Korean Job Discussion Forums

[D.D.]

Do you think that we should accept xenophobic actions happening to us in the PS system. I have put in my notice and I am moving on but before I leave I would like to clear up some issues and possibly help out the next round of teachers.

I was treated like a piece of junk by some of my co-teachers so I asked for assistance from the office of education. The education office said that they could not take sides and have never assisted in any matters.

After all was worked out it was the fact that I did not eat kimchi and other Korean foods as well as speak Korean that had them decide I hate Korea and Koreans.This was their justifcation for treating me like an idiot.

I have no interest in learning Korean for no other reason than am not interested in the language. I was a vegetarian before arriving and have made compromises to enjoy many Korean foods. I have explained over and over again that it is not a personal thing against Korea.


If I look at my situation I can see it is just xenophobia. It is a rural town and they have tried to mold me into living the way that they think all people should live. I have just been myself and this has made some people angry including my new christain principle who does not speak a word of English. On top of her having zero English she also is also shocked to find out I am not Christian.


I get so many replies such as it all comes down to if they like you or not.

What I am asking here is do you guys think it is ok for them to keep throwing us into these situations with no discrimnation laws to back us.

In our area the discrimination goes through many channels right up to and including the guy who handles the situation at the office of education.

Has Epic anyone that anticipates that we will experience racism, fear and conformity issues with Koreans with less than international ways of thinking and has developed a plan to deal with such issues?

I don't think it should be ok to be attacked for being different and have the office of education just sit there with no plans to deal with the xenophobia. I don't think what I am experiencing is even close to an isolated situation and that we should continue to receive no backup.

Many teachers that I have worked with for the last two years are sad that I am going and one of my smaller schools has much higher English scores now.

Is it just a coincidence that the open minded teachers are sad to see me going and that the closed minded ones that struggle to keep everything the same are happy to see me leave.

[Demophobe]

[cruisemonkey]

[dean_burrito]

A couple of weeks ago I asked my Korean co-teacher why he was always sitting alone in the class room. He felt similar to you. I don't think it's so much xenophobia as much as it's that somehow a buch of a-holes have infested the schools. May KTs don't like the way things are run either and I have heard the term "school power" thrown around alot. Meaning that schools have the power to do as they see fit. Which works in some cases but in others it does not.
I often direct my frustrations towards the top. How can these offices of education refuse to help the teachers they hired? I don't know. But like you mentioned there are some good teachers at your school. I'd just try to be around them more if I was you. That or grow thicker skin.

[icnelly]

[D.D.]

My posts to a forum of English speakers are very different to how I relate in a working enviroment.

So not speaking Korean, not eating pork and beef are reasonable grounds for pushing someone out of a school. Is there some code of conduct that they should add into the contracts?

I guess we could just keep acting like it is ok for them to go racist on us. I guess in every country we can accept it as normal behaviour to make fun of the foods, religions ect, that people are into and make it grounds for having a job. I think it's just strange how we pretend it is ok and say it just k-land. Should some racist in our home countries get away with this stuff and we just say ahh man it's just America.

[Ramen]

"Wang-Tta" is alive and well in sparkling Korea.

[Ukon]

[Ukon]

[D.D.]

[moosehead]

DD - sorry to hear of your woes and attempts to make peace.

I hit the same xenophobic wall at SMOE in 2005 when I was in p.s. Having worked in multicultural issues for a number of years (a couple of decades in fact) I presented to them my background, explanations of how I could prepare a presentation for both K and NETs to open dialogue of cultural differences and create discussions that would hopefully, smooth relationships between us.

needless to say, I was not supported in this effort, which is to say, it's K's loss, seriously.

there simply is no interest in improving our relationships unless it's done from a Kn perspective which obviously, does nothing to support the foreign perspective.

[Seoul'n'Corea]

[Seoul'n'Corea]

[D.D.]

I am actually freaked out by how closed minded many Canadians are when I visit home. My cousin lost it when he heard we ate sushi in Vancouver. I have been away from home for 17 years and I guess my mind has just become international in thinking.

As a side note I never push Canadian stuff onto my students and I believe ones second language should be an international language so I study Chinese.

[Fishead soup]

I'm basically a ghost in the staff room. I could easily be accused of being like the OP I almost never use L1 and I turn down lots of food.You have to work on being civil without having to interact it's called being professional. Then again I'm at a good school with nice people but I know what it's like to work in a bad working enviroment. I also chat a lot with high level students in the staff room and the halls.

My best advice to the OP is tell your co-teacher you are shy and introverted and most of your behavour is not based on a dislike of Korean culture. Also try to say something positive about Korea. Talk about a temple or Island you visited and mention how beautiful it was. If you are a vegatarian you can eat something like the jellied acorn with Makoli. I believe it's called Do Torri Mok. Talk to your Korean co-teacher how much you like it.