Queens Tribune

Following the recent uprising of riots in provinces across China, the Web has become saturated with photographs and videos depicting the violent climate.

For young Chinese Americans around Queens, the recent atrocities in Xinjang Providence are too familiar.

Gerald Cheong, 23, a first generation Chinese American living in Queens, said he doesn’t have family in the areas experiencing riots, but he likens the incident to past events in the country.

Cheong has family in Hong Kong but he said they are abstaining from interfering or involving themselves much in the political arena.

“What are you going to do?” he asked. “They’re apathetic but they know what the government is doing. The government does whatever it wants and we don’t matter.”

He said his family stays abreast of government policies but stops short of getting involved with riots and scenes of what he called reminders of China’s history of war.

China is similar to South America, Cheong said. A massive land filled with homogeneous people and a mixture of various cultures and several sovereign nations.

“China is the same way, but everyone is working together to stay in one mind and one country instead of 20 different states.”

With that mentality, Cheong said he feels the Chinese government tries to maintain a sense of unity but falls short of appeasing all citizens. The unity is necessary to keep the country strong and distant from its bloody past of numerous wars against neighbors, he said.

“While in Western standards it seems unethical, in their point of view it’s to keep people together,” he said of the government’s response to the riots.

But Felix Yung said the riots are a sign of much needed change in the country.

“I’ve seen the pictures that have been posted online,” he said. “Women and children are either crying or look really scared for the future. I wish their government can control the riots a bit more so peace can be restored.”

Yung, a first generation Chinese American, said he has no family from the provinces where the riots are taking place, but his family is still concerned.

He said his wish for the future is that the people he shares a common ancestry and heritage with find a way to bring about positive change.

“My parents would probably say that the people who are causing the trouble are being ridiculous,” he said. “Why would they resort to violence?”