You are in an enviable and important position in this country we call home. You have the advantage of being born with the perspectives and physical characteristics of the majority of people in this country. You also have the perspective and lifestyle experience that I grew up with. To me, that is enviable. You can blend into the crowd and be spared the often times embarrassing and frequently frustrating feeling of standing out. Now, don’t get me wrong, I have used this to my advantage in order to gain employment where, at times perhaps, I was under-qualified. But, I have worked hard to make up for these short-comings in order to deliver more than was expected. I have also been in a position to influence the hiring practices and the perceptions of local employers and clients in order to give prospective employees opportunities regardless of their physical appearances, often times to no avail. I am not a white knight or a do-gooder, I am just a human with a liberal Canadian university degree indoctrinated into the world of the post-colonial guilt trip. I’m doing my best. Now, what I ask of you is; please refrain from denigrating comments about a group of people who don’t share your complexion but do share your cultural upbringing. In recent weeks there have been incidents performed by people who look somewhat like me but are not me, These incidents are embarrassing to me and others just as they are shameful to local perspectives. It is very disheartening that I am viewed in the same light as a kid half my age with a fraction of my life experience. It is more so disheartening when people like you, perhaps younger than you and not as mature as you, agitate the often times gullible younger generation of this country into a xenophobic frenzy. You have the ability to change their perspectives more so than I. That makes you a rockstar. Recent events involving a Taiwanese man who violated his niece led to a crowd of locals going on a rampage to exact revenge on him. That was no doubt stirred up by the connectedness of people and a powder-keg of emotion that seems to be just below the surface of late. What’s to prevent that from happening when the next douche-bag white guy becomes national news? I believe it is you. I didn’t not give you a job because you are not white, I didn’t steal the cute girl you were working the long game with and I definitely haven’t stood on your hand in trying to climb the ladder of life. I have lost friends, family respect and 4 front teeth defending guys who look like you. Would you do the same? It is up to you to be the bridge between Taiwan and westerners. Please forget about Chet, Biff or Mark who mistreated you in your youth, Be the bigger person and exact your revenge through compassion.
From a scrawny, ginger, four-eyed, googley eyed, carrot top, pumpkin head, half-breed to you.
Actually foreign born Taiwanese have it MUCH tougher than westerners who come here. They have the outsiderness, but none of the white novelty or privilege that comes with it. Westerners have it great here. I’m a westerner and I’ll freely admit it. Many of us get treated like kings. It’s the ones who can’t adapt to local customs, culture, or obsess over the latest xenophobic Taiwan News article that whine and bomb out. Meanwhile, ABTs, especially those who can’t speak Mandarin or Taiwanese, are viewed as not true Taiwanese by many and have trouble achieving acceptance. On top of that, they have none of the privilege that comes with being a Westerner either.
Anyway, the post is a bit tl;dr, but from what I skimmed you complain a lot for someone who has it pretty plum here (you said yourself you’re unqualified for the job you have).
What is this privilege you speak of? Perhaps I live in the wrong place. I often wonder who is propagating the ideas behind the questions I field from my clients.
The proof is in the puddin’ as far as qualifications go.
Do I really need to cite the examples of the legion of white dudes here who have no trouble picking up girls here, but couldn’t get laid if their life depended on it in their home country?
Plus, the job thing. Lots of FOBs get hired to be teachers when they haven’t taught a day in their life, purely on account of them being white and speaking English. Now, those jobs may suck, but still. They also get paid WELL above the national average… 60, 70k… while a lot of people here get only 30k for backbreaking factory jobs.
Every teacher has one day at work when they’ve never taught before.
Also, the 60/70k salary is surely just market forces. Of course it would go down if Taiwanese parents stopped demanding teachers who look like their ideal of a native English speaker, but to be honest I think having a native English speaker is an advantage. I don’t consider English teacher pay to be a privilege.
The legover for ugly whities definitely is. If the women want us, though, what’s a man to do?
that ain’t privilege. thats just moving to a country with more opportunity’s(than your original country). those ABCs are also getting laid. local guys are getting laid too or do you think white guys are the kings of asia, the only ones getting any girls? thats a pile of shit. taiwanese girls actually prefer taiwanese guys, theres much less hassle when dating a taiwanese guy.
Thanks Biggus and BHL. Drew I feel I’ve struck a little too close to nerve territory and I apologize. It sounds like whining because you want it to. To me, it’s a palm frond of peace extended toward disenfranchised individuals who take their frustration out on oblivious and easy meat, such as myself. I’d hate to think you wouldn’t have my back as I would have yours. Before coming here, I did shiteloads of research and did what it took to fulfill what was necessary. The same as your grand or great grand parents did and the hundreds of thousands of Taiwanese who move to my home turf. Research not whim. When someone Passchendaeles my career and I have to do damage control it is not some small thing.
I’m not overly concerned about xenophobia. Most people give at least two seats worth of space on either side of me on the train. So I have swinging room. I had mistakenly gone to another web site recently and was disturbed by well written, in English, vitriol. So, I tried to word a letter to folks who likely come to this one. My first language is trucker/construction site English so I thought I’d practice here in a more measured, kinder way. Thanks to you asshats I’ll revert to my comfort zone, fockwits.
I sometimes wonder if there might be some variation among the white folks here⸮ On second thought, that’s probably mere castles in the air, just wild speculation on my part⸮
Though im not a foreign born taiwanese, it seems the contents of your letter is interesting. It is very kind if you would summarize it into 5 sentences or so, for people with low literacy. It is too long so I couldnt get any point.
