So what if I know more about dangling participles and comma splices than the typical white American? I’d be unqualified to teach English in China because of my skin color.
An article in the L.A. Times reports on the blatant job discrimination going on in China against Chinese Americans for ESL teaching positions. The overwhelming majority of language institutes prefer to hire white instructors. I would blame them, except the patrons of these institutes have white fever, loving all things blond haired and blue eyed, and the racist supply must meet the racist demand.
“I’ve had to deal with Chinese parents who have the mentality of ‘White is right,’” Benjamin Newbry, associate director of the Princeton Review test-preparation company in Shanghai, told reporters. “It’s just the idea that somehow if you’re white, it qualifies you, and skills don’t really matter. Being white becomes a plus on your job application.”
Or you don’t have to apply at all. Matt Froude, a 27-year-old white Australian was approached on a bus one day in Shanghai and without more, received a job offer to teach English.
The Chinese want to be taught by white people. When the English teacher isn’t white, “Chinese parents aren’t shy about complaining.” Newbry said these parents often “were up in my face” and could get “pretty aggressive when it comes to their kid’s learning environment.” Drawing in some of my experiences with the uncouth, overbearing, and tactless mainlanders I’ve met, I have a feeling Newbry’s comments are an understatement of what really goes on.
When interviewing the parents about their preference for white teachers, one parent unabashedly said, “Of course.” His rationale: “Their pronunciation is more precise.”
Are there laws in China against race discrimination? On paper, sure. Yet employers explicitly state age and gender requirements on job postings. What’s more, the applications for teaching positions at these language institutes require photos. This requirement is why someone like Jennifer Ashley, who graduated from Cal. State L.A. with a degree in English didn’t get hired–she’s a dark-skinned Eurasian and her photo would have clearly shown that.
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Bertie wrote:
One time I was out at a sushi restaurant, and my friend voiced her concern that the people rolling the sushi appeared to be Hispanic and not Japanese. I was like, are you kidding me?
People are retarded.
Posted on 07-Nov-07 at 3:22 pm | Permalink
Jesse! wrote:
Yeah this is old news, but you’ll also find similar positioning the other way around. When I was learning Mandarin here in SF, we had one white teacher and one Chinese. Perhaps with some irony, I learned a bit more from the white teacher since he had also learned Mandarin as a second language i.e., he had experienced what I was going through and struggling with…
I’m actually a big proponent that the first year or so of foreign language instruction should be taught by “one of your own” who has also learned the foreign language like you… then later maybe transfer to native speakers to get the accents and such right. There are exceptions to this of course… but that’s how I’ve learned best.
In China and Asia generally, you see that American media has done a good job letting everybody know that if you are American, you are white. If not, you’re sorta fake American. Also, people are retarded.
Posted on 07-Nov-07 at 4:43 pm | Permalink
John wrote:
Bertie - well, I remember going to a Chinese restaurant in San Antonio (Texas) and all the waiters, waitresses, and hostess were Hispanic. That was weird. And more recently, I went to a Din Tai Fung in Arcadia (California), and all the cooks in the kitchen appeared to be Hispanic as well.
I don’t think people are retarded - they are just have a certain expectation when they go to eat at an “ethnic” restaurant, one just assumes that people from that ethnicity work there.
I mean, wouldn’t it seem a little odd if you went to a Mexican restaurant in let’s say Kansas, and everyone you saw working there was Asian?
As for the Chinese preference for white people teaching English in China - personally, I wouldn’t take too much offense. I mean, I would feel sorry that an Asian-American would have a harder time finding a job teaching English, but I would just expect that.
Posted on 08-Nov-07 at 12:03 am | Permalink
Bertie wrote:
Dude, a Hispanic guy can roll sushi just as well as a Japanese guy. One’s race does not determine the awesomeness of one’s sushi rolling skills… nor does it determine one’s awesomeness in speaking and teaching English. These narrow “expectations” should not prevent people from gaining employment, because they’re irrational.
Posted on 08-Nov-07 at 3:16 am | Permalink
Xxxtine wrote:
*sigh* …. people are retarded.
Posted on 08-Nov-07 at 6:52 am | Permalink
TheChanster wrote:
You know…it seems like all the Mexican places I frequent here in nyc are run by Chinese…do you guys in Kansas actually have authentic Mexicans making your burritos? or are they all just working in Chinese restaurants too?
Posted on 08-Nov-07 at 10:49 am | Permalink
Akrypti wrote:
Chanster!!!! Where have you been??? No word from you in months and then you show up on 8Asians?!?
Posted on 08-Nov-07 at 1:49 pm | Permalink
Brian wrote:
What the–?? And the Mandarin Chinese teacher in my high school was white.
Posted on 09-Nov-07 at 2:14 pm | Permalink
Lily wrote:
It’s not just China. I’ve seen this in the US as well, in English / TOEFL classes. The teachers are all white. Not just white, but pale white.
Posted on 24-Dec-07 at 9:52 am | Permalink
James wrote:
So what if non whites have trouble getting hired teaching English in China? Those chinese schools only pay like 500-750 bucks a month. It’s not like teaching English in China is a glamour job. You can flip burgers in any McDonalds here in the U.S. and make double that. All those whitties who teach English in China = ppl who can’t cut it in the U.S.
Posted on 24-Jan-08 at 4:18 pm | Permalink
jason wrote:
gosh..now i’m a bit worried..i’m thinking of applying for a english teaching job in shanghai…i’m chinese-canadian…sigh…what kinda world is this…
Posted on 03-Dec-08 at 3:17 pm | Permalink