Job Discussion Forums

[jeffinflorida]

So there i was in the training department talking to the hr geek girl. I noticed several resumes on her desk. I know they are looking for some new teachers to teach business english and basic english. Being in china i figure, "When in Rome..." and start looking at these resumes. ( At home It wouldn't be polite to look at papers on someone's desk, right?)

Not too many to chose from, only 4

1 american, 1 new zealand, 1 austrailian, 1 from finland.

I am reading them and the hr geek girl ask me what i thought about the american. i read his qualifacations and see he is from Florida... ok good there, right?

Checking out his name and the fact that he is from Miami I ask the girl if she saw his picture. She says no, why? I say because I think he is black. Here eyes widen and she writes on his resume "BLACK". I say will you interview him?

She says, NO! The students will not like a black man to teach them... They would be afraid of him...

[Sonnet]

The ingrained racism in hiring teachers here can be disturbing to deal with. Some of the better teachers I've worked with have had a "non-white" face, or been non-native speakers.

I'm glad that I work somewhere where looks don't influence our hiring policy.

[roadwalker]

[Warrior10]

[daodejing]

[eslstudies]

I wonder what the "geek" [now there's stereotyping!] girl's reaction would have been if the applicant was ABC [American Born Chinese]? Probably not much different. "Racism" is a convenient epithet, but prejudices extend far beyond race.
Some claim that employers "demand" American accents. They claim its a market force, and as such is OK. The "geek" says that students will be scared of a black person. Isn't this a market force?

Playing devil's advocate here folks. Don't tar and feather me over this post.

[patsy]

that is too funny. would you believe at hunan women's college the waiban told another teacher that the only "good" teacher they've ever had here is the "Black" one they hired a few years back. They said he was so friendly and popular with all the ladies. lol.

[danswayne]

Patsy, still wondering if you ever make it to Wal-Mart. Also did you know there is a Subway restaurant opening up this week at the Wal-Mart by the walking street?

[jeffinflorida]

[abusalam4]

Real racism....maybe they do not deserve good teachers.
Tell me if they are still looking around; I could propose an icebear that would love to teach English in forward-backward China!
Fortunately, they have borders and are not everywhere in the world....