As an immigrant I can tell you for a fact that a lot of immigrants tell stories of repression to get into the good graces of Westerners. I have heard people say shit that was absolutely untrue. I am not Chinese or Cuban, but I have heard it from others.
Western “journalists” needs to be treated like klan members. What has Dana bash and tapper and CNN done other than the geopolitic version of “the darkies whistled at me”. They think of themselves as noble truth tellers, ultra educated and refined, but have led to the deaths of more brown and black people than a klansman’s wildest dreams. That’s what they are and people need to start saying it in their face.