作者名称 国旗国籍

Jun

EN

JP

2018.11.08 03:33

So I came across this video of this woman from Nepal who was

denied an English teaching job at a tutorial center in Hong Kong because the clientele preferred Caucasians who are native English speakers.

That’s royally* messed up.

As an American who speaks English at a native level, I would say this woman could actually pass for an American. That’s how good I think her English is.

Now I know there’re folks across the world who may be doubtful of the English skills of folks from South Asia or Southeast Asia (and even Asians from America), but I’ll say this: if folks from those areas speak English really well like the woman in the video, there’s a really good chance they have knowledge of the intricacies of the English language that native speakers might lack. That knowledge would be very helpful to those learning English as a second language.

==/ Audio Included in Comment /==

Also, this is a good example where racial preferences only serve to sustain institutional racism that favors one group of people over the other. Like seriously folks, it’s really messed up to think only Western folks are the crème de la crème* at whatever it is you’re looking for. We see that mentality enough in America, and I hope it’s not present in your country. Let’s try to fight that mentality shall we?

Expressions:
* royally: extremely (used informally)
* crème de la crème: the very best
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Comments

  • tom li 2018.11.08 04:44

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    The woman is American?
  • Jun 2018.11.08 04:53

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    @tom li No, she’s Nepalese. But her English is just as good as an American’s.
  • tom li 2018.11.08 04:55

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    @Jun as an American who speaks? The who is you. Why use speaks instead speak?
  • Jun 2018.11.08 05:09

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    @tom li ”Who speaks English at a native level” is a relative clause that describes “American”. In that clause, “who” is used as a 3rd-person relative pronoun so you have to use “speaks”.
  • tom li 2018.11.08 05:10

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    @Jun thanks. I got it👍
  • Cameron 2018.11.08 05:48

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    If a white guy applied to teach English in America, similarly many Americans would react like the clients did to this Nepalese woman, even if he spoke Japanese at a native level.
  • Cameron 2018.11.08 05:49

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    Sorry, I meant "white guy applied to teach Japanese".
  • Jun 2018.11.08 07:50

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    @Cameron That would be an interesting scenario. But I don’t think it’s entirely equivalent. The context is crucial. That comparison is compounded by the reality of a white man in America being considered the top of the power hierarchy in America. I mean the US is a country where white folks can profit from playing Asians in movies and even pretending to be Asian in real life (like a certain Marvel editor) while opportunities for Asians are relatively limited in comparison.
  • Jun 2018.11.08 07:51

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    @Cameron In contrast, an Asian man who is not a Chinese national in a country like China may not have privilege that is analogous to what a white man in America may enjoy (this is a noted phenomenon also seen among American/Canadian-born Asians who try to teach English in Asian countries). Also, a white man teaching Japanese in America would not be entirely far-fetched. After all, there’re possibly many white instructors in the US who teach some traditions/skills of Japanese origin (Aikido, Judo, Kendo, etc) and I doubt anyone bats an eye to those instructors.
  • シェイ 2018.11.08 09:52

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    YO
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    DE

    @Jun 合ってるよ。
  • 炎上 2018.11.08 10:20

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    I think the owner of the tutor center did this wrong. But honestly I can’t blame him/her. It’s what the clients want and it’s extremely hard to put up a fight against that. We also have this problem here. it’s even worse.
  • Cameron 2018.11.08 11:35

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    @Jun I don't think it's so much a power heirarchy as it is about racial in-group preference (which applies to all races)and the fact that men put in more work hours than women on average. It seems that too often when whites or white men are highly represented somewhere, we say "They must have oppressed people to get there" but we don't say that Asians outnumbering others in top universities is evidence of Asians oppressing others, or blacks outnumbering others in the NBA is evidence of blacks oppressing others.
  • Cameron 2018.11.08 12:10

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    @Jun You are entitled to your opinion and I enjoy reading your moments. To get back to the topic, I agree that this woman was treated unfairly, but we don't know the frequency of her situation and because one door was closed for her, that doesn't mean other doors aren't open for her. There are companies such as Google and Apple that deliberately try to hire fewer white men as part of a "diversity" goal. Apple publishes an annual report about divesity and how much fewer white men work there than the year before.
  • HAL 2018.11.08 15:48

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    I've heard that white men/women are more likely to be hired than other people as English teachers even in Japan. That might be because Asian people have dreams to speak to native English speakers, especially Caucasians.
  • HAL 2018.11.08 15:54

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    My son's English teacher is from Philippine. I think highly of her because she teaches English very well. Thanks for her, my son is loving English. It is the most important skill as an English teacher.
  • Jun 2018.11.08 18:41

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    @シェイ この世の問題を斬鉄剣で一撃で切り裂きます!キーン ⚔️✨
  • Jun 2018.11.08 18:57

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    @Cameron Although I’m somewhat critical of enforcing diversity (I personally believe enforcing diversity eventually converges to promoting tokenism), I do know that such practices are in place with the intent to essentially give a boost to folks who have historically been disenfranchised in a given country. The experience the woman in the video faced could’ve been prevented with laws that prevent discrimination based on race, but I believe the root of the problem lies in how people perceive other people. Laws cannot change that, only reflection.
  • Jun 2018.11.08 19:07

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    I think it’s important to note that English is a global language. It has since spread far from its European homeland and has been deeply integrated into the lives of people who aren’t of European descent. Due to the legacies of the British Empire and America, it shouldn’t be surprising to find native English speakers who are Black, Indian, Southeast Asian, etc. To think that only Caucasian folks speak English well would be considered regressive and it’s my hope that folks in Asia are aware of that.
  • Cameron 2018.11.09 09:15

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    @Jun Are those the real intentions of diversity programs, is the question. When the topic of diversity arises, there seems to be no word on how white men can be diverse, ranging from Hungarians to Spaniards to Australians. Also, when we characterize groups as historically disenfranchized, priveledged, etc. that neglects the fact that you can have a black applicant from a wealthy background and a white from a poor background. All the while we are told that "All races are the same. Race is just a cultural construct." The fact that the programs ignore these things is a sign that pushers for diversity may have very different motives.
  • Jun 2018.11.10 01:05

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    @Cameron I’d imagine that there’d be ardent supporters of diversity that seem like they willfully vilify members of the dominant social group (going so far as to be said to promote “reverse discrimination” even). I may not know those people’s specific agendas, but in the context of America, I know those who identify as social progressives would say they’re combating against a system in which white folks (regardless of ethnicity or national origin) enjoy privileges that other folks may not necessarily enjoy, and at times there would be white folks who feel as if they’re being targeted and oppressed from their perspective. I know there is a quote that those social progressives would often use: “To the privileged, equality feels like oppression”. So I guess it all comes down to a matter of perspective.
  • Jun 2018.11.10 01:06

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    @Cameron The unfortunate reality is, and this is particularly true in America, although all people are essentially born equal (i.e., everyone is accorded the same human dignity), everyone will always be seen (and might also be treated) differently. For something that is often purported to be artificially constructed, a concept like a person’s race can have huge implications in a person’s life.
  • Jun 2018.11.10 01:07

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    @Cameron For example, our previous president was consistently hounded by xenophobic accusations that he wasn’t a natural-born US citizen. Not even a man who held the most powerful office in the country could escape being seen as “un-American” by some. Some may wonder, would politicians like Ted Cruz or even the late John McCain who were actually born outside of the contiguous States have faced a similar experience to that effect if they had ascended to the presidency? Race may seem like a divisive topic and problems related to it may never be solved, but it’s good to just understand different people’s perspectives and see how we all can relate to each other in this even more connected world.
  • Cameron 2018.11.10 14:28

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    @Jun When we say race may have huge implications on a person's life, it could be that it's not so much the way that members of reach race are treated by others that makes a big difference - or the history of each race, but the biggest variable can be argued to be genetic differences. According to books such as The Bell Curve, the single strongest predictor of a person's wealth (we alth being a major part of a person's life opportunities) is IQ.
  • Cameron 2018.11.10 14:29

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    It is written that average IQ of the average Ashkenazi Jew is about 110, East Asian 105, whites 100, African Americans 85, Latinos (including Mexicans, Guatemalans, etc.) 88, and so on. These numbers are consistent with census data on income for each race in the US, and it would clarify so much about the way things are. It can be said that IQ is just some racist concoction by white scientists, and that is frequently said by mainstream media, but is that a sound explanation if they willingly put Asians and Jews above them, and jeopardize their careers in the process?
  • Cameron 2018.11.10 14:30

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    It is understandable that it can be a huge ego obstacle to overcome to acknowledge IQ differences and race. It has been said that humans have evolved their features to suit their respective physical surroundings, and we have no problem saying that skin tone is correlated to latitude, but what are the chances that our brains (one of the most important organs in the body) all evolved to be exactly the same?
  • Cameron 2018.11.10 14:34

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    Some environments involve food that is readily available on trees, while others require more advanced knowledge to hunt for food and to save food to survive harsh winters. Excuse the length. It's been good chatting with you.
  • Jun 2018.11.10 19:55

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    @Cameron I’d be wary when discussing the link between intelligence and race. From my understanding, one of the authors of The Bell Curve is associated with a political think tank. So it’s difficult to regard what research and findings that work may address as without any agenda. Some may argue that environment (cultural values, quality of education, infrastructure, wealth) plays a huge role in shaping intelligence and I’ve heard that average IQ scores have dramatically risen in areas over a relative brief amount of time due to improved infrastructure, nutrition, and opportunities. When you see Ashkenazic Jews or East Asians perform well on such tests, it should be noted that those cultures are said to place huge emphasis on education and discipline.
  • Jun 2018.11.10 19:55

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    @Cameron Also, and I can only provide an Asian’s perspective, the relative success of Asians in America can also be attributed to the influx of highly-educated immigrants with technical or scientific backgrounds in recent decades (this has been referred to as the ‘brain drain’). That’s an entirely different history compared to other minorities in America whose ancestors were indigenous or brought over as slaves and experienced policies that have stymied their success.
  • Jun 2018.11.10 19:57

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    @Cameron What IQ scores provide is essentially only a snapshot of performance in a given context. Suppose if a Hebrew from the 4th century BC (before the Bible was compiled) or a Yayoi person from the 3rd century BC (well before Japan was literate) took an IQ test, would their scores be approximate to the scores of their modern-day descendants? If race and intelligence were closely linked, it would be reasonable to conclude then that related ethnic groups might have similar IQ scores. But on a map showing global IQ scores, countries like Bhutan and Myanmar have scores lower than that of China and it can be said that the Bhutanese and the Burmese actually share closer ethnolinguistic ties to the Han Chinese than say Koreans and Japanese. So again, any differences in these IQ scores may very well be attributed to a variety of other factors than genetics.
  • Jun 2018.11.10 20:02

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    @Cameron It’s been an interesting discussion. Let’s close this thread for now.

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