The eyes of the world is focused on China and the Beijing Olympics Games this summer.
Lately, as ordinary Chinese inside and outside China watch in horror how these games have been used as a platform for the political machinations of anti-China forces in the West, stoking the fires of hate, demonization, and insults, I was saddened by it all.
China Bashing is again on the rise.
And with it Chinese peoples all over the world must rise up and fight against these forces of evil bent on distorting our narrative and our side of the story.
Many ordinary Chinese inside China, who have watched the bashing in the Western press especially from Europe, North America, Australasia believe that despite many problems they have in China, their country has not been treated fairly.
We agree. And we support their angst, anger, and understand their frustration.
Remember over 10 years ago when many of us mobilized in protest against ethnic Chinese persecution in Indonesia and Huaren.org was launched ? I was part of that movement.
Then, I had maintained that we ethnic Chinese overseas must push for a "Third Space." To this day, it is still my firm conviction, my dream and my vision.
The word, "Huaren," became a synonym for "ethnic Chinese overseas."
We ethnic Chinese overseas, aka Huarens, have to have a voice to report our narrative; to push for our rightful place in the sun.
We have to underscore that as a people straddled between our homeland and our new society whereever we have resettled, we have to be treated as human beings.
We have to be treated equally by our adopted countries and to live in dignity in our adopted land.
We have a right to the fundamental rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in our own unique way, just as any other dignified peoples around the world.
That said, our fates as Huarens, no matter what, are always affected and impacted upon by the good things as well as the evil things in our midst.
Worse, during tensions between China, our roots, and the outside world, we get bashed by the forces of bigotry, intolerance, and anti-China hysteria.
Inspite of globalization, the fact is CHINA-WEST relations, especially CHINA-U.S. relations remain one which is characterized as misguided, misinformed, and misunderstood "mood swings."
Like a pendulum, it swings between good mood and bad mood.
And anytime that these mood swings change from one of euphoria, happiness to demonization and China bashing, our Huaren fate became intertwined and affected.
We need to do better as a people with dual backgrounds to keep the relationship on an even-keel.
Like a Catamaran sail boat, we must push for balance.
We can act as a bridge between CHINA and the WEST. We can push for our voices collectively, passionately, and uniquely in all of our unique backgrounds.
I say this because many of us are knowleageable and have experienced cross-culturally. We speak and write in many languages.
And because of our experiences with dual backgrounds, we all have a "third eye."
Thus, my vision to work for " a Third Space."Thanks to Bevin Chu, our fellow Huaren based in Taiwan, I will be reactivating my blog, " http://spatiumtrientis.blogspot.com/
Bevin has graciously linkd my blog with his blog. http://thechinadesk.blogspot.com/
We share the same passion. We may not agree on all things and everything. But we have great respect with each other, as with many of you from Huaren.org
And I hope we can all connect and fight for our rightful place in the sun, in our own way, as well as collectively, in our own space.
My blog, " http://spatiumtrientis.blogspot.com/ is based on the latin translation of "Third Space."
Let's mobilize again. And this time, let's do better and improve.
We have learned from the past. And we will keep in mind that all Huarens are smart, not dumb or deaf.
Cheers,Edward Liu
