I can’t really relate to what you’re going through because A) I’m white, and B) I’m not an English teacher.
Personally, I would not take a job where my compensation was discriminatory. And it’s pretty common knowledge, at least based on anecdotes like yours which are posted here and elsewhere all the time, that Asian-Americans are definitely discriminated against as English teachers in Taiwan.
If I was Asian-American, let’s say I never visited Taiwan in my life, and then I came here and got a job as an English teacher for less pay than white colleagues, I would be seriously angry. I mean, this place is supposedly my heritage and part of my identity (maybe), and now I come here and get discriminated against? Man, that fucking sucks.
Those feelings would probably make me want to move back to the States and teach there, where discrimination is still quite rampant, but at least it’s firmly against the law and you can often do something about it. Nor is it accepted in casual conversations with local Americans like the one you described with a local Taiwanese.
What I’m saying is, personally, I think I would find it difficult to live in Taiwan as an Asian-American English teacher. Maybe that is why you see most Asian-Americans doing things other than teaching English here.