Are you not a US citizen?
I’m not a US citizen. My parents moved to the US to work. While we were there, we applied for green cards, but were unsuccessful. That’s why I had to come back to do my military service and work in Taiwan.
I’m gonna tell you one thing. I’m Italian Canadian. It goes backwards too. I look distinctly Italian. If I, as a Canadian-raised Italian went to Italy, they’d probably be doing the same thing to me.
You’re Asian, if you look distinctly different, then people know to give you less of a hard time. It’s just how it is.
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All countries have intolerant people.
Many Taiwanese are arguably less tolerant of some ethnic groups than others.
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No one ever told me to learn the culture here and thats because i myself am a guy who likes to learn local culture no matter where i go. So when someone someone do tell me that i end up telling them seomething back about their own culture that even they didnt know about and then feel proud watching their face full of thinking what to reply back to me
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I feel more comfortable in the US than in Taiwan.
Yeah cause you’re used to the culture there.
I can’t help but think that many people in Taiwan just don’t like returnees. I got patronizing, contemptuous comments during both my military service and my last job.
I think it’s hard to be a “foreigner” in my country of birth.
That’s the thing. You’re not a foreigner. When you look the part, then it confuses people when you don’t think the part. It catches people off guard.
This would be the same for me in Italy.
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They just need to go on with their lives. There’s no need for them to be contemptuous and display a patronizing attitude. I even had to tell a former coworker not to talk to me again unless it was for work-related stuff since he wouldn’t stop. He only stopped once I verbally warned him.
You’re right, but this is what happens and why it happens.
Just respond appropriately and people will get used to it as they get to know you.
Unfortunately, no matter how much I tried to keep my cool and be courteous, their attitude never changed much.
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I always respond with righteous indignation. 
I even had to tell a former coworker not to talk to me again unless it was for work-related stuff since he wouldn’t stop. He only stopped once I verbally warned him.
Possibly another topic, but why do Taiwanese dislike ABCs (overseas born Taiwanese)?
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I don’t know why, but it’s just something I’ve felt. No matter how hard I tried to improve my Mandarin, cook local foods, it never seemed enough.
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In your title you refer to foreigners, in the above to ABC’s however you also state you are neither.
Forget about being different, you are Taiwanese and are expected to act like one, until you do you’ll likely continue to feel you are being treated differently and unfairly.
You haven’t lived!
You can be legally Taiwanese, but not culturally Taiwanese if you spent a lot of time abroad.
No matter how hard I tried to improve my Mandarin, cook local foods, it never seemed enough.