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Q: How White is White Enough?
I have dark brown hair (almost black), hazel eyes, olivey skin tone (Which means I look like I have a natural tan and I do tan easily) and curly hair. People say I look Italian, I have an American passport.
Can I get a English teaching job in China?
Will this have some affect on my life in China?
Would I benefit from dying my hair a lighter brown?
11 years 1 week ago in Teaching & Learning - China
I think I've written this on the board before but I was, honest to God, asked to interview and linguistically assess a native speaker who applied to my work because he "didn't look American." * Guy had a tan! (that I was dead jealous of, incidentally). They did decide to hire him, but only after he'd been 'checked out' by myself and the other FTs.
That casual prejudice drove us FTs mental, but no amount of explanation of the complex ethnic make-ups of English speaking countries - nor or explaining that not all white people even speak English - made the slightest difference. It was like talking to a wall.
Realistically, if your skin is darker than some imaginary cut-off point, some schools will be very wary that you're not a 'real' native speaker. I don't know exactly where that line is, but from the way you describe yourself, it sounds like you ought to be fine.
Oh, it's not so much about hair colour, it's about skin colour. I wish you the very best of luck in China.
* what exactly does an American look like? Anyone want to help me out?
Hulk:
Americans are all white, 450lbs, and have hair all over their bodies. Even their hair has hair on it.
Amonk:
Hulk I know that's a joke, but I am darn close to that criteria... :O
Hulk:
I knew there was something hairy going on with you, Amonk.
Wow, sorry for the late reply. I didn't even know someone replied to me here. Bad site is bad. :(
I think I've written this on the board before but I was, honest to God, asked to interview and linguistically assess a native speaker who applied to my work because he "didn't look American." * Guy had a tan! (that I was dead jealous of, incidentally). They did decide to hire him, but only after he'd been 'checked out' by myself and the other FTs.
That casual prejudice drove us FTs mental, but no amount of explanation of the complex ethnic make-ups of English speaking countries - nor or explaining that not all white people even speak English - made the slightest difference. It was like talking to a wall.
Realistically, if your skin is darker than some imaginary cut-off point, some schools will be very wary that you're not a 'real' native speaker. I don't know exactly where that line is, but from the way you describe yourself, it sounds like you ought to be fine.
Oh, it's not so much about hair colour, it's about skin colour. I wish you the very best of luck in China.
* what exactly does an American look like? Anyone want to help me out?
Hulk:
Americans are all white, 450lbs, and have hair all over their bodies. Even their hair has hair on it.
Amonk:
Hulk I know that's a joke, but I am darn close to that criteria... :O
Hulk:
I knew there was something hairy going on with you, Amonk.
Wow, sorry for the late reply. I didn't even know someone replied to me here. Bad site is bad. :(
I got accused of being an Asian once. MissA knows what I look like, and can readily attest that, while I look like a buffoon, I'm definitely not Asian. My former QQ avatar was of a well-known Chinese actor, and he thought it was me. Really brilliant, that one.
Our last teacher was very, very tanned. They didn't care. I think that outside the bigger cities, nobody really cares about it. I could be wrong, however...
With that said, yes, you can definitely get a job here. There are plenty of people desperate enough to forgo prejudice. Schools in the bigger cities can afford to be snotbags, but the smaller ones can't afford it.
MissA:
I don't think I've ever seen a less Asian looking guy in my life!
It would help if we saw a picture of you first. Based on what i picture you looking like though you shouldn't have any problems finding a teaching job.
Long as your an american citizen and a native english speaker you should be fine.... black people from America do tend to have a harder time finding teaching jobs though. As do asian americans.
t91camp:
Here, have an upvote. Apparently it hurt people's feelings, but what you said is accurate.
Believe it or not, a few Chinese people have actually told me I'm too white. Unrelated to the question, I guess, but apparently there is a limit! 
t91camp:
Predominantly scandinavian heritage with virtually no tanning in the last decade or so...I wonder which silly people didn't like this answer.
Would you really dye your hair for the gig? Whats next........ you going to start using whitening cream? You would be acting just like the racist buffoons who are at the core of the problem. Rely on your qualifications and demonstrate your abilities. If that's not enough then the job is beneath you anyway.
Don't be ridiculous. You're a native speaker of English, be yourself.
Should I avoid tanning during the summer? I am already becoming more brown.
To be considered 'really white' is easy when one has blonde hair, even with a tan. Then they feel secure in having a 'real white teacher person'. LOL.
White black green blue and in your case Brown it really doesn't matter in the end. If you can get your foot in the door of some language institution and the people like you, you won't have anything to worry about!
