Job Discussion Forums

minoritygirl · Joined: 09 Jun 2007 Posts: 5

I am currently looking for teaching opportunities abroad. I have been browsing the website for the past two weeks just trying to get a feel of what opportunities are available. My main concern is the success rate of African American women finding teaching jobs overseas. I recently saw a post about Russia being extremely racist, so I'm thinking that probably that is not the only country with that issue. I currently live in New York and have experience racism there and in Pennsylvania when I was a college student. Racism can be found anywhere, but I don't want to leave and end up in a country where I'm afraid for my safety everyday. Can anyone tell me of any countries in Europe that are African-American friendly, thank you.

I have an M.S. in education and have been teaching for two years. I am currently taking a 50 hour plus intern. course for TESOL cert.

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

That's a broad question. DO you have your heart set on a certain language or area? I felt safe in Europe, Asia and Latin America. You can save money in Taiwan and Korea. Also if you have an MA, you'll be able to get a job in the Middle East, thinks are a bit difficult for women though I heard.

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

minoritygirl, first, if you've got citizenship only from the U.S., you can't legally work in most of Europe. Many Americans are working under the table in Spain, but France, Italy, Greece, Germany, Netherlands, etc. are all basically not possible.

You would be eligible for legal work in most of the 'new' EU member countries, like the Czech Rep or Poland.

So far as being African-American, I think you're unlikely to encounter any serious problems in the Czech Rep, at least (I live here, so I can speak for it with some level of confidence, though I think things would be the same in Slovakia/Poland/Hungary).

There has been a small group of black people in Prague for a long time now - they have a reputation for being hard-working. We have a black anchorman on one of the major news stations. I've had a couple of African-American friends who taught in Prague and were well-received.

Finally, while it's not politically correct to say so, the other thing is that Czechs tend to focus most racist tendencies on their own roma (gypsy) population.

guangho · Joined: 16 Oct 2004 Posts: 476 Location: in transit

People everywhere are more preoccupied with their own prejudices, which in E Europe means the Roma and the Jews. You should be fine. Oh yeah, Budapest also has an African weatherwoman on the tube.

SF21 · Joined: 05 Jun 2007 Posts: 72 Location: California

minoritygirl,

Funny, I was going to ask the same question, as a Black American male.

I went to Central Europe for 3 weeks. I'm light-skinned and was stared at EVERYWHERE I went - Prague, Vienna, Krakow, Warsaw, Budapest. But they weren't so much the racist, sordid stares of contempt I've received here in the US. It was more of a curiosity on their part, I'd say. I noticed that other Africans, French Blacks, etc. didn't get the same attention that I did. I only came across one identifiable Black American, and that was at a Budapest restaurant, where I was listening in on a conversation.

It took me a while to get used to the no-smile culture, but after that I didn't take it personal. On a side note, I just had to figure out a different way to approach E. Euro women Wink

CharlesTESOL · Joined: 06 Jul 2004 Posts: 81 Location: Barcelona, Spain

Hola Minoritygirl,

Spiral78's comments about the work situation for North American's in Spain is brief but accurate - most are probably working without permits.

I've been living here 7 years and during that time I've met African American, as well as British, English teachers. I don't recall any of them ever talking about having problems. Of course, just because they didn't tell me, doesn't mean they didn't have any. Like most other people they usually only spent a year or two teaching here and then either went home or moved on to another part of the world. However, I do know one gal who has been here since about 2004 and seems to plan on staying. She is trying to legalize her situation right now.

Racism does exist here, of course. A friend of mine from the Dominican Republic has been here legally for several years and at times he has been singled out by police who ask for his ID. This has even happened when he was out with friends, who were all white and who were not asked for their IDs. I also knew an English teacher who was a dark skinned Latino from California who told me he was frequently asked for ID by the police during his time here. He added that as soon as they saw he was from the USA, they just waved him on.

Despite this, Barcelona and Madrid are a very cosmopolitan cities, with people of color highly visible. However, all of this is realtively recent. I remember when I first moved here about 7 years ago my immigration attorney, who is probably in her 40s and whose clients are mostly people from Africa, Asia and Latin America, told me that until about 20 years before most Spaniards had probably never seen a person of color other than on television or in the movies.

But today there are definitely vibrant Afro-communities in Spain. You can see African and Afro-Latino owned businesses here, e.g. stores, restaurants, clubs. For example, in and around my neighborhood there is a foodstore called Colmado Afro-Latino, a great Sengalese restaurant, a little African clothes and gift shop, and a couple of hair salons that describe themselves as Peluquerias Dominicanas.

So, that's a little about the situation in Spain. Good luck wherever you decide to go.

CECTPA · Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 9:47 am Post subject:

I am in Istanbul now. It has its ups and downs, but if I found people racist, I wouldn't live here. In my experience, most people are friendly and helpful if you get lost or have any problems. They do stare (and watch out for those men, if you look at them the wrong way you will have a new friend whether you want him or not), but as with the earlier poster it's mostly curiosity, and not coming from a bad place. The range of answers when people try to guess where you're from is pretty amusing sometimes. I take the usual big-city precautions and generally don't feel unsafe.

As for working conditions, well, that's another can of worms. Hate to say it but from what I've heard and seen, sometimes Western middle managers will exclude you before the Turks will. The latter are more likely to see you primarily as a qualified native speaker of English and give you a fair chance. With your quals you would be able to get something decent here.

jg · Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 4:09 pm Post subject:

coledavis · Joined: 21 Jun 2003 Posts: 1838

Yes, I think Czechs and Slovaks do concentrate their fire on Roma. Eastern Europe as a whole, however, has an ingrained racist strain. Ok, as with anywhere else, Russians near to you might warm to you as a person they know, but in Russia you are very much in danger of violence. Shame, as Russians are rather nice on the whole (in my opinion) but they do let themselves (and ethnic minorities) down when it comes to racial negativity.

curio_butterfly · Joined: 23 Oct 2007 Posts: 5

Eastern Germany has been known to have problems with (young) neo-Nazis and people there can be 'hidden' racists, favoring the Northern European look (based on personal experience as someone who does not look 'purely Caucasian' as I've been told in Germany and Hungary) but some parts in Berlin are good to live in. I heard Scandinavia is pretty good though getting a teaching job there if you're not EU might be tough. But try anyway. Personally, I really liked Denmark. They come across as reserved but they're a really great bunch of people.