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Letter:

Stop demoninzing foreigners

Once again, the local Chinese-language media (in particular, ETTV and the China Times) is demonizing foreigners as "corruptors of local virgins." One case in point: The allegations of "Miss A" against a Paraguayan official, given a clean bill of health by Taiwan, but who she alleges infected her and three others with an STD. Who can know what really happened here? What we do know is that the official will be sent home promptly.

If you thought the news coverage would end there, you'd better think again. ETTV's evening news followed this report by conducting "surveys" of foreigners in pubs -- who looked like they may have had a drink or two -- about why they like Taiwanese women. The answers which are shown are used to support the claim that foreigners are indeed "blue-eyed devils." The reporter even refers to foreigners using the Taiwanese term "big nose" (阿兜仔), as if this were acceptable, especially while simultaneously giving them blanket condemnation.

In the same story, local celebrity Ku Ling (苦苓) does his best to give the apparent slant of the news story even more weight by saying that "most" foreigners in Taiwan (excluding business people and those in foreign affairs) are "poor" and could hardly be considered "successful" in their own countries. Of all the nerve! This coming from a writer who advises other people how to live their lives but whose own marriage ended up in divorce. Pshaw!

In an Aug. 16 article in the family section of the China Times called, "Are you a foreigner's cookie?" (妳是外國人的cookie 嗎？), the author implies that Taiwanese women should avoid foreign men because they will "eat them up." This kind of poorly researched and heavily biased reporting makes an already difficult situation even worse. Imagine how Taiwanese parents who disapprove of their daughters' relationships will use these reports to further buttress their positions.

Less than two months ago, reports in the Taipei Times criticized PTV for their coverage of a rave party in Taipei's Huashan Arts District and their portrayal of foreigners ("Ecstasy story a tale of media negligence" and "Huashan's Heart of Darkness," June 27, pages 8 and 16), but it's happening again. Those printing or broadcasting this kind of nonsense must be taken to task once again for this kind of irresponsible and harmful reporting.

Andrew Hokanson

Taichung
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