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ophion · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 10 Location: DC Metro Area, USA

While I was in Taiwan, I met two black, female teachers at a summer camp. I did not get to know them deeply, but I did come away with the following impression. They were both a little uncomfortable all of the time. I was stared at a few times in Taiwan, but these experiences were rare and relatively benign. Those two women were watched very closely by the Taiwanese--I mean slack-jawed, wide-eyed staring. One of the women seemed to be the kind who could let anything go and was very secure in her own identity. The other one seemed to really be struggling with the situation. I also noticed some ugly behavior from the Chinese teachers at the camp--they would send the kids to white teachers with flat North American accents if they had English questions they could not answer; this behavior became really conspicuous over time, and it bothered all of the western teachers. A few of the kids would also wash their hands after touching or being touched by the two black women. This was really bad, and I spoke to the organizers of the camp to put a stop to it. Of course, I was seen as a boat-rocker after that.

An unfortunate fact of Asian cultures, and one that most people do not want to discuss, is that they are heavily racist. Asians are the best (with one's own ethnic group highest of all). Whites are slightly lower, but still pretty good. Everyone else is the bottom of the barrel. That's probably what I hate most about Asian cultures, but they are slowly changing in that regard. To sum up--if you persevere, you will probably be able to find a job in Taiwan. If you made it fine in South Korea, I don't think that you will have much of a problem coping in Taiwan. When my wife and I first returned to the U. S., after looking around a bit (we live in DC, where blacks are the majority), I realized how much I had missed its ethnic diversity.

Just to be clear--the above is filtered through the perceptions of a lilly-white American male.

EOD · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 167 Location: Taiwan

I am sorry to have to tell you this but the vast majority of the people here in Taiwan are openly racist and ignorant of things not Chinese. They have 2000 years of �the Chinese way� for a foundation and are, for the most part unwilling to change. What they say and what they do are very different. My advice to you would be not to come to Taiwan. Go back to school and get your degree. If you still want to be an ESL teacher in Asia, try Japan.

lorel · Joined: 03 Apr 2003 Posts: 2

Thank you for your responses. I have been offered a job at a school in Taiwan but with SARS lurking about, I'm a little apprehensive about accepting. I am not nor will be discouraged by the blatant racism but will weigh my options in the meantime. I'm am considering returning to school and studying linguistics my only dilemma now is where. Anyways, thanks a lot and I'll keep you posted.