Advantages of being an ABC in taiwan

[ksidnas]

The trick to being successful as an ABC in Taiwan is to stop competing as a foreigner, because Taiwanese people will never fully accept you as a foreigner and will just see you as a fake. Instead, market yourself as a Taiwanese person with Western abilities just as good as a foreigner's. That's how you become the "best of both worlds".

I'm not saying I agree with this; I'm just explaining how it is.

It has been 3 years since I've moved back to Taiwan. I've always had a hard time with the people, culture, and the working environment. Upon reading your post, I have had one of those "AHA!" moments. I guess I finally get it. Thanks Amasashi.

[ztephen]

Why are people mentioning conscription? When I mean ABC, I mean American Born Chinese. So unless he renounced his U.S. citizenship, he doesn't have an ROC passport. Unless there's some strange conscription law where anyone with slanted eyes gets drafted just as long as they live on the island, conscription shouldn't be a concern to 99.9% of ABCs. So one of the advantages of being an ABC is that you can be an ethnically Taiwanese male and not have to serve in the military.

Unless you guys are mentioning the "fake-ABCs," which I find quite disgusting and I wonder who would be dumb enough to fall for that sham. Having met a few fake ABCs last summer, in tw, I guessed there would be some sort of noticeable advantage at at least in the English teaching world and nightclubs.

[ceevee369]

for Amasashi

I just need to copy/paste the above and show my highly qualified ABC colleague who has trouble fitting in after coming back from the US.
As a white foreigner with increased assimilation as married to a local, I stand perplex when my ABC colleague asking me if I always understand what our TW colleagues mean/ want " as they seem so indirect"

There must be many more disadvantages and the above post that " some positions are only for ABC"s should need further elaboration as answers. I could use it for my work as research.

[tommy525]

ABC = yellow on the outside, white on the inside. Lot of truth there to that old saw.

[tomthorne]

ABC = yellow on the outside, white on the inside. Lot of truth there to that old saw.

That's racist

[tommy525]

ABC = yellow on the outside, white on the inside. Lot of truth there to that old saw.

That's racist

Its not racist its what a lot of ABC say bout themselves. That they are bananas. yellow on the outside but inside white. They look Asian but they are really just Americans. SO on the outside they look yellow (han) but inside they are just regular Americans.

So they get a treatment that is not entirely equal to being white in Taiwan. But they get advantages too.

I was discussing with a white American good bud of mine last night. Hes had an Asian (actually abc) lady friend for nearly 30 years. And he was saying that he felt that chinese do not ever really accept you unless you are chinese. And I was saying thats probably true. But being half chinese (taiwanese) myself, im accepted into the "inner circle" so to speak. So one almost has to be at least half chinese to be accepted totally. So ABC get this acceptance. But on the other hand some get passed over for white people if they want to teach english and the school wants a lot of white people around. When many aBC speak better english then the average white person even.

[tomthorne]

ABC = yellow on the outside, white on the inside. Lot of truth there to that old saw.

That's racist

Its not racist its what a lot of ABC say bout themselves. That they are bananas. yellow on the outside but inside white. They look Asian but they are really just Americans. SO on the outside they look yellow (han) but inside they are just regular Americans.

I was taking the piss, tommy. It's technically incorrect, anyway. Varying shades from white to brown, with a predominance of beige, is how I'd describe ABCs. Can't say I've ever seen a yellow one, unless they are suffering from liver failure or diabetes from sitting in front of their computers too long grazing on junk food.

[Taiwan Luthiers]

Well being an ABC in Taiwan (the definition varies, in the US its any Chinese born in the US but in Taiwan this term also applies to anyone who spent most of their childhood abroad so acts different from locals) does have some advantage, like not being ripped off for being white, being able to haggle with market stands, etc. but the flip side is some "ABC" might not like it here...

However there seem to be a mass immigration of ABC's lately... for some reason they are leaving America in droves. The advantage there is that usually there are little to no immigration issue except for military conscription. One of my customer is an ABC and or some reason he wants Taiwanese citizenship even though he doesn't really need one.

[tomthorne]

However there seem to be a mass immigration of ABC's lately... for some reason they are leaving America in droves.

They aren't alone. Foreigners here are multiplying like lemmings. I'm hoping to not follow them over the ledge.

[Taiwan Luthiers]

However there seem to be a mass immigration of ABC's lately... for some reason they are leaving America in droves.

They aren't alone. Foreigners here are multiplying like lemmings. I'm hoping to not follow them over the ledge.

I've noticed that too, maybe not as many foreigners in Taiwan compared to say HK, Thailand, or China but I definitely notice a sharp increase from 2008 and onward. Before then seeing a foreigner is a sight and now there are so many that I don't even hear kids scream "waiguoren!" anymore. Might have to do with the financial crash... probably people are starting to have this "Asian dream" thing...