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is it racism?

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  1. #1

    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Posts
    12

    is it racism?

    i just realized that people in HR seem to not want to hire ethnic minorities even those who can understand/speak cantonese. im talking about manual labour jobs... like dish washing, baggage handler...

    whenever i try to apply for a job through whatsapp or email, i type it in Chinese. Then the moment they ask for my name, i gave them my english name and they always never reply back or do the 'my colleague will call you back bs' i cant even get an interview for a dishwashing job guys, a job where literally do not need to open your mouth or even read.

    my first job was retail which actually requires you to speak in cantonese and i assume the reason i even got a job there is because its a foreign company and its a well known clothing brand internationally. But based on my experience applying for a job in local companies, seems like they dont want to hire non-chinese even if I could speak/understand.

    there was this dishwashing job ad that just got posted not long ago (1 hour ago) and i called and ask if i could apply (in english), they told me no. But few days ago when i try to apply through whatsapp (typed everything in chinese) they say 'will call you back' but this made me think the moment i told them my english name after they told me to 'call me back' they automatically didnt want me.

    i know there are ethnic minorities working in the airport, so i tried to apply for some low skilled jobs as airport trolly agent where u just collect trollys and organize them. I messaged their whatsapp in chinese, told them my name, they told me to meet at a specific place in the airport and gave me 2 numbers to call once i arrive and when i did call them, they pretend i called the wrong number, so i called the other number that was provided, same b*tch, same voice answered and i told her 'im here for job interview' this is (my name) and she told me 'no' I dont understand the logic behind this, why tell me to meet up and then tell me i dialed the wrong number, then tell me theres no job interview the 2nd i dialed the other number?

    born and raised here, never experienced descrimination because i basically look like a local. maybe if i show my pale asian skin they would let me 🙄

    shafiq, mokhi6, dipak128 and 1 others like this.

  2. #2

    Join Date
    May 2017
    Posts
    201

    This is Racism.


  3. #3

    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    658

    There is definitely some form of discrimination and racism based on what I read. As long as a person regardless of race can do the job, why not?

    I have to say you write really good English and that's some skill set you got there! Respect!

    shri, mokhi6, hin23leung and 4 others like this.

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    12,323

    Get a chinese name?


  5. #5

    If where I work were actually hiring now you could certainly try applying. I'm not sure, but you could try. Of our three senior consultants only one speaks Chinese, the other two speak Tagalog. Try writing to Gray Line Tours of HK. Ltd.

    markranson likes this.

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Posts
    12

    i doubt getting a chinese name will help me get a job but increase the chances of getting pointless interviews and they will find out im non-chinese the moment i give them my HKID in the interview. If they are going to discriminate, might as well do it in the earlier stages. Unlike that b*tch who wasted my time and money to 'meet up for an interview' then pretends i dialed the wrong number and the job interview never existed.

    Last edited by hiijxxn; 18-12-2019 at 08:55 PM.

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Posts
    6,452

    Try to apply for a job in a place catering to foreign clients. I would even say that there are almost exclusively ethnic minorities on those places. Something like https://www.maximalconcepts.com/careers

    hin23leung, shri and markranson like this.

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Posts
    1,239

    If I were you, I'd lodge complaints via email or phone to the HR dept of the company you were being called up for an interview with. It's no laughing matter.


    Apart from discrimination by race, colour and what-not, many employers seem to take it as their privilege to "exploit" (the) potential employees. Say for instance, I was called for an interview a few years ago. Let's not go through which and what. The thing is, I was made to wait for like ages and ages and ages. The interview was slated to take place at 11 a.m. but two and half hours later still there was no sign of an existence of the manager I was to meet up with. "He's in a meeting. Please wait" was the follow-up answer. The fuel of patience ran out, my ears were fuming with fire and I just walked away. The end.

    A day later, I received an email that it was inappropriate of me to walk out without notifying anyone. What I did in response remains clandestine.


    Don't let them walk over you.


    Sorry, I got emo. Haha. Good luck to you for your future endeavors.


  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by hiijxxn:
    i doubt getting a chinese name will help me get a job but increase the chances of getting pointless interviews and they will find out im non-chinese the moment i give them my HKID in the interview. If they are going to discriminate, might as well do it in the earlier stages. Unlike that b*tch who wasted my time and money to 'meet up for an interview' then pretends i dialed the wrong number and the job interview never existed.

    They're just jealous that you speak fluent English, better than they can and don't want to embarrass themselves verbally in front of you.
    shafiq and markranson like this.

  10. #10

    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Posts
    1,972

    Some locals feel intimidated by people who speak better English than them. That might be what's happening to you. And there is discrimination in certain aspects of HK life against those who are non local and also non Cantonese Chinese for the most part. It is overcome mostly by money or the peception that one might have a lot of money to spend. May I ask your ethnicity?


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