Foreigners teaching English in Taiwan may also call the Ministry of Education at 2356-6051 to report any problems, though the ministry has not had much experience handling those calls and may transfer callers to other departments. For months after her arrival, Becker found that in the lucrative English-teaching business, a preference for Caucasian teachers exists. Cristina Becker teaching English to a group of Taiwanese students. And many schools are unapologetic about their practices, saying a white face is needed to placate parents' demands. The Giraffe English Language School recently placed an ad discouraging ABCs from applying.
Parents have that requirement.
Foreign experience Becker, who was born in Spain but raised in the US since the age of three, has Malaysian, Thai, English, Polish and German ancestries. If they're not white, they're not American. I understand that it's just ignorance, but it's really hard for me to swallow. Despite reassurances from her school director and kindergarten manager that the biases stem from the parents' problems and not her teaching, Becker can't help but consider the effects the negative attitudes have on her relationship with students. The parents' stereotypes also influence schools and their hiring policies.