Job Discussion Forums

[leeroy]

Following my over-simplistic racist slur against asian students, perhaps it's time to turn the focus of stereotyping over to how us westerners are perceived...

I've heard quite a lot about how bad caucasions are, leaving out those of other racial origin for now...

Westerners are often described as "rude" - I suppose our directness could easily be interpreted that way by some. We also smell, of dairy products, apparently. "You are what you eat" could hold true here, I've never met a chinese person who smelled of rice though...

Some argue that we have smaller brains, and are genetically inferior. I think IQ tests have actually backed this up! Asians, it seems, certainly are better at some types of cognitive tasks than westerns - although I'd be hard pressed to articulate what they are right now.

We don't love our children as much as Koreans do, presumably because our parents don't lavish us with money the same way as many other countries. In fact, we are (on the whole) very selfish. We will venture an opinion in danger of contradicting others', frequently without even being asked. We keep the money we earn for ourselves, and will generally pay individually for a meal, drinks, etc...

Western men are "dirty" according to a Japanese student of mine. I'm not sure if she was referring to personal cleanliness or state of mind though. The former I half agree with, with the latter I take issue! (Ever seen Japanese pornography? Freaky stuff man...)

There are, of course, the physical characteristics as well. Westerners are big. Both tall, and fat. We've got bigger eyes, bigger (ahem)s..., bigger noses, etc... I'm not sure if we are categorically seen as worse or better looking, rather just "different".

And about our role as "teacher"? This can vary enormously, from mentor, entertainer, to sexual aggressor...

Well, this has been primarily from an Asian focus - but how about other areas of the world? How are we honkys seen? Badly, I presume

[Stephen Jones]

Paying individually for a meal or a drink is probably anglo-saxon rather than Western. It is higly unusual in Spain for example.

[Capergirl]

While living/working/traveling in Asia, I heard the following stereotypes:

-Western women are easy. (Thanks Hollywood... )
-Western men have huge shlongs. (I guess I'll have to take their word for it as I never dated any Asian men. )
-Western women all have breast implants. (In the public baths, Korean women actually pointed to our chests and said "silicone"! )
-Westerners are lazy. (Whaddya mean you don't want to work 7 days a week, ya slacker? )
-Westerners smell like cows. (COWS???? )
-All Westerners are rich. (Had a hard time convincing 'em otherwise in Thailand and the Phillippines. )

[Roger]

But these preconceived notions have been implanted in their brains by their "educationists". I remember the early days of my China sojourn (OK, that was last century!), young people, usually students playing truant, would pick the lone tourist up somewhere and suggest going to that hip place or restaurant. You elt you were being treated to a meal or a drink, but you soon found out that they were helping themselves to a drink at your expense, all the while parading before your ears such subtle observations as "Westerners are all so INDIVIDUALISTIC, they NEVER pay for anyone but themselves..."....

However, the stereotyping of their neighbours is probably a lot worse! In Hong Kong, which has a sedentary immigrant population from the Indian subcontinent, Indians and Pakistanis still hear "Indians SMELL!" Landlords would not let flats to them, no matter how wealthy the prospective tenant is. In public buses you can actually watch Chinese move away when an Indian seats himself (or herself) on the only vacant seat beside a gaggle of Chinese.

Africans?
"Dirty (look their skin!), and POOR!" (the worst disqualification!).

Filippinas?
"Loud!" (This from native Hongkongers!!! There was a case in a residential highrise a couple of years ago, that put a sign on the lift door forbidding domestic helpers in that house to use the lift! They had to travel by a special lift used to haul up goods!

[M.]

UUUUU,

Hey Caper you need a date.... ......Nothing like Generalizations to form opinions of people. In Germany, Most people pay individually if you are in a group.......i.e. getrennt, it works nicely. Very Dutch Indeed. And Germans get a lot of abuse from other Nationaliities........As do Russians and Americans. Thanks to those wonderful generalizations.......

M.

[Capergirl]

[Wolf]

Hmm.

Capegirl, sympathies go out for the "Western Women are Easy" bit. Every time I see a caucasain (oh God I can't spell. Hey, that would be a good stereotype) woman in an advert / poster here ... um ... she doesn't have all her kit on.... Man, I'm surprised that the otherwise cencerous PRC doesn't say anything. I don't know about TV (extreme horay.)

What to add that isn't deathly obvious? Well ...

KFC/Pizza Hut/McDonald's is Western food. Not often, but I've heard it.

Canadians all know this guy called Da Shan and this doctor who got himself killed (I think) with the Communists during the civil war.

EFL teachers make a lot of money.

I, personally, know everyone from Canada (okay not in so many words, but "I have a Canadain friend. His name is Michael. He lives in Vancouver. Do you know him?")

Coffee is this brown crystaly stuff you get in a jar, and stir into hot water. No beans are involved whatsoever.

AAAAGUH!

Sorry, I'm okay now....

Westerners have SARS. Westerners also have AIDS.

Westerners are promiscuous.

Westerners can't learn an Asain lanague. Once had a debate about this for 10 minutes. I offered examples of caucasian sucess in this matter. I also did all this while speaking Japanese. I couldn't convince the other party.

Westerners like Beckham.

Westerners all know football/soccer (the one that's not NFL Amercian football). A what-do-you-mean-there-are-other-sports-besides-hockey born and bred Nova Scotian can easily give you the lowdown about the British Isles relationship with Fifa, offer up rankings of teams, tell you what soccer is .... (Forgive my use of the word "soccer" there.)

Westerners like the Backstreet Boys. The BSBs are also incidently the occident's greatest contribution to music.

[Stephen]

My favourite is when a Taiwanese person (normally one who I had no interest in talking to, but has generously choosen to inflict his/her conversation upon me,) blames me for failing to understand their excorable Chinglish, because I'm British and, therefore, obviously cannot understand American English. Apparently, British English and American English are two completely seperate languages. It is funny, but this fact doesn't really seem to create severe problems when communicating with Americans, but only with Taiwanese people who cannot face the fact that if they want to speak English, then going and learning it would be a good idea; such people also seem to feel that I have nothing better to do when I go to the pub, or walk down the street than provide free beginner level English lessons. (Fortunately, not everybody here is like this!)

Stephen

[Roger]

Wolf:
"...caucasain (spelling...)..."
Hey, Wolf,
try "European" or 'white", you won't have spelling problems nor will you get flamed for using a politically-incorrect racial categorisation!
This word really stinks and should have been obsolete for centuries!

[once again]

I notice that several times now you are off on your Hong Kong hating diatribes. You seem to be guilty of predujice against all people in Hk or is is just the place? Either way you need to stop. We all know you don't like HK.

[NK2001]

I'm from the US, but of Chinese descent so I look Asian, I've actually had people ask me why I'm not blond, I've also gotten a lot of that everyone from the west is rich, stingy because they only pay for themselves...I just can't win.

[ESL Guru]

You can please all of the people some of the time.
You can please some of the people all of the time.
But you can't please all of the people all of the time.

I have no time for racists or bigots of any ethnic origins and no matter who their slurs are against.

We are all just people wondering where we came from, why we are here, where we are going, and what it all meant.

[johnslat]

Dear ESL Guru,
Welcome to the " Prejudiced Against Bigots " club, an offshoot of the " Prejudiced Against Idiots " society. And mama mia, there are far too many of them out there.
Regards,
John

[leeroy]

Somehow, I like the irony that we are stereotyping against those that stereotype us... Something like the pot calling the kettle black