Are Taiwanese People Racist?

Taiwan Living in Taiwan
21

I’ve only had a few bad experiences with old people here…they usually speak to me in fluent English in random places like checking out at Wellcome. Then I have to hear about how their daughter lives in Colorado, and how they lived there for 20 years, but now they decided to come back…blahlaskdfalsdfh;alsdkf

My race: they can’t tell (…white? I don’t even know, I just write “Italian” on the Other line). I’m Mediterranean dark, and could be from anywhere. Plus my facial features don’t look like any specific place. People have fun guessing where I’m from, so it adds some ease to those mindless “where are you from, ni lai taiwan duo jiu” conversations.

In general, I would learn some Taiwanese at least for the purpose of barking back at those people. A quick, well placed “li gong xia mi?!” usually stuns them and shuts them up.

What irks me is the “random chinese random chinese WAIGUOREN random chinese random chinese” I hear whenever I enter a room. I was on the MRT yesterday and a woman was answering to her friend why she couldn’t move in more, and she said “there is a foreigner behind me” when she could have just said “there is a guy behind me”. There is absolutely no reason to say ‘foreigner’ in that context.

ANSWER TO THE QUESTION: Taiwanese people are Chinese people. Han Chinese people are the most racist people in the world. 5000 years of history. Remember that. The Han people are the strongest people in the world. Look at how they treat their aboriginals here. Look at how they treat the SE Asians. Look at how they treat Westerners (even ‘positive’ treatment without basis is still racism). This racism problem is further amplified by Taiwan’s…what I like to call “well frog syndrome” (my version of 井底之蛙). It’s the perfect chengyu to describe Taiwanese people. They are stuck on this island with no view of the outside world.

22

I do believe the Japanese outdo the Chinese in being racist and xenophobic.

Taiwanese are far less then mainlanders in this regard as well.

23

IMHO, discrimination or bully don’t just happen exclusively due to race, rather it’s much more a result of ignorance or that some people just can’t handle differences well and find them intimidating, hence act with hostility.

And I think it’s so true as achdizzy1099 quoted that “We hate some persons because we do not know them; and will not know them because we hate them”. ~Charles Caleb Colton

I remember when I was at elementary school, and our class went on a field trip to a park.
(Background info: It’s a park in Taipei and it’s a little more than 2 decades ago.)
A random old guy just yelled at us something in Taiwanese" Girls shouldn’t go to school."
I was really surprised by his remark. I knew such remark would be much more normal if it had happened in my mom’s generation. As far as I know my grandpa himself hadn’t thought women should get too much education.

I don’t agree with such generalization like “Taiwanese people are 井底之蛙”
Some people are just more open-minded and can appreciate differences better than others.
If Taiwan were not a friendly enough place for foreigners, there would’ve been much less people coming from abroad. :2cents:

24

It’s pretty awesome that the OP didn’t re-post to identify his or her race and/or ethnicity is likely what you meant.

Which school do you work at?

25

[quote=“msleft”]
If Taiwan were not a friendly enough place for foreigners, there would’ve been much less people coming from abroad. :2cents:[/quote]
Most people from abroad come here to work and are from SE Asia. Taiwan is from what I here and read anything but friendly to them (exceptions aside). For example did you read about the Indonesian worker getting hacked up by fruit knives a few days ago by young Taiwanese for nothing more than a bet as to who could be the first one to stab a Wai Lai. As well as that there have been thousands of cases of abuse against SE Asians in Taiwan, or are you referring to westerners (white ones)? If you are referring to westerners well I hate to burst your bubble but Taiwan does not have many westerners here at all. It may or may not be friendly to westerners here, but there is no correlation to that and there being many westerners from abroad living in Taiwan as there are NOT. The fact that you seem to think there are many here is surprising; I am not aware there are any “American towns” or “German Towns” in Taiwan although there are huge Chinese and Taiwanese communities in almost every western country that I can think of.

Your use of the perfect tense is also suitable in this instance considering the movement of many teachers and people from Taiwan to China at present. There are perhaps more westerners in Shanghai than the whole of Taiwan is that because the Shanghainese are so friendly or what about Hong Kong?

26

The Shanghainese… They are a handful indeed…

27

To be honest, I don’t know much about the situation the SE Asians facing in Taiwan. However, my grandma is taken care by an Indonesian. I personally admire her courage and hardworking. I think the reason why she has to come far away here, leaving her little kids to make a living is probably due to the government’s inability to manage its ecnomics.
And no I am not referring to westerners or the white ones. As far as I know, foreigners are people coming from abroad, or having no citizenships of Taiwan.

The horrible accident you’ve mentioned is unspeakable. IMHO, bad people tend to aiming at minority not only racial speaking, sometimes gender or physical, etc. Let me put it this way, there are rapes going on unfortunately. I don’t think it would be fair to say men are bad because of such horrible events.

I am Taiwanese, so I might not have a stand to say whether racism exist. So I just share my own view and I agree it’s mostly true to say it’s more difficult to live at places other than your homeland . Because your apprearances might be obviously standing out. :2cents:

28

Whether it’s being raped by ex-politicians (e.g., Elmer Fung raping his maid), cattle prodded by security companies before being deported, or having to leave every few years so they aren’t eligible for applying for citizenship or PR, labour migrants are treated poorly on Taiwan and that is a stain that doesn’t do the island any favours internationally or amongst civilized nations.

I’m no friend of labour, but when I used to go to the Pinoy stores in Taipei to buy Mountain Dew and Spam :laughing: , I’d listen to a few of their stories and couldn’t believe the abuse they would take at the hands of their employers.

And yet if dumb-ass Canadian foreigners try to do anything to correct such injustice what happens? They get slapped by the politicians? :roflmao: :roflmao: Anyone remember this case?
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=18626&hilit=slapped+PFP&start=40

29

Taiwan is a small country, there are relatively less oppotunities here.(Please don’t go into politics with me.) A lot people may hear more about Thailand than Taiwan.
I’d assume there are more opportunities out there in China, so it’s not weird at all the fact that there are much more people in other countries.
Now that you’ve mentioned, I am kind of curious how foreingers (not just westerners as I have given my definition in the former post, and I might just include Taiwanese) in Shanghai are treated.
Though Taiwanese may not be recognised in the first place, but our accents are pretty different actually.

30

[quote=“Cornpone Hercules”]Whether it’s being raped by ex-politicians (e.g., Elmer Fung raping his maid), cattle prodded by security companies before being deported, or having to leave every few years so they aren’t eligible for applying for citizenship or PR, labour migrants are treated poorly on Taiwan and that is a stain that doesn’t do the island any favours internationally or amongst civilized nations.

I’m no friend of labour, but when I used to go to the Pinoy stores in Taipei to buy Mountain Dew and Spam :laughing: , I’d listen to a few of their stories and couldn’t believe the abuse they would take at the hands of their employers.

And yet if dumb-ass Canadian foreigners try to do anything to correct such injustice what happens? They get slapped by the politicians? :roflmao: :roflmao: Anyone remember this case?
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=18626&hilit=slapped+PFP&start=40[/quote]
Maybe he should call some media such as AppleDaily if police doesn’t do their jobs properly. Some police tend to ignore things which is resentful. :fume:

31

We are treated all right in Shanghai, but the Taiwanese do a much better job than the Shanghainese do. I can’t really blame the Shanghainese much though, a lot of them haven’t had proper education and a lot of people you meet in Shanghai are from other parts of China.

32

A boss at my kindy a couple of years ago went haywire when this tall Nigerian man walked into the premises. She started screaming that beggars are unwelcome. Luckily, I was on hand to advise her that the chap was actually coming to pick his daughter up from the school. He was seriously pissed and it took a lot of cajoling from me to him outside to convince him that the boss didn’t need a few meaty punches.

After calming him down, him and his daughter departed. I went back inside and the boss thanked me for placating the “niggalo”. Go figure.

And this is a well-travelled, cosmopolitan person.

33

[quote=“Rabidpie”]
We are treated all right in Shanghai, but the Taiwanese do a much better job than the Shanghainese do. I can’t really blame the Shanghainese much though, a lot of them haven’t had proper education and a lot of people you meet in Shanghai are from other parts of China.[/quote]
Thanks for your sharing. :slight_smile:

34

FWIW, and who knows what channel said what for what reason, but the report I saw said the first person to stab someone, as in anyone. They made the harbor where it happened sound like the valley of death. I’m gonna have a look at the paper later and try to see what they say.

35

FWIW, and who knows what channel said what for what reason, but the report I saw said the first person to stab someone, as in anyone. They made the harbor where it happened sound like the valley of death. I’m gonna have a look at the paper later and try to see what they say.[/quote]

Well at least they were not wearing white hoods. In fact with all the Hitler worship going on here I am surprised they do not have some kind of Han Chinese supremacist movement.

I will await your interpretation and will be more relieved to know that the bet was to stab anyone rather than stab a Lao Wai. I saw it on TVBS and thought that is what they were saying but could of misheard if so apologies. Yeah this was reported very dramatically and it sounded and looked very nasty. They slashed at least one machete deep into the “Laiwai’s” jaw by the looks of the news report.

36

My honest opinion? Everyone is racist to some degree or manner against one or more races. We have been programmed by our upbringing and our society and our peers.

Few are truly innocent of racism, most of us have to learn to behave.

37

[quote=“tommy525”]My honest opinion? Everyone is racist to some degree or manner against one or more races.
We have been programmed by our upbringing and our society and our peers.

Few are truly innocent of racism, most of us have to learn to behave.[/quote]

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :bow: :bow: :bow:

38

I’ve read the news and It’s really shameful.
FYI, I just paste a Google translation result of the news.udn.com/NEWS/SOCIETY/SOC1/6642180.shtml

[quote=“聯合報”]
Vocational students cut labor fun? 報復！ Revenge!

【聯合報╱記者蘇郁涵／高雄報導】 [United Daily News reporter Su Yuhan ╱ / Kaohsiung report] 2011.10.10 02:58 am 2011.10.10 02:58 am

5名未成年學生及1名賴姓男子日前持刀砍傷印尼籍漁工，警方昨天逮捕6人到案。 Five students and a young man surnamed Lai Indonesia deckhands recently chopped a knife, police yesterday arrested six people for questioning.
記者蘇郁涵／攝影 Reporters Su Yuhan / Photography
高雄市前鎮區漁港北一路，日前發生6名青少年深夜手持開山刀砍傷印尼籍漁工，警方昨天查獲6名嫌疑人，其中5人是就讀樹德家商的未成年學生，6人被捕後起先供稱「殺害外勞純屬好玩」，但主嫌林姓學生向警方表示，殺害外勞動機屬報復行為。 Kaohsiung fishing town north all the way, has happened six injured youths late at night armed with mountains of Indonesia deckhands knifed, police yesterday seized six suspects, five of whom are young students studying in the School of Home Economics Shuter, 6 At first after his arrest for “the killing of foreign workers is purely fun,” but the chief suspect to the police, said Lin students, killing machine is working outside the retaliation. 因為他先前接二連三遭外勞攻擊，警方依殺人未遂及傷害罪嫌移送少年法院審理。 Because he had repeated attacks by foreign workers, police hurt by accusations of attempted murder and transferred to juvenile court.
前鎮警分局指出，林嫌說他先前經過前鎮漁港時，被外籍漁工用石頭及玻璃罐砸到，因為「吞不下這口氣」，日前才會邀同班同學聚集在鳳山區漁村街附近的河堤空地，計畫「打外勞」。 Former town police precinct that Linxian said he had been fishing before the town when he was foreign hands smashed with stones and glass jars, because “swallow this tone,” will be invited classmate recently gathered at the fishing village of Street, Fengshan District open space near the river bank, plans to “fight foreign workers.”

林嫌向警方說，他們到模型店合資買一把開山刀，其它同夥自行攜帶西瓜刀及鐵製伸縮棍棒等利器，騎乘三部機車雙載到前鎮漁港，途中先到連鎖超商載不知情的陳姓女學生(16歲)，行駛到漁會前撞見1名落單的印尼漁工，莊姓學生(15歲)先拿西瓜刀砍殺外勞BRANDON ROLOS(18歲)，黃姓學生(16歲)及張姓學生(16歲)再持開山刀及木棍砍殺BRANDON背部。 Linxian to the police that they venture into the model shop to buy a machete, melon and other associates to bring their own sticks and other sharp steel stretching, riding three motorcycles set to double before the fishing port town, set out the way first chain Chain Store Chan unwitting female students (16 years), before moving to the Fishermen’s Association and saw a solitary fishing in Indonesia, Zhuang surname students (15 years old) acquire a melon slash labor BRANDON ROLOS (18 years), yellow surname students (16 years) and Zhang students (16 years) and then armed with a machete and a stick stabbed BRANDON back.

Brando身負重傷步行到港警所報案，被送往小港醫院救治後，生命跡象穩定；警方昨天調閱監視器逮捕5名未成年嫌犯及賴姓男子（25歲）後，依殺人未遂及傷害等罪嫌移送地檢署及高雄少年法院。 Brando was seriously wounded by the walk to the Force to the host report was sent to hospital for treatment after Xiaogang, vital signs stable; Police yesterday arrested five minors access to monitor suspects and surnamed Lai (25), the other in accordance with attempted murder and injury fiduciary duty and transferred to the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office Juvenile Court.

【2011/10/10 聯合報】 @ udn.com/[/quote]

39

[quote=“msleft”]I’ve read the news and It’s really shameful.
FYI, I just paste a Google translation result of the news.udn.com/NEWS/SOCIETY/SOC1/6642180.shtml

[quote=“聯合報”]
Vocational students cut labor fun? 報復！ Revenge!

【聯合報╱記者蘇郁涵／高雄報導】 [United Daily News reporter Su Yuhan ╱ / Kaohsiung report] 2011.10.10 02:58 am 2011.10.10 02:58 am

5名未成年學生及1名賴姓男子日前持刀砍傷印尼籍漁工，警方昨天逮捕6人到案。 Five students and a young man surnamed Lai Indonesia deckhands recently chopped a knife, police yesterday arrested six people for questioning.
記者蘇郁涵／攝影 Reporters Su Yuhan / Photography
高雄市前鎮區漁港北一路，日前發生6名青少年深夜手持開山刀砍傷印尼籍漁工，警方昨天查獲6名嫌疑人，其中5人是就讀樹德家商的未成年學生，6人被捕後起先供稱「殺害外勞純屬好玩」，但主嫌林姓學生向警方表示，殺害外勞動機屬報復行為。 Kaohsiung fishing town north all the way, has happened six injured youths late at night armed with mountains of Indonesia deckhands knifed, police yesterday seized six suspects, five of whom are young students studying in the School of Home Economics Shuter, 6 At first after his arrest for “the killing of foreign workers is purely fun,” but the chief suspect to the police, said Lin students, killing machine is working outside the retaliation. 因為他先前接二連三遭外勞攻擊，警方依殺人未遂及傷害罪嫌移送少年法院審理。 Because he had repeated attacks by foreign workers, police hurt by accusations of attempted murder and transferred to juvenile court.
前鎮警分局指出，林嫌說他先前經過前鎮漁港時，被外籍漁工用石頭及玻璃罐砸到，因為「吞不下這口氣」，日前才會邀同班同學聚集在鳳山區漁村街附近的河堤空地，計畫「打外勞」。 Former town police precinct that Linxian said he had been fishing before the town when he was foreign hands smashed with stones and glass jars, because “swallow this tone,” will be invited classmate recently gathered at the fishing village of Street, Fengshan District open space near the river bank, plans to “fight foreign workers.”

林嫌向警方說，他們到模型店合資買一把開山刀，其它同夥自行攜帶西瓜刀及鐵製伸縮棍棒等利器，騎乘三部機車雙載到前鎮漁港，途中先到連鎖超商載不知情的陳姓女學生(16歲)，行駛到漁會前撞見1名落單的印尼漁工，莊姓學生(15歲)先拿西瓜刀砍殺外勞BRANDON ROLOS(18歲)，黃姓學生(16歲)及張姓學生(16歲)再持開山刀及木棍砍殺BRANDON背部。 Linxian to the police that they venture into the model shop to buy a machete, melon and other associates to bring their own sticks and other sharp steel stretching, riding three motorcycles set to double before the fishing port town, set out the way first chain Chain Store Chan unwitting female students (16 years), before moving to the Fishermen’s Association and saw a solitary fishing in Indonesia, Zhuang surname students (15 years old) acquire a melon slash labor BRANDON ROLOS (18 years), yellow surname students (16 years) and Zhang students (16 years) and then armed with a machete and a stick stabbed BRANDON back.

Brando身負重傷步行到港警所報案，被送往小港醫院救治後，生命跡象穩定；警方昨天調閱監視器逮捕5名未成年嫌犯及賴姓男子（25歲）後，依殺人未遂及傷害等罪嫌移送地檢署及高雄少年法院。 Brando was seriously wounded by the walk to the Force to the host report was sent to hospital for treatment after Xiaogang, vital signs stable; Police yesterday arrested five minors access to monitor suspects and surnamed Lai (25), the other in accordance with attempted murder and injury fiduciary duty and transferred to the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office Juvenile Court.

【2011/10/10 聯合報】 @ udn.com/[/quote][/quote]

Thanks for that. There we have it then and it is even worse then what I had originally said. It was not some drunk youths getting kick out of slicing up a foreigner it was very premeditated and on the scale of barbarity as seen by such scum as the neo-nazi skin heads in Russia. This is a really serious racist attack; well planned and carried out with extreme cowardice and brutality on a lone fisherman. I sincerely hope this is not the start of a trend and there will not be a string of copy cat attacks. I have recently been feeling that after all my years here that there is a different under current of more vicious racism now emerging, as seen in the west and Russia. I hope I am wrong. This is a really shameful attack and an attempted murder.

All this media lao wai, lao wai, lai wai stuff really does not help matters at a time when Taiwan’s future is so uncertain. Bless this poor man it is a pity we cannot send him flowers or other forms of sympathy such as money? Perhaps someone down their in Kaoshung can organize some fund raising for him or set up a paypal donation site for him? That has got to hurt mentally and emotionally; coming to another country to work, leaving family behind and then getting attacked in that way.

40

msleft

[quote]If Taiwan were not a friendly enough place for foreigners, there would’ve been much less people coming from
abroad.[/quote]
er, could there be much less people coming (and staying) from abroad? If you look at other rich countries and
compare the situation in Taiwan with the number of foreigners living into those places, well according to your
own definition Taiwan is a rather unfriendly place.
A huge part of the foreign community in Taiwan is employed as factory workers and domestic helpers and as has been pointed out they are on a temporary stay, will be exploited and send back home. The number of Western foreigners isn’t even big enough to make the general populace on this island understand that there are actually foreigners living amongst them.