secondly, in view of the widespread discussion about Northeast China and Northeasterners, I believe that to some extent, regional prejudice and discrimination have been formed, and Northeasterners in foreign countries feel various negative evaluations and treatments in interpersonal, work and life, thus forming "cold violence" in interpersonal relationships, implicit rejection in work and life, and disagreement with their own identity. Under the threat of identity, individuals have to balance their own ability and reality to make active and passive behavioral choices. Finally, the negative perceptions of Tohoku are mainly due to the backwardness of the Tohoku region and the fact that other regions look down upon it from a higher position of economic and cultural power. In order to reduce the discrimination against the Northeast, besides changing the mentality of "the other looks down on the Northeast", the most important thing is to accelerate the development of the Northeast's regional economy.

Under the image of film and television, the image of Northeasterners is either big-waisted or thin as fish spines, with bald and round haircuts, wearing Buddha beads, large gold chains and other ornaments, such as the gold chain worn by Song Xiaofeng in "Love in the Countryside" (the thicker and larger the Northeast), and probably with tattoos on their arms, and when they go to barbecue stalls and drinking tables, they are "bored with their feelings". ". Big gold chains, mink clothes, is a kind of identity prejudice, stereotypes of people to the northeast. The mottled abandoned factories and black smokestacks are another stereotype of the "new" Northeast.

In the past two years, the slogan of Northeast Renaissance has been shouted. Just because of the old uncle's song "Coyote Disco" has blown up many people's memories of the old Northeast. Waves of memories came, and those who grew up in the Northeast layoffs after the 80s and 90s suddenly had nowhere to release the desire to talk. They wrote books, poems, movies, and songs. ...... people picked out the three most representative people from them - Old Uncle, Ban Yu, and Old Four, and gave them the title of "Northeast Renaissance Three". The name of the three people who are the most representative of them - the old uncle, Banyu, the old fourth, gave them the title of "the three greats of the Northeast Renaissance. But no matter what form the sentiment takes, it is impossible to deny that those expressions were all born out of the same time. It is impossible to deny that all these expressions are a kind of helpless compromise. It seems that the Northeast is left with only the gray of depression and decay. There is no life, no hope, only memories, only desolation.

The generalization and impressions of only words often harm the meaning with rhetoric, not only failing to see the true multiculturalism, but also erasing some of our common characteristics as human beings.

（19-1）

（19-2）

Reference.

Liu Yahui, All Northeasterners [J], Shibuya no Shibuya, 2002, 7