American Privilege in Taiwan

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Lily Hsin, American Privilege in Taiwan: I lied to my Taiwanese students and told them I didn’t speak Chinese. Here’s how it backfired. Salon.com, Dec 31, 2015
Because I was Taiwanese American, my students were shy, distant. Revealing I spoke Chinese made all the difference
http://www.salon.com/2015/12/31/ ... s_how_it_backfired/

Quote:

"As a Taiwanese-American, American privilege is a strange thing in Taiwan. After all these years of traveling to Taiwan, I realize that I’m treated differently, not out of spite, but out of cautious admiration for the perceived privileges that come with being an American.

"I realize that the locals attempt to cater to my American side. But that means the shop owner down the street won’t talk about burning issues like Taiwan and China’s contentious relationship, because he says, 'You won’t understand. You don’t have this problem in America.'