Five Ancient Chinese Idioms That Explain the Modern Tongue

http://www.ozy.com/c-notes/five-ancient-chinese-idioms-that-explain-the-modern-tongue/32504

Five Ancient Chinese Idioms With Modern Cachet

Why you should care

Because you probably don't know as much as you should about one of the biggest countries on the planet. Yet.

What do you think when you think of China? A repressive government, human rights abuse, corruption scandals, terrible pollution? Admit it, I'm right.

Here's what you probably don't know: China is as rich in language as it is in engineers.

Many modern, everyday Chinese idioms have their roots in ancient poetry. These idioms, which are each composed of four Chinese characters, are totally unique to the language. Chinese has 20,000 such idioms in total; only one or two thousand are commonly used. But Chinese schoolkids often spend their days reciting them in class.

Chinese poetry "is a window to a world that is very foreign and advanced," says Ron Egan, a professor of Chinese literature at Stanford University. "By the 7th and 8th century, the Chinese [had] mastered the art of expressing themselves, which didn't happen in any other place in the world."

This is no esoteric idea. There's even a hot television program called China Idiom Convention. This show, which aired Sundays from April to June, tested competitors' knowledge of idioms. More than 30,000 people signed up to compete. Videos netted nearly 2 million clicks on Youku, one of China's biggest online video sites.

So if you're trying to understand the Asian giant, boning up on your Chinese idioms might help. 

A Shade of a Willow and Bright Flowers
Hillary Clinton quoted the Chinese poem "A Trip to Mountain West Village" by Lu You at the Shanghai 2010 World Expo to celebrate the hard work in building the USA pavilion, which Clinton financed by raising $60 million in private cash.

"There is a poem from the Southern Song dynasty that reads: 'After endless mountains and rivers that leave doubt whether there is a path out, suddenly one encounters the shade of a willow, bright flowers and a lovely village.'"

The original meaning? "A favorable turn of fortune will often appear just when there seems to be no way out of trouble."

Clinton implied that difficulties came with establishing the U.S. pavilion. The Chinese use the same idiom in less vaunted settings, such as: "My new job is a lot of hard work; I haven't found that feeling of 'the shade of a willow and bright flowers.'"
Hearts With Magical Rhinoceros
Rhinoceros horns are powerful, supernatural objects in old Chinese sayings.

"Even though my body is not a colorful phoenix with two wings to fly [to my lover], we have hearts that understand each other immediately as though connected with a magical rhinoceros."

So wrote Li Shangyin, a famous male poet from the Tang dynasty (7th–10th B.C.) in an untitled poem.

Today in China, people often say, "You get me — we really [have] hearts with 'magical rhinoceros.'"

Figure of a rhinoceros, Zhou Dynasty, China.

Leaving [Your] Name on Light-Green History
Sure, you want to make your mark on history — but why "light-green" history? Before paper was invented in 105 B.C. in China, events were recorded on light-green bamboo slips, which involved "sweating" bamboo over a fire to get the moisture out.

In the 13th century, ages after Sun-Tzu penned The Art of War, Chinese poets were using literature to document military ambitions.

This idiom comes from the poem "Passing by Lingdingyang" (also known as "Crossing the Lonely Ocean") by the great politician and poet Wen Tianxiang. The poem, which Tianxiang wrote while leading an army to fight for the fate of the Song dynasty, reads:

"In history, what man does not die? [I'd rather] leave my red heart to shine on light-green sweat."

"Apricot Blossoms" by Qi Baishi

 

A Red Apricot Blossom Peeks Over the Yard Fence
A pretty plant, but so much more.

"[The] whole garden can no longer confine the lively energy of spring; a spray of red apricot blossom [already] peeks over the fence."

So wrote Song dynasty poet Ye Shaoweng in "On Visiting a Garden, When Its Master Is Absent."

Modern readers see this as symbolizing a woman's infidelity to her husband. The "red apricot blossom" symbolizes a young and attractive woman, while "peeking over the fence" shows her sneaking out.

Even today, Chinese people will say, behind gossipy hands: "Behind her husband's back, she [is like] 'a red apricot blossom peeking over the yard fence.'"

 

Reach a Higher Level on the Tower
The idiom comes from the poem "On the Yellow Crane Tower" by Wang Zhihuan of the Tang dynasty. After climbing the famous tower, Zhihuan writes:

"[I] desire to see thousands of miles [from this tower], [so I need to] climb to a higher level."

To see farther, you need to stand higher. This poem is often used to encourage students and workers alike to set higher goals.

Now you know why Chinese students work so hard. You would, too, if you had to memorize idioms like this from a young age.

 

 

Lose-Lose Game：Python And Porcupine Fight

The Porcupine Body Strong, Back, Buttocks And Tail Are Born Black Brown And White With Thick And Straight Spinning Lamented Thorns, Like A Sharp Arrow , Very Hard And Sharp, Often Make Ferocious Beast Also Dare Not Close.

According To The British "Dailymail" Reported On June 24, Recently, A Snake Lies Dead In After Swallowing A 30lb Porcupine Which Stabbed It To Death With Its Quills, Was Found Beneath A Rocky Ledge At Lake Eland Game Reserve In South Africa.

This Giant Snake Died After Swallowing A 30lb Porcupine – Which Punctured Its Insides With Its Razor-Sharp Quills.

Eating Itself To Death: The Four-Metre African Rock Python Was Found Dead Next To A Cycle Track At Lake Eland Game Reserve In South Africa.

While Some Predators Are Warned Off By The Visual Threat Displays Of A Porcupine, Many Snakes Rely On Thermal Or Chemical Sensory To Ambush Prey At Night.

Lose-Lose Game：Python And Porcupine Fight.

Bitten Off More Than It Could Chew: The 30lb Porcupine After Being Cut Out Of The Snake's Stomach By Game Reserve Keepers.

Stabbed To Death: The Porcupine Quills That Were Found Inside The Snake's Stomach While The Python Was Trying To Digest Its Last Meal.

More>>> [Windwing] Anaconda And Tiger

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dl-cade/this-may-be-the-most-beau_b_7611248.html

This May Be The Most Beautiful River On Earth

If  the Soca river  in Slovenia isn't the most beautiful river on this planet, it is most certainly in the running. Nicknamed "The Emerald Beauty," it has appeared in multiple well-known poems and inspired awe in many a wanderer and tourist.

The nickname is, as the photos below attest to, well-deserved. It is one of the rare rivers that maintains an emerald-green or even bluish color all the way down its 138 kilometers (~86 miles), making it a favorite of landscape photographers the world over.

This, as you might expect, means there are some incredible photographs of this green-blue beauty on  500px ... it was only a matter of time before it became the subject of its own collection.

This is just a small selection of amazing photos of an amazing river, to see more  click here  and browse to your heart's content.

Or, if you have another river you think is better, or even just another incredibly picturesque place you think deserves its own collection, tell us about it in the comments!

This post originally appeared  on the 500px ISO blog .

http://thediplomat.com/2015/06/time-to-bust-this-myth-the-united-states-didnt-modernize-china/

Time To Bust This Myth: The United States Didn't Modernize China

Both countries benefited tremendously from their close economic ties.

By Dingding Chen

June 15, 2015

A prevailing view among policymakers and strategists in Washington seems to be that the United States has been betrayed by China. This is because despite over three decades of "constructive engagement," China is neither democratic nor docile. Instead, today's China is authoritarian and increasingly assertive in its domestic and foreign policies. Thus, a deep sense of having "created Frankenstein's monster" is popular among American strategists. A closer analysis would reveal that such a view is not only misguided but also dangerous for U.S.-China relations in the future.

The first major problem with this view is that it is not consistent with the history of U.S.-China relations. It very much sounds like the United States simply handed "modernization" as a gift over to China in the last 30 years or so. This view is flat-out wrong. It not only neglects the huge benefits that China's exports to the United States have on the U.S. economy itself, but also utterly downplays Chinese agency itself. Here is not the place to explain in detail how China's economic success has come about, but there's one thing we can be sure of: China's success so far would be impossible without its millions of hard-working and skilled laborers. Moreover, it is not like the United States opened its market access exclusively to China. The U.S. only granted China normal trading status, just as it did for many other Asian states. Market access itself did not result in China's modernization.

If access to the U.S. market could help a developing country develop quickly, then countries like India and Brazil would have already become economic powerhouses many years ago. The reality is not that simple, of course. To successfully move up the economic ladder, a country needs smart government policies, hard-working people, abundant natural resources, and a huge amount of foreign investment, just to name a few necessary conditions. A bit of luck helps too.

Moreover, as former U.S. President Richard Nixon himself later admitted, the real reason to engage China was not to help China modernize; it was rather to play the China card to balance the common threat of the Soviet Union. That realist strategic thinking, of course, indirectly helped China gradually become an economic powerhouse. But it would be wrong to argue that the U.S. selflessly helped China modernize over the last three decades. It was simply an unexpected outcome of their relationship. Not only did the United States not see this coming, the Chinese didn't either.

To be sure, China should be grateful that many Americans and American companies did try to help China modernize, and Chinese people will not and should not forget them. China is richer now and this is why it and the United States should work together to help less developed countries develop. Whining about how China has not turned out the way the U.S. had hoped is not going to help strengthen U.S.-China relations. It is time now for the U.S. to accept a different and strong China, no matter how uncomfortable it might be. To continue to view China through an ideological lens will lead to a new type of Cold War between the two largest economies in the world. That would be a tragedy, to say the least.

Most importantly, the United States should be patient with China's progress. Given China's history, culture, and still relatively modest developing living standards, its road to a modernized political system will be long and bumpy. Now is not the time for the U.S. to conclude that there is no hope in China. Instead, Washington should double its efforts to constructively engage China and ultimately shape China's future choices. This strategy, eventually, will pay off, but it also requires a huge amount of confidence and patience. Time is on the United States' side, especially if American strategists truly believe their system and values are universal.

http://www.thenewsminute.com/worlds/1288‍

Did The British Use Human Babies As Bait During Crocodile Hunts‍?‍

The News Minute | March 16, 2015 | 5.45 pm IST

Human babies were used as bait to hunt crocodiles in India and other British colonies. In some colonies, advertisements were even placed in newspapers promising the safe return of the baby.

Two Sri Lankan wildlife experts have said in a research paper published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa in January 2015, that British colonialists "rented" babies in India, Sri Lanka and also in America to hunt crocodiles. The research paper titled "Were human babies used as bait in crocodile hunts in Colonial Sri Lanka " was authored by Anslem de Silva and Ruchira Somaweera.

The researchers quote several newspapers that published reports on how the British used babies of the local people to bait crocodiles India and Sri Lanka, but note that there was uncertainty as to how common the practice was. ‍

Image used for representation only‍

On September 1, 1894, the Record Union published a report titled "How British Sportsmen Hunt Crocodiles in India" quoting a British Army officer as saying that it was a "great sport" in India to hunt crocodiles.‍

This image was published in Long-based newspaper The Graphic on January 21, 1888.‍

The report says: "We used to have a great sport in India going out after crocodiles with Hindu babies as bait." The report also details that the parents of the babies were paid six cents per day and that sometimes, the parents would not even insist that the babies were returned safely. The officer also claimed that with one particular baby girl as bait, he had shot 100 crocodiles and that it was not possible to follow the same practice in Florida, in the United States, during the same period. 

Several newspapers such as The Red Cloud Chief, The Helena Independent, Desert Evening News, Roanoke Times, referred to an advertisement titled "Babies wanted for crocodile bait. Will be returned alive." which was published in a Sri Lankan newspaper named Ceylon Catholic Messenger.‍

Article in the Roanoke Times which quotes the advertisement in the Ceylon Catholic Messenger.‍

Accounts in various newspapers indicate that the British thought that the crocodiles were attracted to the brown skin of the babies and were attracted to the shore by their cries. After shooting the reptile, the hunter would take possession of the skin and head and leave the rest of the flesh for the local people. One newspaper said: "The baby is taken home to its loving parents, to be used for the same purpose the next day."

British colonialists also followed a similar practice in the United States where the babies of African-Americans were used as late as the early 20th century to hunt for crocodiles. A headline in the Oakland Tribune published on September 21, 1923 read "Pickaninny bait lures voracious gator to death". The report says that the babies of black parents were used a live bait for two cents. Pickaninny is a derogatory term for blacks.

However, the researchers note that the existence of the practice need not mean that it was common or even widespread. They say: "It is also important to note that the frequency of these does not necessarily imply that the practice was common or widespread. Indeed, it appears that an article in one newspaper was picked up and reproduced by other newspapers, even at a much later date (e.g., after eight years in one case above), just as it does nowadays, albeit electronically and much faster."‍

The Shape Of Japan To Come

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/17/opinion/the-shape-of-japan-to-come.html ‍

The Shape Of Japan To Come

Alexis Dudden is a professor of history at the University of Connecticut.

Bolstered by his party's victory in Diet elections last month, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has renewed his vow to free Japan from the fetters of the past, especially its defeat in World War II. Mr. Abe and his supporters view the prevailing accounts of that era as "masochistic" and a hindrance to taking pride in what he calls the "new Japan." They propose to modify the article in Japan's Constitution that states the Japanese people "forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation."

These aspirations have been laid out in a map of Japan that the Japanese Foreign Ministry published on its website last April, with translations in 12 languages. The map extends beyond Japan's internationally recognized boundaries, incorporating in the name of ryodo — or the "inherent territory" of Japan — many islands claimed by neighboring countries. Those lands, the argument goes, are integral to Japan's very being.

In fact, the Abe government's expansionist view undermines Japan's interests, both economic and strategic.

Ryodo promotes a notion of Japan's territory that circumvents history, particularly the history of how Japan laid claim to these islands in the first place — through imperial wars with China and Russia, through wars of conquest against Koreans, through the extermination or assimilation of indigenous peoples.

Partly as a result, Japan is embroiled in many territorial disputes. China and Taiwan contest the Senkaku Islands, which Beijing calls the Diaoyu and Taipei the Diaoyutai. South Korea claims Takeshima (calling it Dokdo) where it has stationed military police since 1954. Russia claims sovereignty over what Japanese know as the Northern Territories, four islands in the Kuril chain northeast of Hokkaido where Russians have lived since 1945, numbering about 20,000 today.

Under the terms of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Japan already has access to vast fisheries and rides up to $3.6 trillion in seabed materials. The disputed islands would add much more. ‍

Tokyo is more aggressively claiming island groups that have long been in territorial dispute. The government highlighted these 3 areas on a new map. Sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan; 

According to some estimates, including by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the East China Sea holds 200 million barrels in proved and probable oil reserves (the world consumes around 90 million barrels of liquid fuels each day) and between 1 and 2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas (the United States consumed about 26 trillion cubic feet in 2013). Japan and China contest nearly 17 percent of the area.

A volcano on one of the southern Kurils has rhenium, a rare-earth metal with a melting point that makes jet-engine designers dream. There are also vast quantities of untapped methane hydrate in the seabed between Japan and the Korean Peninsula. After gas was extracted from similar deposits elsewhere for the first time in 2013, a spokesman for the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation said, "Japan could finally have an energy source to call its own."

The lure of such riches might seem like reason enough for resource-poor Japan to claim these territories. The government spent $250 billion on imported fuel in 2012. And the cost of decommissioning the nuclear reactors at Fukushima after the meltdown following the March 2011 tsunami is expected to reach at least $90 billion.

Yet Japan risks losing access to many of these resources because of its brinksmanship. UNCLOS does not determine sovereignty over land, and it allows for joint development agreements in waters around contested territory. When disputes heat up, however, they naturally tend to scuttle any joint schemes.

In 2008 China and Japan agreed to explore together four gas fields in the East China Sea. But the project was scuttled the following year, after China went at it alone. Mr. Abe's maximalist policy only undermines the prospects that this development project could be revived, or that new ones involving Japan might be struck.

The costs of Mr. Abe's territorial revisionism are also strategic. Ryodo implicitly dismisses as partial the terms of the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty, which formally ended World War II between Japan and the Allies. The agreement redrew Japan from the massive empire it had become during the war — stretching from northern China to Guadalcanal — more or less into the country familiar today. (Some islands, notably Okinawa, reverted to Japan in the intervening years.) Many Japanese at the time, including Mr. Abe's grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi — who was accused of being a Class A war criminal — were infuriated, claiming in particular that the Kurils were "essential" to the Japanese.

In a separate agreement that went into force at the same time, the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty of 1951, the United States would "maintain armed forces of its own in and about Japan" in order "to deter armed attack upon Japan." By the time the treaty was revised in 1960, Japan had acquired limited self-defense forces, and the two countries undertook various commitments in case of "an armed attack against either Party in the territories under the administration of Japan." These still stand today, hence the critical importance also for the U.S. government of properly defining what Japan is.

Officials in Washington and Tokyo are currently reviewing each side's responsibilities in the event of a threat to the peace and security of Japan. One fraught issue is the United States' dual obligation, under separate security arrangements, to defend both Japan and South Korea because one could attack the other over territory they both claim. In other words, the very notion of ryodo challenges the United States' postwar security commitments even as it risks triggering them.

Mr. Abe's revanchist view of the past is central to his vision of a future in which Japan "once again shines on the world's center stage." But it distorts history in a way that undermines the country's major interests and, arguably, its identity. The constitutional changes advocated by Mr. Abe's party include an "obligation" for citizens of Japan to "defend the nation's inherent territory, inherent seas and inherent skies," disputed islands and all. The proposed draft adds that, "All citizens must honor the Constitution," suggesting that failure to do so could endanger their rights, maybe their citizenship. In his bid to claim more for Japan, Mr. Abe may reap less. ‍

‍

Comparing Egypt With China

http://europe.chinadaily.com.cn/opinion/2015-01/19/content_19345502.htm ‍

Comparing Egypt With China

By Peter Hessler(chinadaily.com.cn) ‍

 

Peter Hessler(file photo) ‍

Living in Egypt has changed my perception of China. I think I have a better understanding of how essentially stable the Chinese system is. I'm not saying this in terms of whether it's good or bad – I'm simply noting that the Chinese system is quite stable and the system is deep-rooted.‍

Egypt is a country where the government has been weak for a very long time. You see very little evidence of government services in most parts of Cairo, and when you travel to villages in Upper Egypt, the politics are essentially tribal. It reminds me that in China, even in a tiny village, there was a great deal of government activity. The villagers were very clearly connected to the larger political systems and issues of the country. It's not like that in most parts of the developing world.

I think I also have a greater understanding of how hard it is to change a place. The Egyptian revolution has been a great failure. The current government is more repressive than the government of Mubarak, but most Egyptians are tired of the fight and they accept it. I've come to realize that what we witnessed was not really a revolution. It was a series of coups – first against Mubarak, and then against Morsi.

With regard to China, you can examine the strength of the state and see both negatives and positives. Because the state is strong, and power is quite deeply entrenched, whenever significant changes do come, I think they are more likely to succeed, because the Chinese have a significant political foundation, and they have the experience of living in a functional state.

Living in Egypt also makes me appreciative of the educational system in China. There are of course enormous flaws, but in terms of basic education, it's quite impressive. This is one of the core problems in Egypt. This country has an illiteracy rate of more than 25 per cent. I know some people here, who are naturally very smart, but they can't read, because they never went to school and there are no other resources for them to learn. I didn't know people like that in China.

In the end, I don't expect the Egyptian model to apply to China. I don't expect China to experience a grassroots revolution, or a collapse of the old system. My sense is that changes in China are more likely to be subtle, incremental, and coming from the top. But of course the other lesson of Egypt is that it is very difficult to predict these things.‍

Choose Your Chinese Name

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/dec/10/chinese-students-how-to-make-a-name‍

Many students of Chinese adopt a Chinese name. Emily Liedel shares her advice on how to find one that feels and sounds right ‍

You're looking for a name that will be with you for a long time, so do your research and take your time. Photograph: AP‍

Sponsored by:Emily Liedel‍

My first Chinese name was Ai Mili (艾米丽), a transliteration of "Emily". I hated it.

I was given it by a university official in Beijing as I registered for a summer language course. I thought the name sounded awful and I found it infantilising to be known exclusively by my first name. I wanted a name that sounded like a real Chinese name.

Five years later, when I was preparing to go to China again, I enlisted the help of a friend that was a native speaker and my Chinese teacher. This time, I wanted a name that expressed happiness and success, and something that sounded a little unique. After several tries, we decided on Li Xiyi (李熙怡).

English-speakers who study French, Spanish or Russian don't generally get a new name. But just as it's not unusual for Chinese people to take English names when they study English, many foreigners who study Chinese or live in China adopt a Chinese name.

So why is it important to get it right, what's in a name? Culture, custom and a rich history: in short, quite a lot. Chinese names are structured differently from names in English. Family names come first, and are only one syllable long. Given names – what we usually call first names – are either one or two characters long. So for example Mao Zedong's family name is Mao and his given name is Zedong. There are a very limited number of family names - the vast majority of Chinese people have one of the 100 most common surnames. Names that don't start with one of these surnames often won't be readily recognised as a personal name.

Names that sound like real Chinese names show a level of seriousness and respect towards Chinese culture and language. Adopting a Chinese name can also be an opportunity. Chinese parents often give children names that express hopes about the child's future, and in Chinese philosophy, a good name (usually based on factors such as the person's time and place of birth, and the family name) is considered critical to a person's success in life. Those studying the language can use their Chinese name to express their values, aspirations and even sense of humour.

Olle Linge, who writes a blog about learning Chinese, is known in Chinese as Ling Yunlong (凌云龙). Ling is a surname and also can mean "soaring" while Yunlong means "cloud dragon". The name was inspired by a Tai Chi Chuan movement that Linge particularly liked, called Cloud Dragon Playing in Water. The characters 凌云 also form the first half of an idiom that means "to have lofty aspirations".

Although Linge and I have names that we are satisfied with, it's near impossible for a foreigner to understand all the nuances a name might have. Is it the name of a villain in a classic novel? Is it unlucky or a homonym with an unlucky word? Does it just sound weird? I've been told that xi (熙) sounds Korean, and that it is hard to write because the character has too many strokes. Linge has had people tell him his name sounds like a character in a martial arts novel.

Not all native speakers will even agree on what is or is not a good name, so it's a smart move to get feedback from at least two native speakers before you decide on a name. If you are studying Cantonese or Mandarin and planning on creating a Chinese name, here's a few tips.

Be clear what you are aiming for

Your primary goal should be to have a name that sounds like it could be a real Chinese person's name, but you also want something that you identify with.

Choose your surname first

I would strongly encourage you to choose one of the 100 most common Chinese surnames. This ensures Chinese people will recognise your name as a person's name rather than a thing or a place.

Keep it short

Your full name should be two or three characters long. The surname is one character, and your given name can be either one or two characters long.

Ask for help

If you're only just thinking about getting a Chinese name, it's likely you are not an expert Chinese speaker yet. Even if you are, there are so many cultural nuances involved with finding an appropriate Chinese name that you should make sure to run any possibilities by at least two native speakers.

Don't name yourself after a celebrity

In China, it is considered extraordinarily immodest to name a child after a famous person, a taboo that has roots in imperial laws that forbade citizens from having the same name as the emperor.

Test several names

You're looking for a name that will be with you for the rest of your life, so take your time.

Share your name with your family

If members of your family are also sinophiles, it makes sense to share the same Chinese surname with them if you also share the same English surname, but it's not required. My sister and I have the same Chinese surname. Women in mainland China do not generally take their husband's name, so married couples don't need to have the same surname.‍

Baby Boom Rebalance America

Baby Boom Rebalance America‍

Baby boom rebalance America,and will make more free, equal and fair. Long associated in the popular mind with social and political change, the baby boomers are about to confront the biggest change in the American fabric in their lifetimes: our country's new demographics. And they're not ready.

The surge is not due to new immigrants coming to the United States - but instead stems from the immigrants who are already here having children, according to Brookings Institution demographer William Frey.

His new book, Diversity Explosion, recounts how falling white birth rates and rising birth rates for minorities will change way the United States of America looks - and votes - forever. 

Baby boom: By 2050, minorities will outnumber whites - thanks to shrinking birth rates for white families and growing birth rates non-whites

Go east, young man: Hispanics are moving rapidly from the southwest and California eastward and through the South (green dots)

Diverse Midwest: The Midwest, Florida and southeastern US have all also see a large increase in the Asian population

Integration by marriage: Biracial families will become dramatically more as more and more people find love outside their own races. Fifteen percent of all new marriages are multiracial 

There are already nearly as many non-white babies being born as white children, according to Census Bureau statistics. It's only a matter of time before minorities children outnumber white ones. 

The result, Frey tells the Atlantic, will be very similar to the Baby Boom after the Second World War - except this time it will be minority children being born.

'Back in the 1950s, we had a lot of Americans across the board in their childbearing years - we had all these babies,' he said. 

'Now, that's really only the case for some of the newer minorities.'

And it's not just cities that will be changing. The suburbs are already becoming more diverse and are likely to become progressively less white year after year. 

Between 2000 and 2010, the population of Hispanics in suburbs grew by more than eight million. Major cities added just three million Hispanics. 

Even among black Americans, the population of suburban dwellers is growing. In the last decade, the population of suburban blacks grew by three million and the population of urban blacks shrank by several hundred thousand. 

Mixed race: In the next 40 years, the number of mixed race Americans will nearly triple, the number of Asians will double and the number of whites will decline by six percent

Hispanics, blacks and Asians are all moving to the suburbs in greater numbers than whites

The influx of blacks to suburbs is also cutting the segregation in America as neighborhoods outside the city core become more diverse

Suburban sprawl: The number of blacks moving to suburbs has skyrocketed. Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Miami and Washington, DC, are the top cities where black Americans leaving city centers

Headed back South: Two generations after black families fled segregation and poverty in the South, they are beginning to move back. The population of blacks in Atlanta has grown dramatically in recent decades

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2838092/How-baby-boom-Hispanic-Asian-black-children-going-reshape-country-make-whites-minority-2050.html‍