ABC denied a job because of skin color — Is racial discrimination worse in Taiwan than in the U.S.?

Text & photo /"Europe to Taiwan Travel Observation Diary"by Huang Yu-yang

A friend of a friend wrote an article that I found quite important, so I did a simple translation. The article is a bit long, but please read it through.

“I previously lived in Taiwan for three years (Taipei and Taichung). Although I had a great time there, I experienced more severe racial discrimination than I ever did in the United States.I was born and raised in the U.S., and occasionally I was teased for being Asian, which certainly affected my self-esteem. But compared to the frustration I felt in Taiwan when I was rejected for one job after another because of my appearance, that was nothing.

I’m an ABC, from the same ethnic background as 98% of people in Taiwan — Chinese. I was surprised to find myselffacing discrimination in a country where no one could even tell me apart from them, and it really hurt to be rejected by the country I love.

I moved to Taipei in early 2010 to study Chinese and to get to know the place where my mother grew up. I tried many ways to obtain a work visa so I could stay in Taiwan for a longer period. The work visa process is complicated, and the hiring company has to pay relatively high fees and taxes, so it’s not easy for foreigners to find companies willing to do that. But if you have a university degree and a passport from the U.S., UK, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, or South Africa, it shouldn’t be too hard to find an English teaching job.

I applied to every well-known school (cram school) in Taiwan, but received very few responses — just some interviews that went nowhere. I taught kids' English part-time and gave private tutoring through friends, and another friend let me work at his cram school, but my salary was 200 NTD less per hour than other white teachers (per hour). That was the first time I encountered such unequal pay, so I didn’t accept the job. I also had a mixed-race friend who easily got a job at a well-known adult cram school. He helped me submit my résumé, but not long after, my friend told me the boss didn’t want to hire an ABC. Apparently, as soon as schools saw my photo and my Chinese surname, my résumé went straight in the trash.

I was both sad and angry, but completely powerless. The only thing I could do was keep trying with hope. Later I moved to Taichung, and things got even worse. I didn’t even get one interview. Once, when I handed my résumé to a lady at a school, she honestly told me that schools in Taichung only hire Taiwanese teachers (cheap and no complicated work visa procedures) or white people.

It’s sad to think that some people believe you have to be white to be a good English teacher. Teachers with darker skin tones have a harder time finding jobs. Taiwanese people may find jobs easily, but no matter how good their English is (some have lived in English-speaking countries for many years), they are paid less than those white teachers.

I returned to California in April this year due to some financial and personal reasons. Since then, I’ve discussed these issues with some teachers. Here are things they’ve seen and experienced in Taiwan.

Duncan Chui
Everything was fine when I talked to the school on the phone before the interview, but as soon as I arrived at the school, they immediately rejected me because I’m not white. They said, ‘Oh, I thought you were a foreigner.’ Now I always make sure the school knows I’m Chinese-American to avoid wasting each other’s time.”

Eunice Eu
I recently went to a job interview. When they saw me (I’m a Taiwanese person born in South Africa), they gave me the fastest interview of my life. Later they called to say the position went to someone else because I lacked experience (I have six years of teaching experience!). When I asked for an explanation, she just said she wasn’t the one who interviewed me and hung up.

Eunice Eu
I’m an Indian born in the UK. I once went to an interview arranged by an agency. Not only did they not welcome me, but when the employer saw me, it was as if I came from outer space. He told me to wait outside. I was ignored for over an hour. I asked to speak to the supervisor several times, but in the end, the agency had to call the school. But I wasn’t even invited into the office. In the end, I gave up and left.
 

Compared to countries like the U.S., Taiwan doesn’t have as much racial diversity, so naturally people are more likely to be prejudiced and less able to accept differences. Especially when it comes to getting a teaching contract. Annie Chen founded an organization called TADIT that holds events to raise awareness about the importance of diversity and labor rights issues,

The more attention and support we receive, the faster change can come. Progress in racial equality will only bring more positive recognition to a beautiful country like Taiwan, which is loved by so many.