Are Southeast Asians discriminated against in Taiwan? Prejudice in life, housing, education, and the workplace

Many Southeast Asians have positive experiences living in Taiwan, encountering friendly people. However, some have heard uncomfortable remarks or faced differential treatment in schools, workplaces, when renting, or in daily life. These experiences don't necessarily happen every day, nor do they represent all Taiwanese people. But if you do encounter prejudice or discrimination, you don't need to blame yourself entirely. Some discrimination is direct, such as comments like "We don't rent to Southeast Asians," "No foreign workers," or "Are all your countries very poor?" Such remarks can easily be offensive and are relatively easy to identify. However, some situations are more subtle, such as: • Making jokes about nationality or skin color • Constantly imitating accents • Assuming all Southeast Asians are migrant workers • Doubting someone's ability to speak Mandarin based on their appearance • Being excluded during group activities at school • Being asked for a higher security deposit when looking for housing • Being assigned worse treatment at work without a reasonable explanation Sometimes, people might say, "I didn't mean any harm" or "It was just a joke." But if these words make you feel belittled, humiliated, or affect your opportunities for housing, work, study, and services, they deserve to be taken seriously. On the streets, in shops, on public transport, or in social media comments, Southeast Asians may encounter stereotypes. For example, being addressed disrespectfully, being assumed to be a caregiver or worker, or being asked questions with a sense of superiority. When encountering such situations, you don't necessarily have to argue every time. Depending on the immediate safety and your mood, you can choose to: • Leave directly • Briefly state, "What you said makes me uncomfortable." • Ask a friend or bystander for help • Save messages or record audio • If there's a physical threat, call the police immediately If you experience obvious differential treatment in a shop, service establishment, or public space, you can keep records of the transaction, conversations, time, location, and the establishment's name, and then inquire with the relevant authorities or call 1990 for available complaint channels. Rental discrimination is common. Many Southeast Asians encounter landlords who say, "Only renting to Taiwanese," "No foreigners," or "No Southeast Asians" when looking for housing. Landlords might worry about language barriers, lease duration, residence permits, or living habits. However, refusing solely based on nationality, race, skin color, or place of birth may constitute discrimination. When searching for housing, you can first confirm if the landlord is willing to rent to foreigners, if a formal lease agreement can be signed, and if a residence address registration is possible. If the landlord explicitly states discriminatory reasons, you can save screenshots of the rental advertisement and conversation records. Don't accept unreasonable conditions just because it's hard to find housing, such as not providing a contract, demanding a security deposit exceeding two months' rent, or asking for your passport or residence permit in original. Southeast Asian students may face issues at school that are not necessarily overt bullying, but rather long-term exclusion or labeling. For example: Classmates making jokes about nationality, skin color, or accent Being deliberately excluded during group work Teachers or classmates portraying Southeast Asian culture as backward Being assumed to have poor Mandarin, poor English, or lower academic ability Being excessively questioned about family background due to one's identity If it's just an occasional uncomfortable remark, you can first talk to a trusted teacher, advisor, the international affairs office, or the counseling center. If it has already affected your studies, group work, grades, or personal safety, you should save messages, group work records, witness information, and the timeline of events, and then formally report it to the school. For underage students, parents or guardians can also seek assistance from the school together. Discrimination in the workplace can occur in recruitment, salary, promotion, scheduling, work assignments, or daily treatment. For example: Providing inferior treatment solely based on nationality or ethnic background Offering different salaries for the same job without a reasonable explanation Using derogatory terms like "foreign worker" instead of names Preventing Southeast Asian employees from interacting with customers Mocking employees based on nationality or accent Creating difficulties due to pregnancy, marriage, or family care responsibilities If the issue involves salary, working hours, withholding documents, violence, work-related injuries, or sexual harassment, it should be handled through labor rights or sexual harassment channels, not just treated as general discrimination. Migrant workers can call 1955 first. Other workers can also inquire with their local labor authority about employment discrimination or labor dispute complaint procedures. When encountering discrimination, many people's first reaction is anger, sadness, or a desire to forget quickly. This is normal. However, if you might need to file a complaint later, it's best to save the evidence: • Conversation screenshots • Rental or job advertisements • Audio or video recordings • Transaction receipts • Work schedules or salary records • School group work, grade, or notification records • Date, time, location, and witnesses of the incident When recording, try to clearly state what the other person said and did, and what impact it had. Don't just write "They discriminated against me"; instead, document the specific situation. Different situations may require contacting different agencies: 1990 Hotline for Foreign Residents in Taiwan: If you don't know which agency to contact, you can inquire here first. 1955 Labor Consultation and Complaint Hotline: For migrant workers facing improper treatment, labor issues, or personal harm in the workplace. Local Labor Bureaus: For workplace discrimination, labor disputes, salary, and working hour issues. School advisors, international affairs offices, or counseling centers: For campus discrimination, bullying, or exclusion in group work. Police 110: For threats, violence, stalking, or immediate danger. Immigration Agency's Discrimination Complaint Channel: For rights violations due to nationality, race, skin color, class, place of birth, etc., you can file a complaint according to regulations. If you are unsure whether something constitutes discrimination, you can also call 1990 or 1955 to describe the situation and ask for guidance on the next steps. Southeast Asians' living experiences in Taiwan are not monolithic. Some encounter much kindness, while others are indeed hurt by prejudice. When facing discrimination, you don't necessarily have to file a complaint every time, nor do you always have to educate the other person. But at least you can know: uncomfortable feelings have reasons, and saving evidence and seeking help are reasonable choices. A friendly living environment doesn't just rely on the endurance of those who are discriminated against; it requires more people to understand which words, systems, and behaviors lead to exclusion.