Is there discrimination against minority teachers?

[knittynite]

I am an African American female interested in teaching abroad. My teaching experience is in Special Education. I have been teaching English for 10 years and I am ready for a major change in my life. I have been reading a lot of the blogs and I haven't seen anyone addressing this topic. I am also in an interracial marriage to a non-teaching spouse, who will be coming with me. He is working on his TEFL certification. We are hoping school administrators can look beyond my race and focus on my credentials. I am very open to living and teaching just about any where in the world for my first International teaching experience. So if anyone has had any experience with my question please respond. I am presently researching schools and countries that would be welcoming. Thank you!

[hiznherz]

I have experience in China and Japan and many people in these countries are terribly racist. I have a mixed race child and people haven't always been kind to her. It seems that parents have an "ideal teacher" in mind and that person is white. That said, there are great people at many schools who would be interested in a non-white teacher, but having a non-teaching spouse is likely to cause some problems. Good luck.

[JISAlum]

Having grown up in SE Asia with parents teaching at an Int'l school I saw ignorance on the part of local's. This was mainly based more on curiosity rather than discrimination. Individuals of African ethnicity were simply rare. Locals were curious. Sometimes they voiced typical stereotyped views that I think parroted popular media.

At the school, with nearly 50 different nationalities, all major faiths and all but one continent represented, I didn't see discrimination. It was only when I got back to the US did racism become part of my daily life.

[teach2010]

try south america. i think stereotypes are worse in asia. south america has many people of african decent and many biracial families. as most administrators are american, they have (most of the time) the american consciouness that having a diverse staff is a good thing. rascism does exist here but it depends on the country. peru, colombia and brazil has large populations of people of african decent. as with all international jobs, do your homework on the school and country first. special needs teachers are always in demand. most schools are not interested in a trailing spouse but if he gets his tofl certification that will help.

[MMMC]

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[isrlover]

Yes, there is big discrimination all over the world and especially in the Middle East.

If you can turn a blind eye to it, apply. If it's going to bother you, stay at home. Here in Kuwait people point literally at you when you are over weight, black or just look different from them. They also do not reprimand their kids if they do comment. They will even laugh right in your face.

Teachers have a lot to do except teaching subject matter in these countries. We need to teach tolerance.

[Opal]

If you are AA as opposed to African migrated and become a citizen of USA you may stand a chance of getting a job. I find in the American School in Muscat, whites educated in the West with passable qualifications stand a better chance of being recruited than non-whites with relevant qualifications.

[tribefinder]

Try Eastern Europe. I lived in Poland and Ukraine, and while they are fairly racist towards Asians (especially in Poland, not so much in Ukraine), they didn't seem to have a problem with African people. You may run in to some people who have never seen a black person, and they will likely stare, but they also stare at white people in sneakers or women who wear overalls. They likely won't say anything rude, and definitely wouldn't point or laugh. Most people in that part of the world go about their own business and won't take time out of their lives to bother you. That same quality can make it hard to make friends, but you'll meet people at school, and eventually the locals will warm up to you and be the some of the best friends you've ever had.