The New York Times gets it wrong about young Americans going to China

There’s been a bit of noise recently about a glaring New York Times article entitled “American Graduates Finding Jobs In China.”

First thing I noticed in the article: the photos of the said American graduates in China.

These photos carry a strong and offensive message: White American man on top!

The text itself gives various examples of people who have found success early in their careers in China and have become “proficient” at Mandarin during their time there. (What “proficient” means is unclear.)

And then it ends with a trying quote from corporate America:

“At McKinsey, we are looking for people who have demonstrated leadership,” he said, “and working in a context like China builds character, requires you to be a lot more entrepreneurial and forces you to innovate.”

What’s interesting is the way that the Twitter and blogosphere have reacted: Vehemently.

• Danwei has posted a short bit of mockery from their readers.
• The China Law Blog has criticized its sunny view.
• Tweets have batted back and forth between various China experts, including references to foreigner “douche bags (DBs).”
• Shaun Rein has written an article for Forbes as a direct response. In it, he paints a more realistic picture of the barriers to landing a job in China. (Recommended.)