“Hope for the Nation”: An Analysis of Online Media Discourses on Figures of Mixed Chinese and Black/African Heritage ( <i>Zhongfeihunxue</i> ) in Chinese Sports

Abstract Over the past decade, an increasing number of athletes of mixed Chinese and Black/African heritage have become public figures, often labeled as the “hope for the nation” by online Chinese media. By collating and analyzing online media discourses on the best-known figures among them, this paper attempts to theorize the Chinese term, “ zhongfeihunxue (literally ‘China-Africa mixed blood’).” It demonstrates that underneath the seemingly positive affect of hope, the racial niche carved out for these mixed athletes by such discourses is underpinned by a complex form of Chinese racial nationalism characterized by heightened expectations, reinforced stereotypes, and intersectional anxieties.