Friendly Faces of China

As more people become increasingly xenophobic, I feel that it’s important to show that we are all humans and that we have more similarities than differences. We cannot control our ethnicity, the location we are born, or our cultural heritage. However, we can control how we treat our fellow human beings.

During my travels in China I attempted to document my interactions with complete strangers. In most cases I was alone and walking around local neighborhoods. These neighborhoods were not in any kind of tourist area. In fact, it was rare for me to see any other foreigners while I was there.

During my interactions with strangers I was almost always greeted warmly. Many strangers wanted to have conversations with me, to learn more about me, to find out why I was visiting. Not once did I experience any sort of hostility by anyone. There were a few times that a few people appeared to view me with suspicion. However, I could have easily misread their expression/body language.

In the end, we are all occupying the same planet and whether we like it or not, we area a global society. We should strive to get along with each other and not let ourselves be divided by whatever differences there may be — Especially the manufactured differences that are designed to keep all of us divided and bickering.