Buddy gets 1-year ARC for "being Chinese"?

Seriously, I’m not making this up.
I have a bud whose dad was born here, but has lived in the US for decades. My friend (in his like, late 20’s), was born and raised in the States, and came over for the first time ever about a year ago with his dad to be with his dying grandpa.
My friend has no traceable family paperwork tying him to Taiwan.
Since coming back, he has had an ARC with a school, and then got a Student visa, just so he could stay.
Note that the dude has no Mandarin and looks more Mexican than Asian, and his family name is a really watered-down monosyllabic that could be from a dozen different European countries.
Lo and behold, he just got back from a run to Honkers, and, after him laboriously explaining the sitch, no doubt repeatedly to several different functionaries, he got a one-year ARC!
When I asked him the grounds, he said it was basically for “being Chinese”?!?!
I’ve never heard of anything like this before, has anyone else?

Not first hand, but I have heard of it.

Such spectacularly racist idiocy is not surprising.

My country has just offered six months visa free entry to Taiwanese wives. Maybe they should add a clause saying ‘but only if you are white’? That would be fine, wouldn’t it?

Chief, don’t tell me you were actually surprised by 'wan bureaucracy! Say it ain’t true.

[quote=“Buttercup”]Not first hand, but I have heard of it.

Such spectacularly racist idiocy is not surprising.

My country has just offered six months visa free entry to Taiwanese wives. Maybe they should add a clause saying ‘but only if you are white’? That would be fine, wouldn’t it?[/quote]
Six months visa-free to Taiwanese spouses of British citizens?

Taiwan wins inclusion in UK’s visa-waiver program
I don’t think you’ll need to worry about being a wife, or even married. In March, all you have to be is Taiwanese to get visa-free entry to the UK

[quote=“Buttercup”]Not first hand, but I have heard of it.

Such spectacularly racist idiocy is not surprising.

My country has just offered six months visa free entry to Taiwanese wives. Maybe they should add a clause saying ‘but only if you are white’? That would be fine, wouldn’t it?[/quote]

Wahts racist about it… I remeber the UK would give Australian special 2 year visa’s if we could prove we have one British grandparent. Other nationals would complaim about the special preferential treamtment, which perhaps in this case it is.

As the father is from Taiwan, I don’t see it being racist.

I’ve heard of people getting a one year visa because they paid one year tuition. Maybe he was not being nice when he said that to The Chief?

On the other hand, regulations that apply to Overseas Chinese do not apply to us.

If I had traceable family paperwork declaring we’re Chinese, I’d already be a legal R.O.C. citizen. As it is, I am still jumping through hoops…

[quote=“Satellite TV”][quote=“Buttercup”]Not first hand, but I have heard of it.

Such spectacularly racist idiocy is not surprising.

My country has just offered six months visa free entry to Taiwanese wives. Maybe they should add a clause saying ‘but only if you are white’? That would be fine, wouldn’t it?[/quote]

Wahts racist about it… I remeber the UK would give Australian special 2 year visa’s if we could prove we have one British grandparent. Other nationals would complaim about the special preferential treamtment, which perhaps in this case it is.

As the father is from Taiwan, I don’t see it being racist.[/quote]

Reading is the key, ST.

[quote=“Satellite TV”][quote=“Buttercup”]Not first hand, but I have heard of it.

Such spectacularly racist idiocy is not surprising.

My country has just offered six months visa free entry to Taiwanese wives. Maybe they should add a clause saying ‘but only if you are white’? That would be fine, wouldn’t it?[/quote]

Wahts racist about it… I remeber the UK would give Australian special 2 year visa’s if we could prove we have one British grandparent. Other nationals would complaim about the special preferential treamtment, which perhaps in this case it is.

As the father is from Taiwan, I don’t see it being racist.[/quote]

[quote=“Icon”]I’ve heard of people getting a one year visa because they paid one year tuition. Maybe he was not being nice when he said that to The Chief?

On the other hand, regulations that apply to Overseas Chinese do not apply to us.

If I had traceable family paperwork declaring we’re Chinese, I’d already be a legal R.O.C. citizen. As it is, I am still jumping through hoops…[/quote]

No, none of the above, as I said, there’s NO acceptable paper proof that he’s his Dad’s son, the visa has nothing to do with his Dad.
And his whole point in telling me this was his joy at being able to quit school, so, no, it’s not a student thing.
I never said it was racist, either, I don’t have a problem with preference given to OSC’s, this is supposed to be their homeland, after all. I myself could, with a little elbow grease, lay hands on BOTH an EU AND Israeli passport if I wanted to, I got no beef with that part of it.
I was simply curious as to under which of the known visa categories this might possibly fall, it doesn’t really seem to jibe with any of them that I know of.
Like I said, the dude looks about as Chinese as Satellite TV,I’m not kidding.

Reading your explanation, I am more puzzled. As OSC, you get special treatment up to the 6th generation, but you still need the paperwork. They will not just accept it by looking at you, AFAIK. Gotta look into the regulations regarding OSCs.

You think it’s racist, but isn’t it written into the constitution that overseas Chinese (OSC) get special treatment? Even if they have no connection with Taiwan, they are Chinese. I suppose it’s something like being Native American, but in this case there’s no treaty, just rules and laws and exceptions made by other Chinese people.

The one that really gets me is the Global Chinese community. They seek to promote the Chinese people. For example from the Global Chinese Journal of Computers in Education. You might expect that they mean to promote global awareness of the Chinese, but in fact they declare: “This Journal publishes papers concerning research and application of computers and technology to education. Focusing on the works of the Chinese researchers, it reflects the characteristics of Chinese language, culture and education.” Apparently it’s deemed acceptable to have a Chinese OB network that focuses not on works that are relevant to the Chinese language or the people who originated in China, but rather to restrict the focus from including non-Chinese researchers.

It is “a sense among some Chinese across the globe that they can and even should identify - and, more than that, actively ‘network’ - with each other on the basis of common ethnicity and for some common purpose” (http://english.wcbn.com.sg/index.cfm?GPID=26), which the 1999 article notes is not necessarily going to be accepted as a positive thing around the world. The global Chinese community has grown larger, and I expect that once the Chinese in China can connect to it, we may see more dramatic reaction from the global community. The global Chinese who left Chinese majority countries have suffered at the hand of non-Chinese, so why would you expect that non-Chinese will not experience the same in a country such as Taiwan?

[quote=“twocs”]You think it’s racist, but isn’t it written into the constitution that overseas Chinese (OSC) get special treatment? Even if they have no connection with Taiwan, they are Chinese. I suppose it’s something like being Native American, but in this case there’s no treaty, just rules and laws and exceptions made by other Chinese people.

The one that really gets me is the Global Chinese community. They seek to promote the Chinese people. For example from the Global Chinese Journal of Computers in Education. You might expect that they mean to promote global awareness of the Chinese, but in fact they declare: “This Journal publishes papers concerning research and application of computers and technology to education. Focusing on the works of the Chinese researchers, it reflects the characteristics of Chinese language, culture and education.” Apparently it’s deemed acceptable to have a Chinese OB network that focuses not on works that are relevant to the Chinese language or the people who originated in China, but rather to restrict the focus from including non-Chinese researchers.

It is “a sense among some Chinese across the globe that they can and even should identify - and, more than that, actively ‘network’ - with each other on the basis of common ethnicity and for some common purpose” (http://english.wcbn.com.sg/index.cfm?GPID=26), which the 1999 article notes is not necessarily going to be accepted as a positive thing around the world. The global Chinese community has grown larger, and I expect that once the Chinese in China can connect to it, we may see more dramatic reaction from the global community. The global Chinese who left Chinese majority countries have suffered at the hand of non-Chinese, so why would you expect that non-Chinese will not experience the same in a country such as Taiwan?[/quote]

What do they call it when “Whitey” does that…?

I believe some countries were given flak for similiar policies…

Well some Brits once said Chinese and Dogs not allowed right? Or was that a myth? So a few Chinese oriented places exclude non Chinese. You probably dont want to belong to that organization anyhows.

Its not right though, none of that is right.

We should be judged for who we are as a person, not on ethnicity. But theres still a whole lotta that going on all over the world.

[quote=“Buttercup”]Such spectacularly racist idiocy is not surprising.

Reading is the key, ST.[/quote]

If I wanted to experience Rascism, I would definitely move to the UK

Some definitions of racism consider that racists believe one race to be superior to other races. I suppose the term “racialism” identifies people who believe that there can be such a thing as separate but equal.

Because they are not giving OSC special treatment because they are superior to others, rather because they are similar in features, they are falling into the trap that Americans got out of in the 60s: separate but equal. I suppose that some Chinese don’t consider it racist and don’t think that it matters, and other Chinese who are racist like it that way. But it’s a good talking point if you’re arguing with Chinese-Americans about the racism they experience in America; in some ways, the racism in China is much more horrible. If you’re eating an apple with a worm in it, it can make you feel better to hear that there are lots of worms in apples all around the world.

Probably he was supposed to have proof when he applied for the ARC, but the Taiwanese official used his or her discretionary powers, judged that he looked Chinese, and issued the documents. I’ve met lots of Taiwanese officials who didn’t exactly go by the books.

How do they give proof that they are overseas Chinese anyway? I’d imagine that some don’t have birth certificates from their parents if they fled the cultural revolution/war against the communists. And I’m guessing that they don’t give that status to ethnic minorities from China such as the Tibetans, because they had such a hard time getting to stay here.

Doesn’t Israel have special immigration/visa provisions for people of jewish ancestry?

There goes that Shift key again.

See me, previous page:

Any Jew can get an Israeli passport.
That’s what the country is for.
(FWIW, slightly less than half of all resident Israelis consider themselves religiously practicing Jews, there’s a pretty significant divide between the religion and the ethnicity)
Further, as I said, I could get a UK-based EU passport if I wanted to, based on ancestry.
AND I’d be able to keep my Canookistanian one as well.
Jason fucking Bourne or what?

Anywayz, the point is that tons of countries all over the world show Immigration preference for certain groups.
Nothing racist about it.
When our kids, Jack, are 25, they’ll be able to go hang out in Australia and work for 6 months (I think, they still have that deal, yeah?).
jd smith’s boy won’t be entitled to the same privilege.
And no, it ain’t because his father is a weenie.

Serious question chief-oh…

Could the Chieflette in theory get an Israeli/ EU passport based on your ancestry/devilishly good looks?