Why would you do this?

Brianjones · February 20, 2018, 6:40am

Like you said.

SuiGeneris · February 20, 2018, 6:41am

Ive said a lot. Which part?

Brianjones · February 20, 2018, 6:42am

The last bit bout foreigners always being outsiders.

tempogain · February 20, 2018, 6:43am

I usually just say laowai.

SuiGeneris · February 20, 2018, 6:50am

I didnt say anything about foreigners.
I talked a lot about Taiwanese culture and the language here. I talked about the term wai guo ren. Ive shared my opinion that it is not spoken as an offensive term the vast majority of the time its used.

It all depends on the context.

Please go help the wai guo ren over there, she has been waiting for help for a while now.
Look mom, a wai guo ren!
Please deliver this message to Bob. Who is that? Oh he is the new guy in marketing. I dont get over there much to know who is new, who is he? Oh, he is the wai guo ren.
In todays headlines a wai guo ren was seen puking his guts out in front of 7-11 while shouting how much he hates Taiwan.

None of these instances were stated in a way to mean offense.

Its just a word to describe someone who is not Taiwanese.

tempogain · February 20, 2018, 6:55am

Equal evolved human beings still have different cultures. Nothing wrong with hoping to change things, but there’s no reason to bang your head against a wall over it either. Our ability to change anything here is limited. If you’re the kind of person who’s going to be upset by cultural differences of this sort, you’re probably not in the right place.

tando · February 20, 2018, 6:55am

don’t call racial minority foreigner. In western multi ethnic countries, you cannot tell a person is a foreigner or not based on race.

In Taiwan, a non-Asian person is almost always a foreigner, so people call the person waiguoren. like a female looking person is a woman almost always, so people call the person the woman/she.

BHL4life · February 20, 2018, 7:00am

not what i asked

GoGogoro · February 20, 2018, 7:02am

And who made you the school mom of this debate?

GoGogoro · February 20, 2018, 7:07am

You obviously never worked in a Taiwanese company before.

SuiGeneris · February 20, 2018, 7:08am

@BHL4life It is an answer to what you asked.

SuiGeneris · February 20, 2018, 7:09am

There you go again. Throwing assumptions around. You know what they say about assume…

GoGogoro · February 20, 2018, 7:11am

If you did, did you ever wonder who that ‘laowai’ was they refered to 1,000 times day?

BHL4life · February 20, 2018, 7:15am

recognize and refer have the same meaning ? news to me.

tando · February 20, 2018, 7:15am

then I have no idea what you are asking.

SuiGeneris · February 20, 2018, 7:16am

You really sound paranoid and thin skinned. If you are spending your day counting the times you hear laowai, waiguoren etc, arent you supposed to be working?

You ARE a lao wei, you ARE a wai guo ren you ARE the foreign person. That is who YOU are HERE, in this place, in Taiwan, where it is not multi cultural. Where the language has specific non-deregatory terms for people who come from other countries.

Again for the umpteenth time…if YOU take offense to the terms at work by the people who know you and work with you. TELL them and offer them an alternative title.

KHHville · February 20, 2018, 7:20am

can you guys pause here… I’ve run out of popcorn and gotta dash to the nearest Family Mart

GoGogoro · February 20, 2018, 7:29am

I’m having lots of fun. Save some popcorn for me

tempogain · February 20, 2018, 8:15am

Just you. It seems you have a problem with conflicting opinions!

Brianjones · February 20, 2018, 8:17am

Not every western country is multi racial or a melting pot.
Far from it actually.