Chinese dama

Chinese dama (simplified Chinese: 中国大妈; traditional Chinese: 中國大媽; lit. 'Chinese big mother') is a term for describing Chinese middle-aged women. The term has several meanings and has experienced changes over the years. The most prevalent definition is of Chinese middle-aged women who through investment, social, and fashion choices behave differently from women their age in earlier generations owing to the massive social, economic, and demographic changes they have experienced.

Historically, "dama" had three meanings: an aunt, a married woman between 40 and 60 years old, and the first wife of a man who had multiple wives. The term had a positive connotation and was a term of endearment for modest housewives who may not have been familiar with the latest trends. In 2013, as gold prices dropped, middle-aged Chinese women poured large sums of money into purchasing gold. Their actions were owing to social and economic reasons. Flush with discretionary income and in charge of how household money is spent, the women viewed gold as the perfect gift for daughters and daughters-in-law.

The gold prices rose owing to the massive economic bubble created by the damas' purchases. Currency Wars author Song Hongbing [zh] was the first person to refer to the gold-purchasing women as "damas". In August 2013, The Wall Street Journal published a video about the damas' impact on the gold sector, becoming the first English-language publication to use the pinyin representation of the phrase. The media showered praise on the damas for outsmarting Wall Street investors before turning on them once gold prices dropped. As the damas were depicted as greedy women who blindly invested in gold, the term "dama" transformed into having negative connotations. Damas were portrayed as having little consideration for their fellow citizens. The stereotypical image of damas is of women who like to go square dancing to exercise and build friendships with other women their age. Negative media coverage has focused on the dancing damas' playing of loud music in public spaces which has generated numerous conflicts with nearby residents. Damas frequently wear brightly colored attire, low-heeled slip-on shoes, and tights; are unreserved in their interactions; thrive in unbridled friendship with women around their age. They spend a large amount of time on social media, particularly WeChat, to exchange information with their family and friends. In addition to gold, they have invested in real estate both locally and abroad, bitcoin, and the local stock market.

Damas lived through the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, periods marked by starvation and great adversity, which molded them into the frugal people they are today. The Cultural Revolution led to a societal decrease in filial piety and an increased focus on youth, while life expectancy increases have caused the dama to be considered late middle-age instead of elderly. In a world where previous examples of aging have become obsolete, the damas have forged their own way of growing old. Society has at times misunderstood and mocked their attempts. Teng Wei, a professor at South China Normal University wrote, "When we use dama as an insult, what we're really doing is suggesting that there's something inherently wrong with being a middle-aged woman. It's ageist, classist — and it's time to stop."^[1]