by Dr. Greg » Thu Dec 10, 2009 5:44 pm
It all depends on the physical characteristics of the person in question. Assuming he was, for example, born to a Chinese mother and a father of European descent, he would be regarded as a "regular foreigner" if he appeared to be white and as neither a "real" foreigner nor Chinese if he was perceived as primarily Asian.
Chinese-American teachers, for example, face a great deal of discrimination by private language schools (in particular) because the owners fear (realistically so) that the parents will complain they are not getting a "real foreigner." Despite the fact that he or she is a native speaker and may be very well educated, seeking employment in China as a foreign English teacher will be a prolonged and frustrating ordeal.