I sat to thinking of my new teaching job for the 2004-2005 school year. I realized something about the whole hiring experience: they didn't hire me because I was Asian.
That put my mind at ease. I recalled my first time in the competitive battlefield of job-hunting. One district hired me because they were desperate. In retrospect, I'm okay with that now. But what I remember most was an interview with another district that automatically labeled me as "affirmative action candidate," which infuriated me because I don't believe in that policy.
As I think about the new school year that will approach in September, I smile to myself that the district that hired me this time saw me for my qualifications and credentials. The representative at the job fair saw my resumé and saw my "English teacher" title. They needed English teachers--plain and simple. When the principal interviewed me, he was impressed by my portfolio and teaching experience in Japan. I knew I nailed that interview. The funny thing is: I never filled out an application, so they were never aware of my racial status until they laid eyes on me. Well... maybe my strange name might have alerted them of my "foreignness," but that didn't really make them all the wiser.
During the entire process of applying, interviewing, signing contracts, and orientations, there was nothing about affirmative action candidacy. Nothing of the sort was ever brought up. No issues about minorities and my "obligation" to them. I was glad for that because I want to be seen as an individual, not part of the minority group. I'm an English teacher, not an Asian person for the quota.