Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jenhn]

Hey guys,

I'm curious to know what the experience has been like for any non-Korean Asian-Americans who are teaching/have taught in Korea. I have heard about how ethnocentric Koreans can be, especially when it comes to other Asians, so was wondering how true this is. .

I would also like to know if schools tend to have a preference over the ethnicity of their TESL teachers.

Thanks!

Jen

[okayden223]

Well I wouldn't mention being Japanese...there was some...unpleasantness.

[jenhn]

Well, I figured that much

[Bucky]

I'm a Chinese-Canadian (from Hong Kong) and am wondering about teaching in Korea too. I know that South Koreans seem to have resentment towards the Japanese (and some for those from Mainland China due to the Korean War aspect of things), but does anyone know how Koreans treat Chinese people from Hong Kong?

[hockeyguy109]

My friend is a Chinese-America ESL teacher. I asked him about it. His biggest obstacle is that everyone he meets assumes that he speaks Korean, which he doesn't. He works in a public school, and is really enjoying it. I think it's probably harder to be white or black in Korea than being Asian.

[timeo]

I'm Chinese-Canadian, born in Canada - does that still fit the bill?

As an elementary public school teacher in Seoul, generally I haven't found there to be any particular problems. In fact, I'd say that it's probably a little easier than being a visible foreigner since there isn't the whole problem of being stared at or facing outright racism. Of course, the privileges that come with being white also don't come as easily to you unless you're with your visibly foreign friends (ie free cover, random free drinks etc), but all in all, I haven't had too bad of an experience in Korea with being East Asian yet not Korean. My biggest peeve is when they ask me where I'm from, and I say Canada, and they say "oh you don't look Canadian, you look Asian!", which I am obviously ethnically, but it's more about the fact that I have to prove that I'm Canadian than their ignorance. If I say I'm Canadian, I'm Canadian; they wouldn't ask a white person "oh you don't look Canadian", but that's more about Korea's inability to distinguish between ethnicity and nationality which is an alltogether different topic.

If you're from Hong Kong, as my parents are, I would recommend saying that your parents are from Hong Kong rather than saying they're from China. Koreans equate China with poverty and see Hong Kong in a much more favourable light given that Hong Kong is more developed than Korea. Generally, they tend to give more respect to people from rich nations than those of poorer ones, so be smart about it and just say HK. And if you're Japanese, don't say you're Japanese, just make it up.

Generally hagwons will tend to hire visible foreigners more than non-Korean Asians. Just the blunt reality of it unfortunately.

[jenhn]

[timeo]

I'm an elementary public school teacher.

[jenhn]

Oops, sorry - just realized that was one of the first things you wrote in your response. haha

[Bucky]

[timeo]

Yes, Koreans tend to have a very narrow understanding of nationality and ethnicity, essentially conflating the two together. Given that Korea is a very homogenous country, it's generally their understanding that every other country must be like this too. It can get frustrating but most of the time they don't mean any harm by it. It's general ignorance that isn't said in bad faith.

Having said that, I remember having to explain to my idiot interviewer at SMOE over the phone that yes, yes I am ethnically Chinese, and yes, yes I can speak English because I was born in an English-speaking country, just like how you, a Korean-American, can speak English. It was slightly bewildering.

[okayden223]

Yeah I had a co-teacher who told me that bamboo is very symbolic to Koreans because it grows straight and does not fork, just like their bloodlines. She said this with a big smile on her face like she was proud and diversity was some kind of bad thing. I thought it a bad idea to mention that decades of Chinese and Japanese invasions at different periods in time almost assuredly meant that bloodline wasn't as pure as she thought. Not to mention the rise in Korean men marrying foreign women these days. I asked her once if any of the students had foreign parents and she looked at me horrified and said "No we don't have any students like that." I just had to shake my head and move on.

[jenhn]

Wow, that's ridiculous...and sadly also a part of the reason why my ex-bf of three years and I did not work out. Ultimately, his family would have never approved of us marrying because I wasn't Korean.

[Linda868]

I am Chinese/Vietnamese Canadian. I have found that the positives of being Asian is that I blend in and nobody knows that I am a foreigner until I have to say something. The negative about being Asian is that they think you speak Korean. You will get told a lot that you have a Korean face or look Asian. At my hagwon, they treat me like the other foreigner teacher in terms of expectations and demands. However, they seem a little more friendly with me as with all my coworkers in a good way:)

[jenhn]

I'm Vietnamese-American but people never guess that - they'll guess everything else, though, including Korean. Sounds like I could use that to my advantage.