This Man Makes China Question What It Means to Be Chinese

This is Peter Petrov. You may call him Uncle Petrov. Despite his Russian features of bright blue eyes and fair skin, Petrov does not speak Russian; he speaks Chinese.

That's because Petrov, whose legal name is Dong Desheng, lives in his birthplace of Heilongjiang province and is an ethnic Russian, one of China's 55 officially recognized minority groups.
In a country where the predominant ethnic group, Han Chinese, accounts for 92% of the population -- or 1.2 billion people -- Petrov, 44, says his appearance and heritage makes him stand out.

Petrov started posting videos about his life in late 2017 through China’s most popular streaming app, Kuaishou. He went viral a year after.

The clips saw him playing with his dog, Little White; eating dumplings with his family; tending to his corn and soybean crops.
[...]
But more than creating a social media star, Petrov's videos have stirred debate online about what it means to be "Chinese" in a society where ethnic homogeneity and social conformity are the norm.

How did Petrov and his family come and settle in Heilongjiang, China? 

See more details of Petrov’s story over at CNN.

(Image Credit: Peter Petrov/ CNN)


Login to comment.
Email This Post to a Friend
"This Man Makes China Question What It Means to Be Chinese"

Separate multiple emails with a comma. Limit 5.

 

Success! Your email has been sent!

close window
X

This website uses cookies.

This website uses cookies to improve user experience. By using this website you consent to all cookies in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

I agree
 
Learn More