Zachary Mexico – China Underground (2009, Soft Skull)
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The name Zachary Mexico is a pseudonym. And most of the people he interviews in the story also are pseudonymous. They have an excuse, too:  China is a communist nation. Its official ideology demands fealty to the state, so telling an American author about sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll might get a citizen into a goodly bit of trouble.  For that matter, the American author who took down the stories might not be able to get a visa to get back into China.

Mexico studied in China in college, and he missed the country.  He went back in 2006 to find out what was happening for himself. He finds a place where everything is new and everything is dangerous.

China is overcoming centuries of poverty and decades of terrible government. Change is not easy, even if it happens peacefully. Mexico writes about people who aren’t sure what to do in a world that’s changing. Some people stay up all night playing murder mystery games, others consume a ridiculous amount of drugs (often purchased from illegal immigrants hailing from Nigeria). Others are just confused about the differences between the image of China that they grew up with and the modern reality. The Chinese are feeling their way into a capitalist world, and they are dealing with international partners who have more experience with capitalism but that are not necessarily more sophisticated. (more…)