Discrimination: Victims vs. Freedom Of Speech / Rights

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Discrimination
Have you ever wondered how the problem of discrimination still persists even when people state that they are not? It does not surprise me that the perception that people are worthy more than others persists in different places. The U.S constitution guarantees the fundamental rights and freedoms, but still others choose to abuse this and engage in hate speech. In China, there are more restrictions on liberties while there are cases of regional discrimination that are common just like in the U.S. It should not surprise anyone that those discriminated against feel anxious and lineated, especially when in a place when they experience a culture shock (Poyrazli and Lopez 270). We often judge people and make assumptions even before we know them, but this does not mean that we stigmatize and insult them because they are different from us.
The majority population in China is the Han people, but the country is large and diverse. When foreigners think of China they tend it is monolithic like the Koreas and Japan, but this is not the cause. There are regional differences that are easily noticeable, and the Beijing dialect is the standard one. While in Beijing there are cases of the people from the rural areas who come looking for jobs, they face more difficulties because of where they come from. Shanghai is a cosmopolitan city characterized with fashion and finance while Beijing is the cultural and political power of China (Custer). If people are judged to be less competent just because of their origins then this worsens regional discrimination. The Chinese society is hierarchical and you are likely to get ahead when you know people in the workplace.
It is not just that there I regional rivalry evens some of the expats engage in regional discrimination. Rural immigrants in Urban China are often targets of resident and government discrimination and are stigmatized because if their talking, accents, dressing and even assumed to be dirty and ignorant (Lin et al 178). This extends even to the wage discrimination for residents from rural areas employed in urban centers (Cheng et al. 250) While talking with my cousin’s Hong Kong workmate, she told me, “You know even Beijing does not measure up to Shanghai.” While I did not dispute or agree to this, I am surprised that people are quick to make judgments even when they have not been to other places they are talking about. I believe that regional discrimination is most present when people are denied job opportunities and receive bad service when they visit other places. There is a large expat community living in Shanghai, but their experiences are different from that of other residents and even people in the capital city.
I have experienced price discrimination in New York, while seeking to buy a car with friends. To begin with, we were dismissed as being very young to own cars, but once the sales person that some of my friends and I were Chinese students he stated showing interested. Ev...