On Reflection by Michael Keevak

The Chinese were white – until white men called them yellow

Europeans referred to East Asians as white until the end of the 18th century

But as the Chinese and Japanese resisted cultural assimilation they darkened – both in Western eyes and their own

Michael Keevak

Published: 6:00pm, 3 Feb, 2019

Updated: 6:14pm, 3 Feb, 2019

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Michael Keevak

Michael Keevak is Professor of Foreign Languages at National Taiwan University and author of ‘Becoming Yellow: A Short History of Racial Thinking’.

The Chinese were white – until white men called them yellow

Europeans referred to East Asians as white until the end of the 18th century But as the Chinese and Japanese resisted cultural assimilation they darkened – both in Western eyes and their own

Racism and prejudice

Europeans referred to East Asians as white until the end of the 18th century

But as the Chinese and Japanese resisted cultural assimilation they darkened – both in Western eyes and their own