Not All Expats are Rich – Why ‘Good’ Stereotypes can also be Bad

Ok so I’m a white ‘expat’ – this much is true; and I live in a ‘premium’ part of town, so of course I must be rich, get to travel all over the world, can afford RM15 drinks at Starbucks and RM30 meal at Chilis, have a doorman and maid, and never lift a finger.  Life must be good for all expats, without exceptions.

After moving over here, it really hit me that ‘white people’ do have it good. Much of the rest of the world LOVES white people; loves their music, food and clothes; and generally (at least outwardly) thinks highly of white people, even if they harbour different internal views. They think all while people are smart, put white people in their advertising to show their product is ‘global’ and ‘cool’, and hire whites to take top positions in many local and national businesses.  For me, why wouldn’t I want people to think I’m rich, smart and successful? 

Does this stereotype mean that I deserve to be overcharged on everything from taxies to groceries at the night markets, and pretty much anything that has a subjective price (including restaurants and shopping)?

Newflash – this notion is a total farce! Not ALL white people/expats ‘have it all’. Some expats like myself work at normal Malaysian companies that pay normal Malaysian rates. My husband and I have to budget just like other Malays: going out of our way to choose cheaper options when shopping (which can entail traveling out of our area just to buy fruit and vegetables, cooking at home more than eating out, buying in bulk, and buying items only when they are on sale). And yes we live in a nice area, but our apartment is over 30 years old and we don’t have a car. (Yes, we are one of the few – very few- people in KL who actually walk and take transportation… I know mindboggling.) In fact I calculated it out and having a car will cost almost RM 1,000 per month (including car payment, gas, tolls and parking) – and this is for a Malaysian car – not an imported one. Not having a car is how we can afford to live in a nice area; it’s not because we are loaded.  

As a matter of fact, we haven’t eaten at Chilis or ordered a drink at Starbucks since we moved here – we can’t afford it.  We haven’t even shopped in a mall yes, not counting Carrefour (as it’s a discount grocery store). We even walk 25-30 minutes just to avoid the cab fare. So in sum, we can’t afford to be treated like expats – we just can’t. Please stop overcharging me just because I ‘talk like an American’ and have light skin.

The second thing that bothers me about this notion is that it saddens me to come to another country and see the ‘white-image’ being used to market products.  I mean just look at the example of an advertisement for a University I saw in the Masjid Jamek LRT station (on the left). Why does having a white person on the package or add connote quality, desirability, etc.?  I believe people should be proud of who they are, their cultures, traditions and values, and celebrate that through their products and adds.  If I’m Malaysian, why do I want to go to a college just because a white person goes there (at least that’s what the advertisement suggests) or use a toothpaste that a white person uses? I LOVE it when I see the real Malaysian culture being displayed – women wearing beautiful flowing baju kurungs and batik skirts, men wearing traditional sarangs.  Please Malaysia, don’t lose this – it’s so beautiful and something to cherish.

Anyway, I know I’m ranting a bit, but it’s just weird to be treated this way – I never expected it. I do acknowledge that it could be much worse, and know it’s better to have positive stereotypes than negative ones.  However, I hope that at least some people reading this realise that being ‘white’ isn’t everything.