Race and Class half way around the World

Had an interesting talk with my Language Partner about Affirmative Action in China. Basically, if someone is a minority in China, with relatively lower grades on the GaoKao (their SAT), they can get into a good college. In her opinion, the program is very important as it provides opportunities for the impoverished minorities in China's border regions. In turn, this helps unify they country and make it more fair. The issue seems to be, with the exception of the very non-Chinese looking Tibetans and Uighurs, a lot of Chinese minorities look the same as the Han. This leads to the phenomenon of Han Chinese pretending to be Bai or Zhuang or Hui to jumpstart their careers. Though it is difficult to criticize an individual, because they may in fact be a Zhuang or Bai and may very much resent being accused of being someone they're not. This reminded me of the debates in America about Native American identities and laws based on genetic evidence instead of a person's own identification as an Indian. Also talked with her a lot about inequality in China. Actually, I think America has more to be ashamed of then China. China is a 3rd World country trying to develope with the World's largest population. America is a 1st World country. They have an excuse. We don't. There is not excuse for the dreadful education millions of American children get. We are the World's richest country. However, when I told her about the idea of American public education, at least in theory, she liked it a lot. In China, parents have to pay for their kids to attend even public schools. Taking money from the rich and using it to educate the poor, giving every child the opportunity to shine and contribute to the World struck a chord with this woman who went to school in classrooms with 80 kids and one teacher, and 5 kids sharing a book.