Black or white, that's a question

The topic was as a result of a message this morning.

Here is the message.

"I just keep reading the same advertisements every day from the same people using different email addresses on the eslteachersboard stuff and so many other sites. I wonder why you guys cannot get teachers when I know there are millions of people out there writing to you seeking teaching positions.

"Do you have some kind of racial discrimination. Because I think if you cannot find white guys to do the job for you , you'd better get the blacks to
teach your kids. After all, most black guys are even more qualified than some of us who come out there just to have fun with Chinese people. No qualification some times, maybe running away from stress back home ...

"English is spoken differetly in different parts of the world. If you don't believe me, then go have a chat with someone from North America, and take someone from the south as well. Move to England and then to Australia, and down to New Zealand and back to Ireland then you'll know what

I mean. They all have different accents but they speak english.

"So, no need discriminating against some well trained black folks cos you feel a white face is better. I don't think the Children are scared to dead when the meet a black face. Go to shenzhen and see what's happening. A black guy makes it big time. The kids love him soo much and they don't think a white guy would have been better so they prefer the black face guy who makes them laugh and happy all the time.
You better think about that or very soon you'll have to go give birth to white guys to employ."

I am not a racist and I am firmly against racism in any form. And my company doesn't necessarily endorse the policies of the clients we work for.

But as a recruiter, I have to follow the hiring policies of the clients and give them what they want as long as it is not illegal or bluntly unethical. It is sometimes difficult to make a moral judgment when there are several choices to make. Black or white or yellow? That is an old question.

I have tried my best to discuss this issue with my clients and persuaded them not to judge people by faces. You know how much Chinese people care about FACE and how difficult it is to tell them to forget about the FACE! Sometimes it works. In most cases, they just don't bother to listen. In some cases, they are annoyed when they realize that they are doing something not right.

I don't think that black guys are less qualified than white people. And I don't think that the "stupid" and "racist" administrators think so, either. I think a major reason behind the bizzare phenomenon is that foreign teachers are oftentimes selcted for "show" instead of teaching. I heard again and again, "I am ok with black people or Asians, but the parents won't accpet them. Mei Ban Fa." And in most cases, seriously, foreign tachers
are supposed to act, not teach, in the school. They are escorted to various important occasions for show. "Hi, we have a Mei Guo Ren (American)" or "we have a Ying Guo Ren (British)". It's like saying that they bought an American car or some other imported luxury. So why do people care so much about the "inner" qualifications of the teachers? When we watch the "silent" movies in the early times, a face is no doubt more important than the language skills. Sadly, as a result, even the good actors were remembered for their faces, not their skills.

And let's not forget that China is a developing country and many different voices still wait to be heard.

Jeff Lee
Consultant of Beijing Wellgo Consulting Services, a professional placement company based in China
bjwellgo8@yahoo.com.cn