Myths of racial stereotypes require breaking

This was an interesting situation. I would have just left him alone and let him smoke if he wanted. It is not my position to enforce the laws of the subway system. Instead, I would have called upon MRT authorities to enforce it.

It sounds like the most important "myth" is that there is another type of human being called "foreigner". You get good and bad people everywhere. The author was just unlucky enough to bump into one of the bad examples.

There's nothing wrong with speaking up when you see someone being unsociable or breaking the law, but you are quite likely to get the finger (or worse) if you do. Compare this anecdote with the more recent story of the foreigner who told a scooter driver his kid should be wearing a helmet.

I would have responded...."not only stupid but rude as well"...from the showing of the finger. I am a Chinese living in an English speaking country longer than I care to remember. I enjoy the friendships of both my Caucasian and Asian friends. One thing I do know for certain, racism is real, ugly and nasty and not a myth in all societies. Racism is also prevalent in Taiwan against your own kind. I was flying in Taiwan with a Caucasian colleague sitting next to me. The air stewardess smiled with my Caucasian colleague and handed him the newspaper even though he did not ask for it...I was completely ignored and received no smile and no newspaper. In her eyes at that moment, I was not an equal to my Caucasian colleague even though I was his superior at work........Get your students to discuss this situation....starting from the base of "don't expect others to respect you unless you yourself respect your own kind."

I don't think there is a "right" answer in this situation but your response seems very reasonable to me, if he was smoking. As a foreigner who has lived here for quite some time, I have never witnessed such behavior from a foreigner of any color. Of course the idea that a person's color would dictate their behavior is ignorant either on an individual or cultural level. That being said I just lived through a day of having smoke from burning ghost money flow into my house. Ah, but they were smiling when they did it...so polite!

Wow, have lived here for many years and it is amazing when a Foreigner does something wrong it’s a big deal, when a Local does something its a cultural misunderstanding. Please enforce the non-smoking rules in ALL establishments, of which Locals are the main offenders.

Bad behaviour is not racial, its just bad behaviour no matter where you are in the world. Stereotyping is a common problem in Taiwan, encouraging a Multi Cultural, Multi National environment will increase tolerance and move Taiwan forward for a mono cultural society, full of stereotyping myths.

Instead of saying "you can't smoke here" maybe it would of been better to say "excuse me, I hope you don't mind but maybe you don't know there is a rule here about smoking. If they catch you, you have to pay something like 100 million NT...(smile, smile laugh laugh)"

As a Taiwanese living in Western society overseas, there is a clear imbalance of tolerance shown to Caucasians in Taiwan compared to Taiwanese experiences in the West. Taiwanese in general welcome westerners, and are extremely polite to our guests. Taiwanese are generally respectful of foreign laws and cultures when overseas. The same is sadly not true of some westerners living/working in our country with superiority imperial complex.

I would do the same, respectfully inform guests to our country if they are about to break the law and report to authority if required.

First - I think the author showed courage to approach someone and talk to that person (who in this case was undoubtedly an idiot) about him/her breaking the law. People might think it is a small thing, but it is not easy in a real situation.
Then - perhaps it is true that "when a Foreigner does something wrong it’s a big deal". But that is probably because often when a foreigner (at least a white one) does "something wrong" here in Taiwan, he does it with an air of arrogance "I am white".
Taiwanese tend to "bend" (ok, break) the rules a lot, but this is the Taiwanese' home. Let's say, if I have a brother, who screws up. Then someone comes into my house and because he sees my brother screwing up he thinks he can screw up in my house too. Of course I will be angry with my brother, but what right has this visitor to screw up in my house?
What annoys me most about foreigners (also companies) - in Taiwan is if instead of bringing the nice things of their countries to Taiwan, they take advantage of the bad parts of Taiwan and start driving like sh.. , take advantage of Taiwanese workers etc., because it is more convenient to them (and I am not saying that all foreigners do that, fortunately there are many "nice" ones).

In the situation mentioned in the op-ed, it isn't a foreigner problem, it is a smoker problem. Smokers are so often insensitive to the rights of others around them, including places where they are not permitted to smoke. Taiwanese are as bad (or worse) than many foreigners in this regard. One of my neighbors (Taiwanese) used to smoke in the elevator to our building and didn't stop until our building manager told him to stop or he could be reported and fined.

If that white "foreigner" had waved the middle finger at someone in an American subway, he may have needed surgery to remove his hand from his rear end. That is unacceptable behavior everywhere!

I agree with all the comments here and would like to add my own. I have been working in Taiwan for the past 9 years and while I am not an Expat, I spend enough time there to consider it my second home. Also I am not Caucasian, I am African American. I must say that I have never been shown as much respect and gratitude as I get in Taiwan than I do in my own country. Everywhere I have been in Taiwan I have been shown respect and admiration, and I have worked from one side of the island to the other and even some of the outlying areas. No matter where I go in Taiwan I am grateful and thankful for the people who go out of their way to speak to me and do what they can to help me when I am lost. I respect the laws of Taiwan to the utmost and I feel it was not only rude but disrespectful for the "foreigner" to treat the author of this article the way he did. Not everyone who comes to Taiwan obey the laws of the land or is respectful to the locals but some of us are and I truly appreciate each and everyone I have already met in Taiwan who has been kind to me and those I have yet to meet.

Unfortunately, the stereotype that white colored people from Europe and North America are somehow superior to Africans, Latin Americans and even fellow Asians is not limited to Taiwan.

Sometimes I am amazed at how the words "foreign" and "foreigner" have come to represent only the white people.

I am not saying white people are bad. There are bad sheep in each community. However, what I am trying to emphasize is that an Asian rarely thinks of an African when he thinks about a "foreigner" and the same goes for the Africans and much of the Latin Americans.

Maybe he was waiting to smoke it and was just holding it in his mouth. You never stated that he held a lighter to the cigarette. Just ignore it. I am a white guy, lived in China for close to 10 years. I can tell you I have received all forms of racism while being there. Customs are different. Maybe he is just a rebel, or maybe he wasn't going to smoke it and felt like you were some stranger trying to tell him what to do. Also, your tone or grammar could have changed the way you came across. Also, remember, one thing I noticed in China, was that I represented ALL foreign whites. One day I stood up and gave my seat to an older lady who was a little embarrassed by the situation, I was surprised that the elderly had to grip the bars on the bus while all the youngsters fought greedily for a bus seat. One time while in N. China, I was in a city that only had water twice a day, each for an hour long and at a random time. So, one day I had to go shower in the shower house... I had to use their soap to wash. Next thing, I was in a restaurant and people were talking loudly about the foreigner and why I smell that way. They were saying that all foreigners smell that way because we drink cow’s milk. Another time, I and my Canadian friend were in a McDonald's line, and the usual of Chinese people pushing and shoving and reaching over people with no regards to a line nor how long anyone else had waited there. He had people shoving him and hanging on his back with their money held over his shoulder with the money in his face. He turned around and said "Pai Dui" (Stand in line...). Next thing, everyone was talking about how rude foreigners are. Yet in our culture, this is very rude- showing you have no care nor respect or regards to this person. Such things could just be a rude person, someone with different views or a "rebel", could be your communication or a whole bunch of different things. Give it a thought before making a whole discussion about the whole of western culture. ;) Just a thought.

That foreigner should be kicked out. He's an undesirable alien!

When the guy lights and pops his cigarette, then you should tell him “You cannot smoke here” in an appropriate way. The problem is he did not, just he wants to taste; no smoke or lighter present. To him, your act was a prejudice as he is already committed a violation. One thing I need to learn here is "Mind My Own Business."
Side comments:
Foreign companies: Taiwanese companies in China are also taking advantage of local Chinese workers. Like what Foxconn Terry Gou said: "They are animals."
Me and a Caucasian: I observed that many Asian people are rude (never say Thank You for newspaper given to them) and very untidy (they left newspaper everywhere).

Jane,

I'm a foreigner, and you were NOT mistaken to call him out about the cigarette. Either this guy was dumb or wanted to create a scene. It don't matter, he was wrong not matter what his intentions were.

Imagine opening a bottle of juice and placing it on your lip without taking a zip at the station. A security officer calls you out on it, but you argue that you did not drink from it. Would that excuse fly? I think not.

Someone mentioned earlier that this person might have had his finger amputated if it was in America, and they are right. If this person ran into me a few years ago, he would have had more then his finger repaired to be honest.

It is unfortunate whenever a foreigner does something wrong, than every foreigner is looked at with the same light. My fellow American expats and I are very aware of bad foreigners that come to create problems, and believe me, we had more then on a few occasions called them out and fixed the situation. Not all of us behave like the person you mentioned in your article. But thank you for bringing the topic up to clarify some things! And thank you for standing up for the rest of us (foreigners or locals) that obey the laws in public settings!

scartooth@,

I'm sorry to hear that you went through all that in China. One cannot make an excuse to behave in a disrespectful fashion because they were treated similarly by others in the past. There are shortcomings in every culture so I suggest that we should move beyond the negatives. I lived in Taiwan for over a decade, and this place has become my adopted country.

I'm a long term foreign resident in Taiwan. Most of my experiences with local people have been pleasant. One time I had a tea in my hand waiting for the MRT. I am not from Taipei and it was my first time on the MRT. This was years ago. A man came up to me to tell me I couldn't drink in the subway. Well, actually, he went totally crazy on me. I thought he was going to hit me with his umbrella.

Other than that, I have had little problem with local Taiwanese, who are polite and helpful.

Foreigners in Taiwan, on the other hand, especially from "white countries" are often rude, offensive and culturally insensitive. They seem to think Taiwan is somewhere they can just do whatever they want. Part of it is Taiwanese people's fault, imo. You're too nice all the time. Even the police. My advice is to treat a foreigner the same as a local. If they are breaking the law, ARREST THEM. Too often, police just let them walk because they don't want to deal with English or something.

Taiwanese people will and forever will stay self-loathing and put Caucasians on a pedestal. I assure you that this poor excuse of a human gets special treatment wherever this person goes in Taiwan.
...so why not continue getting special treatment and do whatever he/she wants to do?

'cos Taiwanese are too friendly and laid-back, the reason stems from the fact that they're too image-conscious, hence they don't want to "lose face", especially to the ones from Western Countries. That's the problem.

elchainsawdeash@,

Nice to know that a long term foreigner in Taiwan understands the issues at hand. I have, for many years, voiced my displeasure with the local police and friends for allowing foreigners the benefit of the doubt when they visit this country.

Like I said before, I'm sometimes embarrassed to witness some of the behavior fellow foreigners display while in Taiwan. Yes, some are often rude and arrogant. They think locals should always pamper them. Regrettably, many long term foreigners in Taiwan still behave in such ways. Some have even posted in blogs and websites how easy it is to take advantage of the locals here. Funny that some of these arrogant foreigners in Taiwan complain when they run into locals that do not yield to their attitudes. How can you blame the locals? That is why the rest of us foreigners living in Taiwan (ones that actually respect the people and culture) get the same treatment or are given the glaring/dirty look by people here.

This is may be a touchy subject that many long term foreigners living in Taiwan are not ready or have the courage to admit. However, it is a problem that must be discussed and fixed. Who is going to fix this problem? Only "us" the foreigners living in Taiwan. Why? It is for our best long term interest. There will be a point one day when many locals are going to get tired/fed-up from standing-by and watching non-locals behaving as if they own the place.

If any foreigner living in Taiwan is not happy with the people-culture-ways of doing things, then pack your bags and get the heck out. Don't spoil the peace and stability for the rest of us "foreigners" living here. Enough said.

The smoker in question is a gimp but if he is in his early 20s just remember he could just be a 'teenage' bad boy. But if we're going to talk about racism, the first thing is, it is very rude and racist to call someone a foreigner or 'wai-guo ren' just because they don't have yellow skin and black hair. You don't know that person, so don't pass judgment. My daughter is half white, half aboriginal but her complexion is white, just like me. It annoys the hell outta me when some Chinese people say 'Look at the cute foreign girl', she is not a foreign girl, she is a true Taiwanese, well half anyways. In fact she could walk around and say foreigner to 98% of people in Taiwan as they came from another country or at least their family did. Remember don't judge people by what they look like, stereotypes are for idiots and lazy people. You can make judgments on culture but don't assume everyone is the same.

Deliberate rudeness over breaking the law, and his obscene hand gesture are unforgivable in any country. Jane was being nice by helping him to avoid a fine and embarrassment. His behavior is consistent with that of a narcissistic egotistical sociopath. I am a white "foreigner" permanent resident who has happily lived here 34 years, married to a lovely local lady, speak fluent mandarin, am a PhD, and done serious martial arts for 43 years. My well educated and cultured wife routinely asks people not to smoke where they shouldn't, and so should everybody. Filthy rude scumbags like that are a horrible embarrassment to long time residents like me. Had I seen the incident myself, I would have supported Jane by chastising him and incapacitating him, reporting him to the police and standing by Jane's side in court as a witness while you sued him for his vulgarity and fined heavily, and then deported. Taiwan is the real Peng Lai Shien Tao-- a happy and wonderful place. We don't want people like him or those Makiyo types here.

I absolutely agree with you. I come to Taiwan since 1996 and the way tourists and also business people from Western countries behave is - as you write - sometimes very arrogant and rude. The problem is that it badly reflects on tourists from Western countries like me who try to integrate and to respect local customs (or if you want: to behave in a grown up / mature manner). I have been 11 times in the R.O.C. and never ever have I encountered so friendly locals. Therefore, I only can say: Zero tolerance for Western tourists as well. I come to Taiwan on holiday because it is clean, peaceful, and efficient. Also, I try to behave as an ambassador for my country (Switzerland) and I believe that I manage to do so. The only ones spoiling my experience are Western tourists with their Starbucks cup in Taipei Main Station MRT. Fortunately, there are much less Western tourists in Kaohsiung.

I think you'd have to take consideration of the situation and the pretext. Maybe the dude was just having a bad day and several people were already on his back so he took her gesture the wrong way. I think this is a question of human decency and not racism. Furthermore, taking an isolated event to determine the idiosyncrasies of a group of people (white male foreigners) is already telling me that your views on foreigners, in general, are somewhat left wanting. I think it's right of you to reevaluate your views of foreigners but I think it should be deeper and should be your reevaluation of all people. Two things to take away from this experience: 1 people are people wherever you may be or wherever you may come from and 2, smoking sucks and he should have taken that cigarette out of his mouth and threw it in the toilet where it belongs.

rockdesstar I couldn't agree with you more. But Gauthier74 you must live in a ghetto back in Switzerland if you think Taiwan is clean. That is one of the things I hate most about Taiwan, the fact that it is so polluted and dirty. In Tucheng, they have just re-made the Gold City Park next to the Tucheng MRT and less than 2 months after it was finished it looks like it did before the re-model, vandalised, littered and full of dog muck and butts. Makes me sick that people say I love Taiwan but don't look after their own country.