Job Discussion Forums

[Sujin]

from what i've heard, japanese schools won't hire asian-americans. i recently graduated from a small private univ. so it's not like i have a top-notch education to compensate for my being asian. are there any asians in this forum working in japan who didn't go to big name schools or had a 5.0 gpa or anything outrageous like that? if there are, please comfort me by telling me that it wasn't that hard to find a job. thanks!

[locagrl814]

you're too paranoid... like how i was before! I'm also an asian-american. I first sent my application to Nova. A week later, they sent me a letter and was asked to set up an appointment for an interview. Went to the interview (took about 45 minutes). A week later I got a letter from them saying that I was accepted.

I also sent an application to Geos. I was asked to set up an appointment for an interview, but I never bothered. The letter they sent me looked so crappy and so very unprofessional that I didn't even bother to schedule an interview.

It doesnt matter if you have a 4.0 or not. Schools dont matter either. Nova didn't even know what my grades were when they accepted me. They only asked if I graduated from a US university. Basically, all they want is someone who is a native speaker of the language. Oh and you have to be a US citizen.

I know that with Nova race isn't an issue. Rest assured that there are Asian-americans teaching English in Japan. In fact I know three other Asian-americans who will be going to Japan in the next couple of months.

[Sujin]

whew... thanks.
but i didn't get if you are teaching or did teach in Japan with nova. if so, how is/was it? (not only the general experience but also as an asian english teacher)

[PAULH]

SuJin

I have two personal friends who are Japanese-Americans and teach in Japanese universities. I know a couple of others as well, as well as a Vietnamese Australian working at ECC and a university. I also know two African Americans here as well.

Schools are more interested in your educational background and your teaching ability than your ethnic background. If you want to experience real ethnic profiling try Korea or Taiwan for size where the only flavor is vanilla.

[JimDunlop2]

What I've been seeing more and more is exactly what others here have said: schools are usually much more interested in your education and experience (and the fact that you ARE indeed a native speaker)....

I've heard of some "not-so-overt" racism going on..... As in: having the choice of 2 candidates and all other things being equal, one may get the job based on ethnicity... HOWEVER, the key word being: ALL OTHER THINGS BEING EQUAL.... Which is kinda rare... If you have the qualifications I see no reason you would not do well in Japan being Asian-American -- I've met several over here. The only drawback they seem to experience is a natural assumption (or surprise) that they don't speak Japanese when spoken to.....

[David]

I know of a number of Asian Americans who have done well teaching EFL in Japan. It all comes down to your attitude, personality, and teaching ability (or desire to become a good teacher). Yes, there are schools and students who want a "white" face to teach them English, but such schools are not places you'd want to teach at. It may also help to underline the fact that English is your native/first language when applying for teaching jobs (as silly as it may sound).

On a side note; two of my co-workers, both Asian-Americans, ended up landing non-teaching jobs with major Japanese Companies from the contacts made while there were English teachers.

Gambatte (good luck)

[rcn]

Sujin

Don't let those replies fool you. I'm Asian-Canadian and know from first- hand experience that there's a lot of racism against hiring Asian-looking teachers to teach English.

Most schools don't care as much about qualifications as they do about appearance. However, if a school is desperate(a teacher has suddenly quit w/o notice) or unusually professional you can find the right job.

Good luck!!!

[canuck]

[ruggedtoast]

My friend is chinese candian and hes had job offers from Berlitz, GABA and a number of smaller schools. Oddly the only jobs he cant get are bar work, which is what he (for some reason) wants to do here.

[chinagirl]

When I worked for a family-run eikawa several years ago, I had a couple of co-workers who were Americans of Philipino descent. My employer simply cared about their educational background, professional qualifications and accents. Some of our students occassionally expressed surprise when meeting them for the first time, but they quickly got over it.

I'm sure that you can find work if you look around.

[PAULH]

Believe it or not, there are foreigners of European descent who come here and look for jobs and cant find any or apply through NOVA but do not get through the selection process, as they are not seen to be serious about teaching, their sole reason for coming is to party travel and pick up women and employers can pick up on this. A lot depends on your attitude, your professionalism as well. Students generally wont be bothered by an 'Asian' face as long as you are a native speaker, speak clearly and you obviously know what you are doing in the classroom. Students will often take lessons from many teachers and will be able to tell the difference between a good teacher and a bad one, white or Asian.

This is not to say that an Asian teacher will be any better or worse than a white person, but students are usually old enough and mature enough to see past ones race and ethnicity when evaluating their teacher. The Asian teachers mentioned above may not have been hired not because of their race, but simply because of their particular attitude lack of teaching ability or some other factor. It is probably very easy to use ones race or looks as a smoking gun when being turned down for jobs, but remember, its not easy for white guys either, and many of them get turned down for jobs as well here even though they have American accents and are native speakers.

[Brooks]

our school is going to hire a Japanese-American. If his Japanese is good, I think it will be appreciated.
Our school has hired Europeans (from countries other than the UK or Ireland) before, but they need to have at least a M.A. TESOL degree.

I met a Chinese-Canadian who taught English in Osaka. He was doing fine at his school.

[oreyade]

Dear Sujin,

First I want to say that I am disappointed, BUT not at all surprised that most of the people in this forum have said that "Looking Japanese" or "being Asian" has no real impact on you in Japan. This is ridiculous! Also, the people who have said this are NOT Asian themselves (are you people?!) So if you are not even Asian, how can you go around and easily say that looking Asian in Japan is not a big deal?! Well Sujin, I am "Asian," and I do "look Japanese." This is what EVERYBODY has been saying (Nihonjin ya na!) to me since the day I was born outside Japan, in my travels around the world, and now, even INSIDE JAPAN TOO. So yes, being Asian does have an impact. AND YES IT CAN HINDER YOUR CHANCES OF GETTING A JOB IN ENGLISH! But that said, it doesn't mean that you won't be able to get a job. YOU WILL be able to get a job in Japan. BUT your experiences in getting a job (and heck your ENTIRE life here) will be QUITE DIFFERENT from that of White people. Yes I have said it clearly! Let's not mince words. Let's not sweep the issue of how people "read" the features of the human body (ie SEEING 'RACE') under the rug. PERCEIVING PEOPLE RACIALLY IS A FACT whether or not you agree with it or not, it happens all the time every day in North America, Japan or anywhere else in the world. Of course we can choose to say nothing about it, or ignore it, pretend we dont do it, but the perception of people racially in the eyes of the beholder is a reality that should not be denied.

Anyways, let us admit the UNSPOKEN SILENT expectation that ENGLISH SPEAKER = WHITE FACE. Why do you think Asian Americans are always perceived as foreigners in the US even though they have been there for centuries!? If there is one thing that being Asian in Japan will let you experience, it is what is really meant by the idea that White people experience "White privilege" in North America (something that a lot of White people usually deny). In Japan, and even around Asia, since you "look Asian", you will experience "Asian privilege". This is the experience of being just another ordinary unnoticeable face in the crowd. If there is one GOOD thing about being Asian in Japan, it is the chance to experience really being anonymous! You are just another average Joe or Jane (or Masa and Masako) as they say...

Also I find that most Japanese people warm up to you quickly and want to get to know you a lot quickly. You often hear stories of gaijin who complain, accuse Japanese of racism, and say that they have tried but are never really accepted even after 20 years... Well, I can tell you that you can be integrated faster and more smoothly into Japanese society. I know Asian Americans who have said that even though their Japanese friends knew they were 3rd or 4th generation Japanese American, Chinese or Korean American backgrounds, and born in North America, their Japanese friends often told them that they considered them to be Japanese too! REALLY! The idea of "being Japanese" is like a feeling of closeness or bond that your local friends share with you. I know its often stated that "Japanese are racist" but let me clarify that it is an over exaggerated idea by the Western media and Gaijin in Japan that have lost their White privilege, not that they ever recognized it in the first place back in North America, UK, Australia... In reality, people here in Japan can be very accepting and will open up to you faster. People will say that you look like members of their family. You can be hugged, touched on the arm, patted on the back, and have your forehead slapped softly by adults as a sign of affection!!

Looking Asian will make your job search in the English teaching industry sometimes challenging because you are perceived as NOT non-Japanese enough. If you want to get a job the fastest way, and if you can speak Japanese, then you have a better chance of being accepted into a Japanese company or Japanese organization, not teaching English, because you are perceived as being closer to being Japanese culturally and you are bilingual. This is different from those businesses in the English teaching industry that are so hung up over the foreign-ness and White-ness thing. Basically put, the English teaching industry has an image of "foreign-ness" and "White-ness" that is NEVER spoken about, but the attitude is CERTAINLY there!! You can see this White-ness in all the ads, CMs, brochures, promotions, posters, photographs, etc. of White people teaching English. You can even see cute young White people standing next to Japanese staff in front of train stations promoting their English school and handing out flyers, and the White guy just says "please come to our school" as the staff hands out the flyer. I know this first hand because I was given a flyer and the White guy told me to come to his school. I guess I don't look like the type who can speak English - heheheh...!

BUT IF you do want to get work in that industry quickly, you have to emphasize your "foreign-ness" and your "White-ness". If you are Asian, you can do this by focussing on your "perfect Native English" abilities and "foreign English" education.... Although, to be honest, I don't think you will be chosen to join the staff as their cute English speaking mascot in front of a station any time soon!! Unless they can lie and say that you are an example of a successful student from their school: WOW Look Perfect English!!

[canuck]

[Glenski]