外國人都是... Foreigners Are Like That...
Have you ever noticed that foreigners seem to have little difficulty getting along in Taiwan? Yes, appearance is a major factor: foreigners who appear Anglo-Saxon with blonde hair and blue eyes are especially welcome by Taiwanese. Brunettes or red-heads are perhaps slightly less as appealing but are still mostly welcome. As to foreigner who look Asia, things may somewhat different. Above all, it simply depends on where you come from.
When it comes to nationality, America seems to outshine all the other countries. A friend of mine has worked with a music composer from New York for some time already, and her partner mainly followed his own inclinations in making his music. But only several months after his arrival in Taiwan, they made it to Spring Scream, a festival of music and art which usually takes place in April in Kenting. The live concert music festival has become immensely popular among young people, and the participating bands would have to be really excellent and impressive to get a chance to perform there. Needless to say, my friend was incredibly thrilled to be able to participate in the festival. However, it makes us wonder how the musician achieved this “honor” in such a short period of time? And I think the fact that he is a foreigner and that he is from the Big Apple certainly helped.
Unfortunately, Asians do not fare so well. Since Taiwan has imported many foreign workers from the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, and etc., Taiwanese tend to look down upon these workers, especially when the latter gather in railway stations on their off-days. Taiwanese dislike these foreigners because people from southeast Asia do not represent development and advancement. In contrast, foreigners from some Northeast Asian countries such as Japan and Korea maintain a certain attractiveness because they are members of developed countries.
Is it not a modern prejudice that some of us should admire and despise only on account of appearance and nationality? Although it is my belief that we certainly are not the only people who may have this shallow judgment upon foreigners, but should we not at least reflect on ourselves, and think about this unfair treatment?
Have you ever noticed that foreigners seem to have little difficulty getting along in Taiwan? Yes, appearance is a major factor: foreigners who appear Anglo-Saxon with blonde hair and blue eyes are especially welcome by Taiwanese. Brunettes or red-heads are perhaps slightly less as appealing but are still mostly welcome. As to foreigner who look Asia, things may somewhat different. Above all, it simply depends on where you come from.
When it comes to nationality, America seems to outshine all the other countries. A friend of mine has worked with a music composer from New York for some time already, and her partner mainly followed his own inclinations in making his music. But only several months after his arrival in Taiwan, they made it to Spring Scream, a festival of music and art which usually takes place in April in Kenting. The live concert music festival has become immensely popular among young people, and the participating bands would have to be really excellent and impressive to get a chance to perform there. Needless to say, my friend was incredibly thrilled to be able to participate in the festival. However, it makes us wonder how the musician achieved this “honor” in such a short period of time? And I think the fact that he is a foreigner and that he is from the Big Apple certainly helped.
Unfortunately, Asians do not fare so well. Since Taiwan has imported many foreign workers from the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, and etc., Taiwanese tend to look down upon these workers, especially when the latter gather in railway stations on their off-days. Taiwanese dislike these foreigners because people from southeast Asia do not represent development and advancement. In contrast, foreigners from some Northeast Asian countries such as Japan and Korea maintain a certain attractiveness because they are members of developed countries.
Is it not a modern prejudice that some of us should admire and despise only on account of appearance and nationality? Although it is my belief that we certainly are not the only people who may have this shallow judgment upon foreigners, but should we not at least reflect on ourselves, and think about this unfair treatment?