Victims of "Microaggressions"

[bismarck]

...How can I be more interesting to a guy than someone with nice legs (in short pants/skirt), a nice bum and boobs?

Recently, at the Mogao caves outside Dunhuang I made a similar observation to my travelling companions. How is it that at a site with 1500 year old frescoes and statues made by some outrageously talented artisans, how is it that WE are what the locals are most excited to see?

Ha! Indeed! I can picture it now.

I had to involuntarily burp when I came to the "courteous" part. But then I regained my composure. Sure, when you write "foreigner" you mean white skinned humans who look like they come from America, right? If, then I agree with you. But the majority of foreigners are treated as servants by people and the country's law and, as observed many times, the politeness and courtesy of Taiwanese towards those shows often (not always) the hallmarks of a master-servant relationship.
I agree with you that many Taiwanese in many situations are nice to me (the white / blond human).

But I do think Taiwanese, in general, are nicer to foreigners than they are to fellow Taiwanese.

The politeness towards "us" is different, I would agree on that. Isn't this a little disturbing?

Man, you and your non-white foreigner deal. What's up with that?
Was at a 小北百貨 yesterday to buy a cooler box. There were five very dark Filipinos or Thais in the store and the staff were very accepting of them and chatting up a storm. Very friendly and "micro aggressive". Shit. I hardly got a "how do you do"?

[touduke]

Ginger Man - seems to me that you misread mike29 post and missed the point. He was not saying that his Chinese is amazing, he was talking about his experience, that people will use exaggerated term to applauded his Chinese, a form of micro-aggression, if you so will.

Bismarck, I hope you have noticed that there are 2 big groups of foreigners in Taiwan.
What is it with you and your anecdotal evidence?

there is no micro-aggression cause you just had a "normal" conversation with a Taiwanese.
there is no hardship for blue-collar workers cause you just saw some Filipinos having a chat with some Taiwanese.
smoking is not bad for your health, I know a old lady who smokes for 60 years.

[headhonchoII]

Confuzius - the "events" you listed have nothing to do with you being white - rather with somebody helping you. Is your point "people in Taiwan are more polite to me than to my Taiwanese friend"?

My point was microagressions against foreigners is pretty much a myth.

But I do think Taiwanese, in general, are nicer to foreigners than they are to fellow Taiwanese. They are more helpful, more polite and courteous. Maybe its a cultural hospitality ideal or perhaps just they are generally good people who want to help others. Being a foreigner, one is more often in need of assistance than a native is.

You mean to Westerners right? Because blue collar foreigners have almost no rights here.

[Deuce Dropper]

Confuzius - the "events" you listed have nothing to do with you being white - rather with somebody helping you. Is your point "people in Taiwan are more polite to me than to my Taiwanese friend"?

My point was microagressions against foreigners is pretty much a myth.

But I do think Taiwanese, in general, are nicer to foreigners than they are to fellow Taiwanese. They are more helpful, more polite and courteous. Maybe its a cultural hospitality ideal or perhaps just they are generally good people who want to help others. Being a foreigner, one is more often in need of assistance than a native is.

You mean to Westerners right? Because blue collar foreigners have almost no rights here.

Sadly you are right, but I think to be fair, TWnese are generally less friendly to Southeast Asians because they assume someone else is 'handling' them and they become a nuisance to others. They are often looked at with suspicion because it is assumed they should be somewhere doing something for someone else. Whitey on the other hand is someone who can mill about freely and to be fair, and someone they want to have a positive impression of this island when they leave it. Of course some people just don't have time for people from elsewhere, but you will find that anywhere, ironically in Taiwan I've experienced that the dislike is not as much from the 'Taike' set (though some thuggish elements won't hesitate to sort 'adogah' out, especially in smaller cities) but more from the educated local professors. Not sure what they teach here, but people with local PhDs seem to have a lot of preconceived notions about foreigners.

[bismarck]

Bismarck, I hope you have noticed that there are 2 big groups of foreigners in Taiwan.
What is it with you and your anecdotal evidence?

there is no micro-aggression cause you just had a "normal" conversation with a Taiwanese.
there is no hardship for blue-collar workers cause you just saw some Filipinos having a chat with some Taiwanese.
smoking is not bad for your health, I know a old lady who smokes for 60 years.

Evidence? Evidence of what? What are you on about??

And only "two" groups of foreigners? So you agree with the locals then? White in one corner and everyone else in another? I think you're being a bit microagressive.

[touduke]

Bismarck - I don't understand your post. Seems to me you have not read mine properly or we are just on a completely different wave length that we just can't comunicate. This is not the first time I have this feeling, so I think it is a genuinely tricky situation, Sorry I pass.

[Mick]

A while back the person who collects money in my local parking lot always would exchange a few words, perhaps a few here might consider a Microaggression. No wicked stares, or frowning on my part, I would patiently exchange a few words before having my ticket stamped.

Roll forward a couple of weeks, the guy has a set of dvd's, music and movies to give to me, and still on occasion will wave my parking fee. I'm still happy to smile and exchange a few words. Or call this type of behavior a Microaggression and upset him and yourself, up to you.

[touduke]

Sadly you are right, but I think to be fair, TWnese are generally less friendly to Southeast Asians because they assume someone else is 'handling' them and they become a nuisance to others. They are often looked at with suspicion because it is assumed they should be somewhere doing something for someone else.

I don't understand the "to be fair" bit. I can't imagine a more grotesque way of justifying or making excuses for someone for acting in a certain way than I find in this quote.

Roll forward a couple of weeks, the guy has a set of dvd's, music and movies to give to me, and still on occasion will wave my parking fee. I'm still happy to smile and exchange a few words. Or call this type of behavior a Microaggression and upset him and yourself, up to you.

who on earth would call this type of behavior "microaggression"?

look
A says "I don't like apples! They taste bad"
B to A "I can't understand why you don't like oranges - They taste well!"
A "huh?"

[Confuzius]

Confuzius - the "events" you listed have nothing to do with you being white - rather with somebody helping you. Is your point "people in Taiwan are more polite to me than to my Taiwanese friend"?

My point was microagressions against foreigners is pretty much a myth.

But I do think Taiwanese, in general, are nicer to foreigners than they are to fellow Taiwanese. They are more helpful, more polite and courteous. Maybe its a cultural hospitality ideal or perhaps just they are generally good people who want to help others. Being a foreigner, one is more often in need of assistance than a native is.

You mean to Westerners right? Because blue collar foreigners have almost no rights here.

Ya, just talkin 'bout whitey

[Petrichor]

who on earth would call this type of behavior "microaggression"?

look
A says "I don't like apples! They taste bad"
B to A "I can't understand why you don't like oranges - They taste well!"
A "huh?"

I think the difference between your take on your experience in Taiwan and others here is that others see the 'hello!' in the street and the gift of CDs as part and parcel of the same thing. Some special treatment for being a foreigner is more enjoyable than others, but you have to take the rough with the smooth and the smooth far outweighs the rough. You acknowledge whiteys get privileges but don't like it when the 'hello!' annoys you. Others accept the 'hello!' as mildly annoying but an extension of the gift of CDs. What's apples and oranges to you is just apples to me, and I think the people who disagree with you here.