@ tony, unforgettably, so many have done visa fraud it makes it tough for others.

@TICexpats, my point exactly. It is a policy that is set to address an occurring problem, past experiences dictate future actions. As mention by others, not issuing visas to citizens of the African continent might be a result of specific problems with those countries rather than being a racist issue.

@TICexpats and others saying it's policy.

I don't think your assessment is right and I kinda find the those wholesale accommodating pronouncements a bit hilarious. For the record, I am African (Black) and I have a Visa. I went to the Chinese embassy here with the necessary documents and I was given my one year multiple entry visa. No hassles whatsoever. That's why I don't agree with your policy argument.I wasn't asking Keats or KUST to apply a visa for me. All I wanted was an opportunity to apply to follow a course. They chose to deny me that based on prejudice. My issue was not about visa as some are erroneously, albeit gleefully making it out to be- with barely disguised hint of arbitrary/exclusive entitlement. Nankai didn't apply my Visa for me. They did offer me a place tho'. And if it were policy of the Chinese govt to discriminate wholesale against Africans based on actions of some, I wouldn't have gotten a Visa either. This is why I asked if Kunming (specifically) is Racist as I've been treated decently elsewhere by Chinese and their govt, despite my colour/ heritage which, from the so very unequivocal statements I read on here, is supposedly irreparably tainted in China. Just like in the US, Europe and everywhere else in the world then, huh? What else is new lol.

I think the OP is not asking a question here. The last posting shows that the intention of the original post was probably trolling. Putting out a bait.

The reason I say this is that the OP presents all the evidence to make his case in the last posting. This shows that the original post was asking a question to which he already had the answer.

The only purposes this would serve would be trolling or grandstanding.

I would hate to see this website dragged down to the level of eChinacities by pointless diatribe, rhetoric and angry posts.

As a local teacher I know that A school surely wants to have more students as long as they pay. Trust me, Money is what school woners value most and money has no race.So I guess it's not because of race but some other unsolvable problems.

Hi Zitony,
First the questions is weird, questions like: does the pope have balls, how green is blue, who cleans the sun, why is spain, when is Hitler, is kunming rascist? Those are all questions without answers.

Yes as Tigertiger said this place is as rascist as any other place and not at all, at the same time.

Thanks to the media and prejudices (thank the gov of the 80-90's for that) black people have a bad reputation and some (fewer than everyone thinks) bad people in those enclaves in Guangdong and other provinces ruin it for the good black ones. (That goes for the whitey too)

But you already answered your question and it seems like you are looking to proving your point. (that KMG is rascist)
What do you want? You just said you got accepted at a school, so why argue further about it.

Most schools don't accept a certain clientel because of the Visa and explanaitions they have to give those lazy grumpy-diva officials.

You have to line up behind the philippines (south asian sea issue) and actually even the british (after an attempted rape in Beijing) I heard Visas of the longer kind are difficult to get.

So if you really wanna study here, do it like most students do, get a tourist visa, sign up and pay in a school (and even KEATS, will take you with a handkiss after seeing your packed wallet) and they will process your Visa without any complains.(to make sure, check if your country has any issues with the China gov. or vice versa).
That way it's gonna be even cheaper than getting all your papers in Uganda.

If you just wanna prove that people are rascist you will find all the answers you need for your point. obviously you will only accept that answer and then you are also building your own rascism, right there.

If you are prejudiced about the "the people" in KMG or Yunnan are, without heeding the people saying it's not, then you left the safe haven of PC and are actually on the rascist side.

Theoretically speaking in terms of the psycholgy behind rascism. No offence just pointing out how this works...

Trust me you will like it here, there are a bunch of black guys around here, and life is awesome even though sometimes a bit rough and weird. Also a lot of people see curiosity* as rascism here.

'*we are on mars again how cool is that!

we have to keep in mind that China has been shut down from foreign (European) influences for literaly thousands of years, and is still so Nationalistic (still) that prejudice and state control media is playing the prejudice ball as they need or like it.

Plus the majority of people won't get an education like it's offered in the west and TV replaces political education, you can see there is massive potential for bias, prejudice and intolerance.
(E.g. I had a preschool class and taught like and dislike, when I asked a 5 year old boy what he dislikes, with no pause he shout out:"JAPAN!", while most other kids said, cauliflower, drawing, mom screaming etc.

I experienced some racism but China is also very tolerant in its way of intolerance. They might see you as an intruder and with a rascist eye, first but if you have a chance to have a chat with them the wonderful curiosity of the people here will completely switch and become so interested.

It goes both ways positive and negative, for example once in Henan in 2000 a local bloke told me (and he was certain about it, he actually got mad when I told him what's really going on, he was ABSOLUTELY certain that the roads in Germany are made of Gold,"literally" and when you retire in Europe you are rich, that's why old people drive such good cars and have their own houses (plural).
I inquired and he said he read it in the news. I didn't want to ruin his dreams, but I asked where exactly the place was because I wanted to live there too. (Scraping the gold of the road and drive fat-a.. cars.)

Point is, it's education and exposure. Show them you are a good person (which you seem to be) and people will be soooooo friggin nice. I love this about China/Yunnan/Kunming.

Nothing on paper in China is real, so get over here change peoples minds by being around and feed their curiosity. Everybody get's a little rascism here, black a bit more than others, but even Chinese get their share (e.g. ask people what they think about people from Henan)
...but it's very easy, compared to the West to change their minds.

If I ever have the choice to cure a Southern State Redneck or a Chinese from their racism, I for sure chose the latter.

Disclaimer:
When I say 'China' that doesn't mean all people here I mean the group of people that is in question. I love China and the people here they have rotten jerks but also the nicest people on earth in equal shares.

So even when I rant about it, it's not the good people living in this country......It had to be said
Cheers, China you are a great host!

PS: I know my posts are massive but I like writing, so what can I do?lol

thanks dazzer for getting to the bottom line.

in the end, the OP is just pissed to be rejected from two schools and decided to have an outlet on this forum.

it's true you can get a visa from your country before coming to china, but most schools help or give you the necessary paperwork to apply for a student visa (residential permit) IN country. many people first come into china on a tourist visa and then switch afterwards.

the visa situation isn't entirely the student's responsibility, and your lack of understanding on this issue feeds more into the conclusion you've already reached about how this is entirely a racial issue.

i know several africans living here IN kunming and they get along fine. of course they will be stared at from time to time, but their polite friendliness is reciprocated more times than not.

since you've already concluded this place is heavily biased and rascist towards you, i take back what i previously wrote and suggest that you skip visiting because of your preconceived notions. at this point, should you visit and encounter any other unpleasant events, you are likely to sum it up as people being rascist toward you instead of other possible explanations.

i'm not saying kunming/yunnan/china isn't rascist. it is. many groups are discriminated against, be it the poor, uneducated, dark-skinned, various minorities and so on...but kunming is probably one of the more accepting places you'll find in china.

@ Dudesons
Thanks for your contribution. I think you and @tigertiger have, as they'd say in french to seriously 'décortiquer' the issue. First the let me say I wasn't looking to pick a fight or troll. Of course I was disappointed by my treatment and made conclusions (prejudice). @Dudesons or @ tigertiger, even the others don't dispute this. The difference is the latter gave reasons to justify this treatment that are off the mark, in my case. It s those reasons that I was disputing in my last post.

I also want to say that as a someone mostly on the wrong end of stereotyping I agree with your conception of 'China'. Life is easier if you go the 'gestalt' way I'd say. So even tho' I know some in China (and Asia) or Kunming are prejudiced, I also realize it is by no means everyone and it's like this everywhere in the world. It's just that having not been in Kunming before and this being my initial interaction with someone in 'authority' there, I found it all startling. First impressions and whatnot. There's racism in the west but I've never ever had a similar experience in England.
It was something new to me.

As for fixation on Kunming even after I have sorted this out elsewhere. I mentioned reasons for my fascination with Yunnan and Kunming earlier. I already know a lot about the place even tho' I haven't set a foot there. From Honghe, to Dali, Lijiang, Yuxi, Kunming itself, I find the place intriguing, diverse and interesting. I would still love to spend sometime out there before my time in China is up. It is just that this experience kinda sullied my idealised view of the place. I felt need to seek clarifications. With the opinions of the likes of @Dudesons ('If I ever have the choice to cure a Southern State Redneck or a Chinese from their racism, I for sure chose the latter'), and @tigertiger above, I think I can in a way appreciate the nuances of this issue in China. I'll follow the implied advice in @Dudesons 'choice' above. What the Chinese put in their 'tabula rasa' as regards their perceptions of me, is entirely upto me. I can live with that kind of flexibility.

Zitony,

I would say a few things.
1. Gokunming forums are not really representative of the expat communities in Kunming. These forums are usually more socially conservative, while most Kunming ex-pats are not. I would go so far as to say that while the forums serves and involves all types, they are something of a haven for the more conservative, who are even more of a minority in Kunming than they are in other Chinese cities that have more foreign "professionals".

2. Of course Kunming is racist, there is a problem of racism against people with dark skin in all of China. You must know that things are simply different for dark skinned laowai in China than for the light skinned. That doesn't mean that you were treated that way due to racism. I have no idea if it was racism or not. But whereas people in some places will take measures to make sure that even non-racist actions don't appear as such, that is just not a "custom" here.