Expat work needs more than just foreign faces

• Source: Global Times
• [21:16 January 25 2010]
• Comments

Illustration: Liu Ru

By Eric Fish

Every December now I start lining up my excuses early. Inevitably I'll be invited to a barrage of competing Christmas parties, on the understanding that I give some kind of performance.

After my last Chinese Christmas party ended with me singing an off-key rendition of "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer" between performances by a group of professional break-dancers and a well-choreographed opera troupe, I realized I wasn't being scouted for these events because of my talent.

For most Chinese, I am a stereotypical foreigner: White skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes. I didn't do anything to earn these features, but nevertheless, together they ensure that as long as I'm in China, I'll never be starved for money or attention.

China has come a long way since the prime days of Dashan, when a pale-faced Canadian needed to do little more than learn Putonghua in order to achieve national fame. However, the days of throwing foreigners into the spotlight and using them to gain face are far from over.

Though foreigners have been pouring into China at an accelerating pace for the past few decades, they are still outnumbered by native Chinese roughly 3,400 to 1. While the novelty factor undeniably contributes to the attraction of foreigners, this alone cannot explain why the Chinese adoration of them still persists.

Perhaps Hollywood movies glorifying Western heroes play their part. Or maybe it's the long-held stereotype that all foreigners are rich and successful. Whatever the reason may be, it is a phenomenon that puts ordinary people in extraordinary positions and often uncomfortable situations.

Nearly everyone in China who fits the bill of "looking foreign" will probably be used at some point (often unwittingly) to generate attention or status for others.

For many common expat jobs, being seen and used for face-giving purposes is almost an integral part of a foreigner's job description. Expats in China often recount being taken by their company to events, banquets, or meetings for the sole purpose of silently sitting and looking foreign. This alone raises the profile of the company.