Korean Job Discussion Forums

[blueskies]

How do you feel you are treated relative to the Korean staff?

[identity]

differently. conversely, pretty much the same.

[livinginkorea]

Depends on how different you are compared to the Koreans? I guess that there would be some resentment towards them but not as bad as coming from China or Taiwan. A lot of Koreans look down on those.

[blueskies]

[tek75]

Hello, everyone this is my first post. I'm a Korean-American, and I taught English in Korea for a period of six years (I'm in the U.S. now having completed a Master's program in English-TESL, and I will be returning to Korea soon).

To answer the original post, I actually think being a gyopo has helped me (90%) a lot more than it has hurt me (10%). One obvious reason is that I speak conversational Korean, so being able to communicate with both the staff members (in Korean) and the other teachers (English) made it a lot easier to get along with both groups. Also, as far as my Korean friends are concerned, most of them seemed to think of me as essentially Korean, so they had no trepidation when it came to befriending me or speaking to me very frankly. Similarly, I think some of my students actually felt more at ease with me, especially the adult ones, and were able to use English in a more relaxed state of mind. And it goes without saying that speaking the language prevents most of the cultural misunderstandings that other English teachers often have to face.

As for the negative, well, I didn't receive the "star treatment" by academy directors, who would fawn over the young Caucasian teachers and put their pictures up prominently on the school's website. And you are certainly much less likely to receive things as "service" (i.e. on the house) from businesses for being American. Personally, I don't need a lot of eg-stroking, so those things didn't really bother me. As for other things, I always got a slight feeling of guilt when my Korean friends would talk about their Army experiences, although I should also say that none of them ever said anything to make me feel that way. There was a also a time, on my first day of work at an academy, a teacher asked me where I was from, and when I told him the name of the U.S. state, he sighed and said, "No, I mean, where are you REALLY from?" which threw me off, but it turned out he wasn't a very nice person overall, and he was pretty much insensitive to almost everyone. Overall, I would say 95% of my co-workers were very kind and treated me no differently from any other teacher (some did mention they felt a little awkward when the staff would start speaking Korean to me in front of them, which I thought was understandable), while the remaining 5% seemed to regard me as being somehow less of an American (in a way, that's understandable, too, because they tended to be the teachers that were having a hard time adjusting to Korea and feeling rather wary of all things Korean)

In terms of getting jobs, being Korean-American never seemed to hurt me, as I was hired by every school that I ever interviewed for, with the single exception of CDI, which very ironically ONLY hires Korean-Americans (!). My fellow Korean-American friends have mentioned negative experiences (one mother was furious when she found her child's teacher was Korean-American; one adult student quit the class when she found out her teacher was... you know the rest). So, instances of prejudice do seem to exist. However, I believe that you can certainly overcome it by being professional, amenable, and responsible (you also want to find a workplace with reasonably-minded people, of course).

I personally faced the problem for the first time a few weeks ago when I applied to an elementary school position through an agency which found out that the school only wanted to hire "native speakers." I must say, I was disappointed, but the recruiter was very nice in the way he told me, so I told him that I understood his position. However, all things happen for a reason, and I was contacted by another agency which was able to set up an interview with another public school position (interestingly, the rep told me that many public schools are actually preferring Korean-American teachers these days as they seem to have less "cultural problems"). Also, when I had put my resume up on the internet before that, I received about ten offers that merited serious consideration (aside from the recruiters and the not-particularly-attractive offers).

So basically, don't be shy or discouraged for just being a Korean-American. There are pros and cons, but it certainly doesn't have to keep you from finding a good job, making friends, and being happy. I personally love being bilingual (well, at least conversationally, since I can't read or write Korean all that well) and bicultural, as well as being able to show Koreans that a person of Korean heritage can speak English and be able to exist with both Western and Korean values. One time, an adult student that I had taught for years told me out of the blue that she had once thought all Korean-Americans were spoiled and came to Korea just to party in Apkujeong all the time with their parents' money, but I had shown her that was not true. That made my day.

[CoolTeach]

byr

[blueskies]

[Cheonmunka]

If you are solely an American citizen then you are American.
Obviously, if one has a green card visa and a Korean passport they are not American as they are not citizens.
Just looking at the hanja for 교포.

僑胞 교포
외국에 살고 있는 동포. 재일 ～. 재미 ～.

Looking at that meaning and the further classification 동포 I can see that 'Kyopo' means someone who may have been born here but lived elsewhere. They may also have been born overseas because 교포 is linked exactly with 동포.
These Korean classifications have naught to do with citizenship. So, if you were a green card holder and Korean or even American citizen living elsewhere you can still be 교포, and with that can also be 동포.

同胞 동포
(1) 한 부모에게서 태어난 형제자매. (2) 한 나라 또는 한겨레에 딸려 있는 사람. 재외～.
In meaning attached to Korea through the Korean parent. Seems to presume birth here. But furthered in this meaning the person could have been born overseas also and still be 동포 through relation with parent(s).

You have your cake. You can eat it, slice it up and share it.

I wonder what my classification is: I guess from a Western point of view I'm an 'expat.' But in POV within Korea?
-I'm a Western country's citizen, F resident-visa holder, Korean children and (beautiful) Korean wife.
I'm not a true 외국인. I wanna be known as a 한책임자 or something more amicable or meaningful. 외국인 is a crappy classification for me. And is something I hate with a vengeance. I mean, I feel something akin to pride when I hear 대한민국, 아리랑, 애국가 ...
Can you suggest some classification for me, please?

[tek75]

[Cheonmunka]

What international Koreans should be proud of is that due to their unique strength of culture Koreans anywhere can still maintain heritage and roots very vividly. And can call themselves Korean even while maintaining a Western citizenship.
Americans who lose their citizenship while abroad can no longer claim to be American.

There's no sense in blaiming 교포's for this. One should be happy for them.
For their governments still accept them and have words for them while they are temporarily or permanently in the Diaspora.

If I give up my citizenship and fly back to my country my status will be, no more, no less than than if I were fresh off the boat from Somalia. I could no longer call that place 'my country.' Nor could I call myself by that previous nationality. Just 'some caucasian,' I guess. But with no extra rights than .... you know, anyone else in the world.
That is the effect of my government and culture in action.

A story. I applied for my wife's residence status while living in NZ, of which I'm a citizen. The office told me that my wife of 6 years, (and we have two children, and she half owner of a house there) has no better advantage for a residency permit than if we she were one half of a de-facto gay couple, without children, recently arrived from Somalia.
We were in the line and many gay and childless couples from Somalia and Germany were in front of us.
It took one year to have (such a simple thing) granted.

That's our liberal governments.

PS: We never used that residency permit, instead decided to return to Korea.

[rodneyc863]

A bit off topic but someone mentioned how Koreans looked down upon Chinese or Taiwanese? What about Chinese Americans?

[wylies99]

If they (directors/owners) were SMARTER, they'd understand the VALUE of having a teacher who can speak English AND Korean, and understand both cultures. They can help students (especially older ones) with difficult questions, and they can also help co-workers understand each other.

[Gwangjuboy]

[Cheonmunka]

[ddeubel]

Thanks to all those who posted so honestly. Enjoyed reading about all the varying (and some not) experiences. Enlightening.