Is There A Lot Of Racism Toward Children Of Mixed Ethnicities?

[Cerriowen]

In South Korea, there is a lot of racism toward children of mixed ethicities. 6 out of 10 elementary and middleschool kids say that they think mixed children aren't really Koreans. Mixed-marriage children are shunned, teased, bullied etc. Kids as young as 7 are being beaten up in the bathrooms by children of the same age.

That being said... I wanted to know if the situation is the same in Thailand.

I plan to have a child with my korean fiance, and I dont want to send our kid to public school here. I want to continue teaching ESL, but not here. Is Thailand a safe option for mixed race kids? Are they going to be shunned and teased there as well?

[submaniac]

In South Korea, there is a lot of racism toward children of mixed ethicities. 6 out of 10 elementary and middleschool kids say that they think mixed children aren't really Koreans. Mixed-marriage children are shunned, teased, bullied etc. Kids as young as 7 are being beaten up in the bathrooms by children of the same age.

That being said... I wanted to know if the situation is the same in Thailand.

I plan to have a child with my korean fiance, and I dont want to send our kid to public school here. I want to continue teaching ESL, but not here. Is Thailand a safe option for mixed race kids? Are they going to be shunned and teased there as well?

No. I doubt it. I am not mixed race, and did not go to Thai schools, but I know the general attitude of the Thais towards "Luk-Kreungs" (mixed race) and there is no taboo in it (afaik).

[thaihome]

Thailand is a very safe place for mixed kids and there is little racism against them (IMHO). But you might want to consider the fact you will probably not want to send your child to a public schools in Thailand and private schools can be expensive. An ESL teacher, unless better then averaged paid, would likely struggle to pay the fees.

TH

[Geekfreaklover]

Have a look at Thai TV, gossip magazines etc.

Certainly an advantage to be "half-blood" if that means your skin is whiter, you are taller and your nose more pointy.

We have two luk krung kids (both below 5 years) at school here and they fit in at school with no problems whatsoever.

I think it is a social advantage to be half thai / half caucasian in Thailand.

Edited January 29, 2009 by Geekfreaklover

[Moonrakers]

If anything children here of mixed race are likely to be favoured, I know that my daughter seems to attract alot of positive attention from Thai's.

Your child should be fine here.

[Xangsamhua]

No problem - not in my experience anyway. My mixed race (look kreung/look sord) children don't live here, but they have travelled here and worked here and have had no problem.

If there were a problem it might be that they are looked at as already privileged, especially if they speak English well. People may assume that they are better off than they really are. However, perhaps most of the time, they are in fact well placed.

Edited January 29, 2009 by Xangsamhua

[jubby]

There's perhaps a Thousand Thai Kids at the school my Kids go to. Probably another 2 Leuk Kreungs which makes 5.

At first they couldn't speak the language and the youngest would come home an say she was hit for no reason by one of the Kids.

This continued, she got braver and then she must have hit back because he stopped. This was just one Kid out of a Thousand. I also think it was just his way of showing affection ;-)

As for the rest of it, We'll they speak Thai and the Local Dialect now more than English and have best friends and I'm convinced they are happier in School than in the UK. Which probably has more bullies.

If anything they get special attention from the Teachers and Children.

They are very happy with their lot in life and there's never any tears before school or excuses for not going ;-)

Whenever I go to the school the Thai Kids are very friendly, like to practice their english although I'm not the best person for that, and above all are very polite.

Just our experience maybe different for others.

[GuestHouse]

During my last visit to Bangkok (October 2008) my wife and I where having dinner with friends at an 'up market' restaurant, the diners on other tables clearly wealthy middle to upper middle class Thais.

Our hosts, a mixed Thai English couple became aggitaed when theye picked up on the conversation on an ajacent table which had turned to what I can only describe as 'extremely offensive remarks' about mixed race children and their parents at a Private School in Bangkok (I shall not repeat these comments here in TV).

Not only where the comments offensive, but the people making the comments where clearly raising their voices to ensure that their comments where being heard by everyone in the restaurant.

Perhaps the wine was loosening toungues, but the opinions expressed where offensive they were by any measure racist (I would say racist filth), and they are presumably opionions that the people expressing them held before they came to the restaurant. (Comments spoken through too much wine, not sentiments arrising from too much wine).

This experience confirms to me that Racism towards mixed race children in Thailand does exist and that it is not limited to people of lower education/income.

Edited January 29, 2009 by GuestHouse

[Westerner]

I taught in bilingual schools here in Thailand for some time and observed that the Thai teachers showed more interest in full Thai children than in children of mixed race.

[qualtrough]

I am not sure what the point of Guesthouse's comment is as I don't think anyone here said that there is NO racism here. If I can sum up what has been written here so far it is that farang-thai luk krungs may even enjoy an advantage here. As the parents of two luk-krungs (ages 11 and 8) I can say that I cannot recall even one untoward incident here since they were born. I can recall numerous times in which they were singled out for praise, provided with special treatment, etc. & etc. They are among a handful of luk-krungs at a large school, and enjoy lots of friends and love the school. I have never been in a country where it would be better to be of mixed farang-thai background. I say farang-thai as we all know some other color combos are not as well received here. YMMV of course.

P.S. I expect any time now to be told that the term luk-krung is offensive or demeaning. Ditto for farang. Yawn...

[jubby]

you say "up market" restaurant , Guesthouse. Which most likely puts them in an upper class or even elite section of Society. I'd heard they can be a bit racist but so can any 'elite's in any society. Don't want to dilute the Bloodlines after all or mix with the Riff Raff. Our Schools in the North, predominently Lanna but a few Issan people also. And they are generally more than fine. This highlights yet again the huge divide between the people's here. probably not allowed to say that here though less it offends some sensitivities. ;-)

[MyphuketLife]

I think you will find it any where you go... If you move back to your home country they will be racist towards a mixed baby, the white kids won't think they are really white and the asian kids won't think your kid is really asian...

If you are moving to a country soley based on your kids schooling.... Schools in thailand are a JOKE, even the "international" ones... According to test scores your kid will get a far better education in Korea than he/she would in Thailand...

Rasist people are everywhere, including Thailand.... In fact many Thai's will see your family as a walking ATM machine, something you probably don't have to deal with in Korea...

[Loaded]

If the mum is a dark ex-bg, it will affect the way 'polite' society accepts them. The OPs children are white/Korean. I think they will be very popular here.

[wileycoyote]

Generally,good tolerance ,particularly in the North

[MidoriApple]

Racism to Mixed Ethnicities?

Around here nearby my home..None

but to Farangs...maybe..

[Huey]

Heck look at the TV and print adds. You can't get your face on any of that unless its ultra-white luk krung looking. So as for the look yeah its definetly liked. However the circumstances surrounding the parents will no doubt be called into question, and probably end up being one of the first topics of conversation.

If the kid's mom looks like a former prostitute and his dad is like 20 years older than his mom then ofcourse he will get teased. And even if he dosn't kids that wanna pick on him will say mean things like that anyway. But thats no reason not to bring up your kids here.

I intend too.

[BigSnake]

In a word Yes, however it is also true for the General pubic of mix race also. Just take a hard sense of awareness and you will see for yourself.

[Tyree D.]

In South Korea, there is a lot of racism toward children of mixed ethicities. 6 out of 10 elementary and middleschool kids say that they think mixed children aren't really Koreans. Mixed-marriage children are shunned, teased, bullied etc. Kids as young as 7 are being beaten up in the bathrooms by children of the same age.

That being said... I wanted to know if the situation is the same in Thailand.

I plan to have a child with my korean fiance, and I dont want to send our kid to public school here. I want to continue teaching ESL, but not here. Is Thailand a safe option for mixed race kids? Are they going to be shunned and teased there as well?

I'll read the rest of the thread first, but I'm in Korea and they don't think Koreans that grew up outside of Korea and speak little to none of the language (gyopos) are really Koreans! We even got a Korean teacher who grew up here until high school claiming to be a Canadian! Don't get it twisted. There are identity issues across the board.

edit--now I've read it. First, going from Korea to Thailand to teach ESL is a step backwards. Plus, it's not as respected. Also I know people that are ESL pros with ties to Thailand (like myself) but we are teaching and living somewhere else because of the money and working environment. I work with people that have a Thai wife and kid but they are here or Japan; one's wife is here and the other sends money every month and growls over the exchange rate. Somebody already mentioned the differences in test scores. And as a non-Thai, some places you will be worshiped and other places you will be treated like dirt.

Just have your kid and deal with whatever scrutiny will arise. ANYWHERE in the world it will be something.

Edited January 29, 2009 by Tyree D.

[dave9988]

I am a young guy and any of the times I have felt racism being thrown at me or felt that I was being unappreciated solely because of my skin color, has come from wealthy Thai males. I guess they felt like i was a threat to them. Their girl friends kept looking at me too much. its silly, but i think Thais have a class based mentality installed in their minds, so a poor Thai male would be less angry at me for having his girl friend and her friends constantly looking in my direction. essentially, some wealthy Thais may feel threatened or jealous of the perceived wealth and status of farang. Thus, it makes sense that wealthy and educated Thais would be more likely to make these negative type of comments towards farang as opposed to poor uneducated Thais.

I would imagine that the teasing would get worse (in regards to having a father much older than the mother) towards teenage years where the children become more knowledgeable of sex and the social norms of farang.

[The Philosopher]

Have a look at Thai TV, gossip magazines etc.

Certainly an advantage to be "half-blood" if that means your skin is whiter, you are taller and your nose more pointy.

We have two luk krung kids (both below 5 years) at school here and they fit in at school with no problems whatsoever.

I think it is a social advantage to be half thai / half caucasian in Thailand.

Totally agree my 11 year old son is a bit of a celeb in Thailand, a big part of the taboo in Korea comes from the war when a lot of GI's left mixed kids behind.

Edited January 29, 2009 by The Philosopher

[Cerriowen]

Thanks all for your input!

I am aware that anywhere you go, anywhere in the world, people will be racist against other people, regardless of their ethnicity.

I'm not that worried about my kids test scores (at least not at this point). I'm confident in my, and my husbands abilities to fill in the blanks in their education.

I also know that children will be teased, no matter who they are or what they look like, at some point. I just want to go somewhere that they havent got a huge pre-painted target on their foreheads.

Much appreciated. I will take that in to consideration!!!

[jubby]

You'll find racism anywhere . A lot depends on how sensitive you are also. I had a good friend back in the UK who was from afro-carribean desent but was more English than me in my opinion. He also had a wife of Anglo-Saxon desent. He would get very touchy and wouldn't let his guard down and has on several occasions accused me of being racist. Which I believe I'm certainly not. I do have a few issues with some ideologies but thats not a race thing in my book. I would always play my trump card by stating I was in a mixed race relationship Just like him. There's obviously more than a bit of racism towards Farangs here but I don't see a lot of it because I'm not too sensitive about the Issue, not very PC myself and I like diversity in everything including race.

I am however very sensitive when it comes to my children and I can honestly tell you I've seen nothing here to be alarmed about.

If my wife was to hear a conversation like Guesthouse described in the restaurant , she would definately let me know , thats after she had ripped them apart verbally and the dust had settled.

Korea sounds like a nightmare though if what you say is true , a bit like the states or UK a few generations back.

I'm optimistic race will become less and less of an Issue in future generations.

Now whats the topic about again ? ;-)

[onnut]

my 10 month old son is a hit with everyone on the street, we cant get a moments peace. there are two Jap/Thai babies and not many people really seem to be bothered about them. I can imagine my boy will meet some racist kids at school but should think he will be big enough to handle any problems.

[F1fanatic]

You'll find racism anywhere . A lot depends on how sensitive you are also. I had a good friend back in the UK who was from afro-carribean desent but was more English than me in my opinion. He also had a wife of Anglo-Saxon desent. He would get very touchy and wouldn't let his guard down and has on several occasions accused me of being racist. Which I believe I'm certainly not. I do have a few issues with some ideologies but thats not a race thing in my book. I would always play my trump card by stating I was in a mixed race relationship Just like him. There's obviously more than a bit of racism towards Farangs here but I don't see a lot of it because I'm not too sensitive about the Issue, not very PC myself and I like diversity in everything including race.

I am however very sensitive when it comes to my children and I can honestly tell you I've seen nothing here to be alarmed about.

If my wife was to hear a conversation like Guesthouse described in the restaurant , she would definately let me know , thats after she had ripped them apart verbally and the dust had settled.

Korea sounds like a nightmare though if what you say is true , a bit like the states or UK a few generations back.

I'm optimistic race will become less and less of an Issue in future generations.

Now whats the topic about again ? ;-)

It depends on whether your wife is genuinely from the top echelons of Thai society. Thais are v sensitive to their position in society and would say nothing to somebody they considered to be 'above' them. SHE would 'lose face', not them.

The conversation Guesthouse overheard doesn't suprise me in the slightest. Top class Thai women don't need to marry farang - and, with the odd exception, don't!

[futureexpat]

I say farang-thai as we all know some other color combos are not as well received here. YMMV of course.

From this context, I believe you mean farang-Thai as in Caucasian-Thai? Just wondering because I know a lot of Westerners of various backgrounds and colors who are still referred to as farang.

[PattayaParent]

I am a young guy and any of the times I have felt racism being thrown at me or felt that I was being unappreciated solely because of my skin color, has come from wealthy Thai males. I guess they felt like i was a threat to them. Their girl friends kept looking at me too much. its silly, but i think Thais have a class based mentality installed in their minds, so a poor Thai male would be less angry at me for having his girl friend and her friends constantly looking in my direction. essentially, some wealthy Thais may feel threatened or jealous of the perceived wealth and status of farang. Thus, it makes sense that wealthy and educated Thais would be more likely to make these negative type of comments towards farang as opposed to poor uneducated Thais.

I would imagine that the teasing would get worse (in regards to having a father much older than the mother) towards teenage years where the children become more knowledgeable of sex and the social norms of farang.

Quite the opposite I would have thought.

A wealthy Thai would have more money and status than a Farang so you would not be a threat to steal his girlfriend away, whereas a poor Thai would see you more of a threat as you DO have greater wealth and status than him.

[PattayaParent]

Thanks all for your input!

I am aware that anywhere you go, anywhere in the world, people will be racist against other people, regardless of their ethnicity.

I'm not that worried about my kids test scores (at least not at this point). I'm confident in my, and my husbands abilities to fill in the blanks in their education.

I also know that children will be teased, no matter who they are or what they look like, at some point. I just want to go somewhere that they havent got a huge pre-painted target on their foreheads.

Much appreciated. I will take that in to consideration!!!

Also be aware that if you DO leave Korea and then return there at some point in the future there is NO WAY that your kid will fit in with the Korean schooling / culture system and the 'racism' will be worse than if he's been brought up in the Korean system.

[jubby]

It depends on whether your wife is genuinely from the top echelons of Thai society. Thais are v sensitive to their position in society and would say nothing to somebody they considered to be 'above' them. SHE would 'lose face', not them.

She's not genuinely from the top echelons of Thai Society!. We spent 10 years together in Yorkshire , England. A place not known for its airs and graces and Kow Tow rituals. I once bumped into an old friend (A true English Gentleman about 70 years of age). I was with the wife , a couple of Kids and the wifes thai neice , mid teens. We went to a nice restaraunt and two 'higher class' middle aged Thai couples at the next table got the wrong end of the stick, thinking my old friend was with the neice so to speak. The Guys were fine but the ladies raised there voices so they could be heard with there derogatory remarks; the neice went red and sheepish and sank under the Table almost then my wife silenced them with a snarl and maybe a bit of sarcasm. I don't know exactly what she said but when I next looked around they had left.

The Wife Lost no Face ! I drank another Beer ;-)

[Heng]

The local brand of racism is less overt than what passes as racism in many other countries. I have plenty of luk krung friends and they all face employment glass ceilings, with exception perhaps in the meat grinder entertainment industry (which let's not forget only has a few thousand job openings in an economy of tens of millions of jobs). My advice is to stack the odds as much as you can in their favor: education wise and if possible in terms of financial assets. Being a poor luk krung here can very well be a worse fate than being a poor 'full' Thai.

[dave9988]

Have a look at Thai TV, gossip magazines etc.

Certainly an advantage to be "half-blood" if that means your skin is whiter, you are taller and your nose more pointy.

We have two luk krung kids (both below 5 years) at school here and they fit in at school with no problems whatsoever.

I think it is a social advantage to be half thai / half caucasian in Thailand.

Totally agree my 11 year old son is a bit of a celeb in Thailand, a big part of the taboo in Korea comes from the war when a lot of GI's left mixed kids behind.

you mean like in Thailand?