Asiatics and Chinamen

“We’re led by stupid people”: Exploring Trump’s use of denigrating and deprecating speech to promote hatred and violence

“…According to communication scholars, deprecation is commonly used to frame the speaker as a savior (Biegon, 2019 ; Gamsa, 2017 ), which is how it was applied by Trump. While he framed America as currently losing, he pitched himself as the one to turn it around: We need — we need somebody — we need somebody that literally will take this country and make it great again.…”

“…Gamsa ( 2017 ) found self-deprecation used in reference to the nation and its people by Lenin in Russia and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Nationalist Party (NP) in China. Critiquing Russian populism in 1898, Lenin stated that ideas of this previously progressive movement now only embodied “stagnation and Asiatic backwardness” (Lenin, 1960–1970 in Gamsa, 2017 , p. 404).…”

“…Gamsa ( 2017 ) found self-deprecation used in reference to the nation and its people by Lenin in Russia and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Nationalist Party (NP) in China. Critiquing Russian populism in 1898, Lenin stated that ideas of this previously progressive movement now only embodied “stagnation and Asiatic backwardness” (Lenin, 1960–1970 in Gamsa, 2017 , p. 404). In 1912, he saw China’s economic program as another form of populism criticizing that and stating that Russia was “undoubtedly an Asian country and, what is more, one of the most benighted, medieval and shamefully backward of Asian countries” (Lenin, 1960–1970 in Gamsa, 2017 , p. 404).…”

“…Critiquing Russian populism in 1898, Lenin stated that ideas of this previously progressive movement now only embodied “stagnation and Asiatic backwardness” (Lenin, 1960–1970 in Gamsa, 2017 , p. 404). In 1912, he saw China’s economic program as another form of populism criticizing that and stating that Russia was “undoubtedly an Asian country and, what is more, one of the most benighted, medieval and shamefully backward of Asian countries” (Lenin, 1960–1970 in Gamsa, 2017 , p. 404). Reference to the people of China as Zhina / Zhinaren (Chinamen) by the Japanese (and utilized in this manner by various Chinese literary figures) was seen to signify China as a backwards country or the Chinese people as victims.…”

“…Reference to the people of China as Zhina / Zhinaren (Chinamen) by the Japanese (and utilized in this manner by various Chinese literary figures) was seen to signify China as a backwards country or the Chinese people as victims. Gamsa ( 2017 , p. 413) states the CCP drew “massively on this rhetorical resource” to emphasize the humiliation China had suffered, but also by the NP to position themselves as saviors from the humiliation enacted by foreigners. Government efforts towards state remembrance of humiliation suffered in the hands of foreigners was very important for nationalism and faith in the government (Cohen, 2003 ).…”