bad formula

“don’t buy food that are made in china anymore,” my mom warned over the phone. “you don’t know what’s in them.”

that warning came not in the last few weeks, when it seemed everyday brought revelation of another chinese export that was a health hazard, but last year, when word of shady food processing practices was making the round in the chinese-american media.

at the time, i dismissed it largely as whatever. at worst, i thought, it was just business chinese-style: taiwanese, chinese, and local chinese-american food producers clawing each other bloody for market shares. but now, with the front page of the new york times announcing recalls or import ban of chinese-made foodstuff, my mom felt vindicated.

“don’t eat in chinese restaurants anymore,” she said a few days ago.

growing up, i’ve heard the “made in…” label used as code for shoddy craftsmanship and poor q.c., applied first to japanese and then to taiwanese goods. and now china.

the difference is: a clock-radio that runs slow wouldn’t kill you.

my dad had long ranted about the lack of real altruism in chinese culture. “'public' good means friends and family,” he snorted.

frankly, the whole thing pisses me off. not because who's right or wrong but because being chinese, the embarrassment verges on shame.

i know i’m oversimplifying the shit out of the issue, but the embarrassment feels like shame.

Posted by cellpharmer at July 8, 2007 07:46 PM