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  • Hey, I'm Jasmine

  • and I'm a civil engineer

  • that's about it

  • I'm Daisy

  • I'm an English teacher

  • I'm into music and art

  • and I'll be 26 this year

  • I'm Pinti Zheng (Zheng Qingxin)

  • I study architecture at Shih Chien University

  • and I graduate soon

  • I'm 24

  • The stereotypical Xicanmei

  • Would be someone who wears sexy clothing in bars

  • They wear high heels

  • and they'll try to dance with foreign men

  • They like foreign men and will approach them themselves

  • Most people assume the guy will take the girl home

  • and the girl will have a good time, with a new guy every night

  • That's what most people think of Xicanmei

  • But, of course, that's not what it's really like

  • When people say 'Xicanmei', it's the type of girl

  • They see foreigners and stick to them like glue

  • No matter if they know you or not, they'll stick close

  • Do I think I'm a Xicanmei?

  • Of course I don't

  • Does anyone think I'm a Xicanmei?

  • No

  • If anyone's said that about me I guess I wouldn't know

  • but I think

  • If an Asian girl, a Taiwanese girl, has a foreign boyfriend

  • Taiwanese people, especially guys, will say she's a Xicanmei

  • When I was 19 or 20 I had a group of friends

  • Everyone would joke that I "travelled the world"

  • They wouldn't call me a Xicanmei though

  • because I don't look like a typical Xicanmei

  • I've dated a white person before

  • But I didn't think of him as ;white: or any particular type of person

  • I think cultural issues are a lot more important

  • the way people think

  • Of course, you can't make generalizations

  • but foreigners tend to be more open-minded, more liberal

  • Yes, I've dated a foreigner before

  • What kind of questions are these?

  • Everybody...women all have different personalities

  • like if I really like eggs

  • If I see an egg I'll eat it

  • That's perfectly normal

  • Some people really like foreigners

  • They think foreigners are very exotic

  • So they'll be easily attracted to foreigners

  • But that's not the same as exclusively liking foreigners

  • It's just something that they particularly like

  • like how guys like girls with big breasts

  • Lots of people will

  • For example, if a Xicanmei sees a Russian guy in a bar

  • They probably don't know much about Russian culture or Russian people

  • They'll just think - he's a foreigner

  • Because Taiwan's status is somewhat awkward in terms of global politics

  • So people will say stuff like "London's pretty" or "the French are so romantic"

  • In fact they just project stereotypes on people from these countries

  • So... for example if I'd never been to France

  • And I see a Frenchman

  • I might think: "Oh! He's French, he must be romantic"

  • That's what Xicanmei think

  • The space left for your imagination is bigger

  • If it's a Taiwanese guy on the other hand

  • And he lives in Wanhua, or better Ximending

  • if he lives in an alley in Ximending

  • I can imagine the way he grew up

  • I've probably even passed by his house several times

  • The closer you are, the less space for imagination there is

  • If it's a foreigner you'll think "I've never been to France"

  • So I can imagine a wonderful life for him in France

  • But maybe he's really ordinary and just grew up next to some dreary fishing port

  • I think it's to do with people's imagination

  • Xicanmei are not people who

  • fall in love with a particular foreigner

  • Society is liberal enough these days

  • So maybe she'll do it just to say "I slept with a foreigner last night"

  • As if it's some sort of achievement in life

  • It's mostly just for bragging rights

  • I think Taiwan is very welcoming to foreign cultures

  • I think that this is a good thing

  • But if the limits on immigration are loosened too much

  • If lots of foreigners wanted to come to Taiwan

  • I'd worry that our own Taiwanese culture would be invaded

  • Or other problems like that

  • Maybe there would be more and more Xicanmei

  • and then Taiwanese men would be left without girlfriends

  • These kinds of problems

  • I think it's bad to view everything in this light

  • Why?

  • With this type of couple, people will think the girl is a Xicanmei

  • Why? Just because she's Taiwanese

  • Then suppose it's an American guy

  • Then between the countries

  • People will think America's powerful and Taiwan's just a small island country

  • whose economy is going down the tubes

  • You could stretch this to say that Taiwan is weak in international terms

  • and they think this is the reason Taiwanese girls stick to foreigners

  • I think this is

  • It's pathetic, that Taiwanese see themselves in this way

  • I think it's to do with education

  • Our education tells us that foreign things are all great

  • Like, that red wine is great, better than rice wine or sorghum wine (kaoliang)

  • And you have to speak English, to be "International"

  • You have to be "International"

  • All the big stars are foreigners too

  • So we think of foreigners as special

  • And if you can fly to America on holiday, it looks good

  • Or if you have a boyfriend in Germany it looks good too

  • That kind of thing, seems interesting and cool

  • Actually I think this phenomenon is changing

  • Although I think it will be a good few years before it disappears completely

  • Subtitles by Conor Stuart

Hey, I'm Jasmine

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