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Since living in Taiwan I’ve noticed very few Taiwanese guys with western girlfriends or wives. But there is no shortage of western guys with Taiwanese girlfriends or wives. Why the disparity?
I’ve been curious about this and have probed my Taiwanese friends from day one. Recently I decided to take it a step further and pose the question to Taiwanese men in one of the country’s largest online forums.
The guys’ responses were interesting, and of course only represent a sample of the attitudes about dating western women. The following is a summary of what they reported:
- Age- Many guys report that western women look much older than their actual age and are therefore not very attractive as mates. One guy said, “A sixteen year old girl looks 26. At 26 she will look 36!” Additionally, they say western women don’t age well.
- Skin- Numerous guys say that western women have bad skin. Tanning, freckles, scars and blemishes are all considered unattractive and rank high on the list of reasons they don’t date western women. “I knew a lot of foreign exchange students and they all had terrible skin,” one guy remarked.
- Preference for Asian women- Many simply state they prefer dating East Asian women.
- Height- Some guys mentioned that western women are too tall.
- Language Barrier- They say this makes dating western women difficult.
- Not Dedicated- This was mentioned several times but I’m not sure exactly what it means.
- Lack of Western Women- Some say that they infrequently encounter western women living in Taiwan so it’s hard to meet them. They tend to stick together and socialize only with other expats.
- Cultural- Some guys feel the cultural differences are too great, and would be a problem especially after marriage. The biggest concern is the relationship between his mother and wife.
- Shyness- A number of Taiwanese guys admit their shyness is a factor.
- Temporary Residency- They believe most western women plan to return to their country of origin eventually, and therefore are not suitable as long term partners. Taiwanese guys say they prefer stable long term relationships.
The feeling this list gives me is that there are two broad categories of Taiwanese guys out there. Some that prefer to only date Taiwanese women, and some that would like to date western women but cite barriers such as language, shyness, or lack of opportunities.
This investigation remains open, so your insights and suggestions are welcomed!