Here we go again - A black teacher's journey to employment

Work Teaching English in Taiwan
1

How difficult was your job search?

  • I’m white and I got a job offer the first time I applied for one.
  • I’m white and I found a job within my first week.
  • I’m white and it took me a while (more than 2 weeks) to get an offer.
  • I’m not white and I got a job offer the first time I applied for one.
  • I’m not white and I found a job within my first week.
  • I’m not white and it took me a while (more than 2 weeks) to get an offer.

0 voters

Well, back in 2001, I began posting on orienteguemosa.org.com.tw.com because I had heard all sorts of rumors about jobs being hard for black teachers and wanted to hear someone say something different (and also to find a place to live and a job). I was coming straight out of college with only two semesters’ of teaching experience, largely with adults, and a TESOL cert from my university. More than the average FOB, but I knew as a black person, I’d need that extra oomph. I spent several months before coming here doing a similar routine:

  1. Look for a job.
  2. Find one and send my resume off to it.
  3. Receive an e-mail that I was the perfect candidate for the job and could I send a photo.
  4. Send a photo and either a) hear the job was taken or b) never hear back from them again.
  5. Look on the internet and see the school contacted was still looking for teachers.
  6. Repeat steps 1 through 5 over and over.

In time since I arrived in Taiwan, after finding a job with a really good school, I have spent almost 5 years working under the tutelage of many great teachers here, including two of the former principals of TYPA Tiger Tots. I’ve attended lots of workshops, meetings, symposia, and courses (on my own money and usually, my own time), and built up a huge library of teaching resources, research, and strategies. In this time, I’ve also developed my own teaching style and philosophy.

Currently I am looking for supplemental work as I am trying to save money like mad so I can go back to grad school in 2007 and get my M.A. Ed. I’d hardly call myself a neophyte to the teaching industry, but damned if the rejections are not rolling in again. One in particular, from David’s Language School, not only sent me an e-mail saying all their positions were filled (at all four branches I suppose although their ad said they needed teachers at all times), but then two days after receiving their rejection, they put up a new ad on tealit.com.

Now, I ain’t the sharpest light bulb in the drawer, but I do declare I was hoodwinked.

At any rate, it’s leaving me really worried about finding work and how little this country has changed in the last 5 years. They might have Jell-O in the Wellcomes and English announcements on the buses, but they still don’t believe that English can be taught by a black person.

I believe this may be the beginning of a series as I restart the journey into employment as a heiren in Taiwan…

2

Well, the exact same thing happened to me with David’s, so it may just be because they are crap when it comes to hiring (and treating prospective employees with a bit of respect).

P.S. I’m not black.

3

I have been hearing similar tales from the black folk I run into time and again, so you are certainly not alone in this experience.

4

[quote=“irishstu”]Well, the exact same thing happened to me with David’s, so it may just be because they are crap when it comes to hiring (and treating prospective employees with a bit of respect).

P.S. I’m not black.[/quote]

Stu, I was under the impression that David’s was always hiring, even if they didn’t have any hours for you.
Perhaps they thought you were Black Irish?
Iman, sorry, I don’t mean to make light of your predicament, I’ve seen this happen plenty of times.

5

I think that there’s a good chance I’ve seen it more often than any of you. After all, my job search did take me more than 4 months before I even got an interview. :unamused:

6

Try another country thats not so damn racist.

7

[quote=“irishstu”]Well, the exact same thing happened to me with David’s, so it may just be because they are crap when it comes to hiring (and treating prospective employees with a bit of respect).

P.S. I’m not black.[/quote]

David’s has done the same to me, too. I agree with TainanCowboy, go where your talents will be appreciated.

8

Sorry, I meant I’d seen it happen plenty of times with friends of colour.

9

Way back when, when I was the Academic Director of one of the branches of ELSI, I got a phone call from overseas - a guy from New York. He had been referred to me by the head office, becasue they did not know how to reply to him.

He was Trinidadian-American with quite a bit of the Islands left in his accent. He was a college graduate, about 27 years old, with no prior experience teaching English. He was asking about teaching opportunities in Taiwan, because he had heard that it was a great place to break into the field.

I told him that, while ELSI normally prefered to hire teachers with experience, this was not an essential, as we had a very good teacher training program. In addition, I told him that his college degree was really all anyone needed to get started.

We rang off after a few more practical questions about living in Taiwan.

After our call I got to thinking. A lot. I thought about my black friends in Taiwan, and the struggles they had had. But, mostly I thought about the alarmingly racist attitudes I had heard many Taiwanese express about black people. I started thinking about this poor guy who just called. What if he came to Taiwan, based on my assurances that as an American citizen with a college degree he should have no problem finding work? Then I thought about his strong Carribean accent, and again about the racism that prevails in Taiwan.

I called him back. It was the middle of the night in New York, but this was really bothering me. I had to get it off my chest. He was sleepy and fuzzy at first, but I told him what I thought the reality that he would have to deal with would be, if he came to Taiwan. He listened politely as I made my case, and then thanked me for my candor, and hung-up. Never heard from him again.

He eitther thought I was a racist psycho myself, or perhaps he took some of what I said to heart. (For all I know he took the next plane to Taipei and is now a senior instructor at some venerable buxhiban.)

Either way, I’ve questioned my advice to this guy, since.

I’m sorry to hear about your situation, ImaniOU, but in a selfish way you have just confirmed what I instinctively knew to be true: Taiwan is not the most welcoming place for foreigners in general, and if you are black, or SE Asian, your path will be even more difficult - and opportunites will be limited by peoples ignorance.

Regarding your employment quest, have you ever considered working at an Adult School? Try the LTTC. in my experience they do not racist or sexist, or sexual orientationist hiring policies.

Best of luck.

10

Jamal O’Malley?

11

For what it’s worth, you did the right thing. I would have appreciated such candor from the people I spoke to about coming here before I did. I might still have come, but I would have been better prepared for the shock of Taiwan’s particular brand of racism.

12

This would be a perfect opportunity for me to somehow post some recordings my friend had made during a telephone conversation.

I dared him to tape his phone conversations (which he did) and low and behold as soon as he mentioned that he was black…BLAM. “Sorry, but we are umm…uh…looking for white people.”

The conversations are extremely interesting and the shock in the voice of the interviewers when he rattled off in Chinese (excellent chinese language skills) was utterly amazing.

Something to this effect:

Friend - “Hi, I’m interested in the position you have listed on Tealit.com.”

Interviewer - “Oh ok, well, when can you come in for a demo?”

Friend - “Tomorrow afternoon? Would that be ok?”

Interviewer - “Sure, where are you from?”

Friend - “I’m from the United States and I’m African American” (baiting her)

Interviewer - “Oh well, uh…um…we’re sorry but we are only looking for uh…umm…white people”

At this point they start speaking in Chinese and in one of these conversation (different school) lasted 20 mins that consisted of arguing and bickering.

You have to hear it to believe it. I’ll see about getting the tapes and when I do I might need some assistance as to how/where to post them.

13

I aint [color=black]BLACK[/color] black (the color), but I’m black enough to comment I suppose (from a semi-Black perspective.)

I end up rambling. Ah well…

I found out that my shade of black is a little better than being BLACK Black. I brought one guy to an interview at a school and the 主任 said:

“Oh, he’s black. That won’t do.” (something like that, it was in Chinese)
Me: “But I’m Black and i work here?”
主任: “Yes, but your not that black.”

Learned something new that day.

I did have a BLACK black friend come once and he ended up at a really nice school, busted his ass working, then went off to grad school. When he arrived he did run around the island a bit (down south) and he had some “funny” stories about the reactions he got from some people.

The first job I got told me (after I was hired for a while) that they weren’t going to hire me because I was Black, but then they saw how I was around the kids (I subbed for some days.)

I’ve never looked for work for more than 2 weeks and now work falls form the sky (sort of, and it aint always the greatest :wink:.)

It took me less than a week to find work for my friend visiting now (who also happens to be Black.)

I’ve always made it a point to not have my picture on resumes when I send them and try to get into a school to do a demo. Sometimes they’ll be able to look past the color with performance. (well I did, I don’t really care now.)

Not much to do but keep your head up and keep looking. I refuse to lose.

14

Have you tried Hess? Not a company I would normally recomend, but they tend to be a lot better and more open minded about hiring 'not white ’ Teachers :slight_smile:

[quote=“ImaniOU”]
One in particular, from David’s Language School, not only sent me an e-mail saying all their positions were filled (at all four branches I suppose although their ad said they needed teachers at all times), but then two days after receiving their rejection, they put up a new ad on tealit.com.

Now, I ain’t the sharpest light bulb in the drawer, but I do declare I was hoodwinked.
.[/quote]

Bastards!!!

 I was horrified to learn of the rampant racism, when I first moved to Taiwan.  I asked a freind of mine to sub for me for a couple of weeks.  To which he replied sure, I'ld love to, but do they know I'm black right?   Of course I chuckled and said, what differnce would that make?   But at his insistance I asked my school first... and much to my horror.  My boss made this face, and basically said it would be better to have no teacher at all for those two weeks then to have a black teacher. :fume:  I wish I could say I quit on the spot, I was tempted, but it wouldn't have helped.  I did loose a lot respect for my boss, and some other people that day though.

 And I wish I could say a lot has changed since then, but my freind had the exact same thing happen (sub, black, no way) at her school a few months ago.    :frowning:

I agree with miltownkid, don’t give them a picture or mention your colour. That way you get a chance to show them what you got! :rainbow: good luck on the job hunt :slight_smile:

15

I have to say I’m honestly surprised. My wife (black, from the US), walked into a paralegal position (paying around $75K a month), after we had been here three months. She was interviewed in person by the boss, who hired her on the spot, despite the fact that he knew she would have to take 2 months of training with the exiting staff member just to get up to speed with the company’s system.

At the Kojen school where I work, a guy from Canada (but with parents from Barbados, and a skin tone to match), was one of the most well liked teachers, both by other staff and especially by children (who used to absolutely pursue him and beg him to play).

16

See this guy here:

He’s a mate of mine. Works about 20 hours a week, and makes a lot more than I do. For a major company too. I’d love to know how.

Oh, and for the record in that photo he’s at a Tzu Chi weekend English camp, as one of the teachers (NT$1,000 per teaching hour, free accommodation and meals, and free air ticket from Taipei to Hualian). They certainly didn’t seem to care what colour he was.

In case anyone still doesn’t get it, I’m talking about the black guy in the middle of the photo, not the white guy off to the left.

17

Reading all this makes me very thankful for the job that I have. It was the first school to respond to my search and I took it after looking at only one other school. I’ve gotten some odd reactions since I’ve been here…

[ul]“It’s good, you’re not too black.” (one of my friend’s uncles) [BTW, I’m definitely way blacker than Miltown. Kind of made me wonder what too black was, and what he would of said if I had been. :unamused: ]
“I know you said you’re from the U.S., but that’s not really where you’re from.” (hotel employee)
“You have a very healthy color.” (neighbor)
“You’re teeth are so white!” (on several occasions by different people)
“You’re so lucky! Your hair is already curly, and with your color, you don’t need to buy cosmetics!” (I’ve gotten this from men and women…I still don’t understand what skin color has to do with whether or not I where makeup :s )[/ul]
But, I expected this, so I’m not really upset by it. I’m actually very happy with my decision to come and to work down South. :yay: (minus the daily smog :stuck_out_tongue: )
Plus, some people seem to be relieved simply that I’m American…they have this idea that Canadians, Austrailians and South Africans don’t speak real English :loco:
People think it “just fabulous” that I’m from New York. :rainbow:

18

Rightly so…rightly so. :rainbow:

jds

19

My wife is always getting compliments on her teeth. Mind you, they’re straighter than mine, and very well kept.

20

[quote=“Persephone”]
People think it “just fabulous” that I’m from New York. :rainbow:[/quote]
Everywhere that I have been this has been a general sentiment!

I also am amused by comments like, “I’m so glad you speak with an American accent, I have no idea what Canadians are saying!” :ponder: