Work/internship in China for headscarf wearers

i'm 6'6" and heavily tattooed. in the west it is nothing out of the ordinary, but im stared at all day. not just looked at but they literally stop and stare open mouthed. like im some sort of unnatural freak. i dont think they accept anyone very easy  who isnt eastern asian. just my thoughts. i could easily be wrong. but my best advise is to integrate as much as possible if you want to get on. have a happy time in china

let me bring your attention to this post https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.p … 62#4182246

Thanks a lot for the link. It was quite helpful!

I am the GM of all Asian operations, with a HQ in China. I have been living in China for over 15 years. I do employ a staff, and I do employ interns. I am now looking at hiring engineering interns. I have one from Germany presently. Another female from France that will arrive in two weeks, and I am actively interviewing this week.

I would NOT hire you.

When I do business in Saudi Arabia, I remove my Christian cross. I do not drink beer, wine or anything else. I observe their laws, and respect their way of life. I am forbidden to go anywhere near their holy sites.

All my employees, staff and interns OBEY Chinese standard rules of behavior written and unwritten. This is codified in a strict internship handbook. When you work for someone you adopt their dress code. It is not the other way around. When I first started working (a long, long time ago), I had to keep my hair over my collar, off my ears, no facial hair, and wear a white shirt with a bow tie. When you work, you OBEY the rules.



What a office woman in China is supposed to look like.

When you move to China you adapt to the Chinese way of life. You sleep on rock-hard mattresses. You drink 53 degree white wine, and eat fish heads. You wear the uniforms that they provide for you, and if required you dance and sing the company songs at morning muster. When the boss tells you that you must work on the weekend, you work. When the boss tells you that you will attend the KTV and sing four songs, of which two is a duet. You will do so. You will do so with a smile on your face.


Chinese professional woman at work in the office.

If you came to work for me, interviewed without a headscarf, and then tried to get away with wearing it, I would FIRE you on the spot and revoke your visa. Absolutely NO female shall wear a headscarf while in our employment. It is a company policy, and I don't bend or break policy for any reason. Now, there is a reason for this rule...

In China, everyone is part of a community. We all play a role. We are all equal. We all dress similarly and act similarly. No one stands out, except for the boss or a weiguren. If you want to stand out...go ahead wear the head scarf. The same goes for extreme tattoos, ear piercings and nose piercings. Go ahead put a bone through your nose. Go ahead wear bright orange shoes and dye your hair pink. You will be set aside as a non-person. You would be HATED as someone who rejects the Chinese way of life. You will be shunned as a person who thinks that they are better than the Chinese people that they work with.

Yes, there are Muslims in China and they do also wear headscarves. They are also SHUNNED.

Maybe you can find someone who will hire you with your behavior limitations. I think it is very rude for you to IMPOSE your behaviors on an employer who is taking a risk at hiring you. When you come to China you WILL adapt to the Chinese way of life and culture. Not the other way around.

I suggest that you try to find work in nations that allow your behaviors. May I suggest Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Syria, Afghanistan, or Pakistan. There you might be able to be more comfortable and blend in easier.

A refusal to adapt to another culture will cause you a great deal of trouble in China.


Chinese female professional worker.

I know that this is harsh, but that is the way it is. This is not a nice safe space university campus. When you to intern you will work and you will obey the rules of the workplace. You had best get that chip off your shoulder right now. It's not doing you any favors.

I would suggest that you adapt to where you live. If that location is not to your liking or comfort, then don't go there. There are many other places where you can go and intern. Might I suggest Pakistan. There you can wear your headscarf and  fit in quite comfortably. Another place is Indonesia. Or perhaps Malaysia. These areas all have large segments of the female population wearing headscarves.

" I suggest that you try to find work in nations that allow your behaviors. "

I do not know what you mean by behaviors, unless this is supposed to imply somehow that people who wear religious gear are hiveminds with specific behaviours.

"A refusal to adapt to another culture will cause you a great deal of trouble in China."

"I know that this is harsh, but that is the way it is. This is not a nice safe space university campus."

I do not know what safe spaces (which are found aplenty in) Western universities have to do with this topic. Workplaces are definitely not safe spaces.

If you don't adapt to the culture of ANY country you're living in, you're bound to get in trouble, obviously. All I wanted to know was whether headscarves were acceptable in Chinese workplaces.  Your answer makes it clear China is similar to France for example- no religious symbols in the workplace.

Thanks for the honest answer!

i do not know where exactly you are situated, but i am in shenzhen, i am a 42 year old male from the UK where i spent 41 years of my life. i have been in china for 15 months, let me start with the first part of your reply. when i holidayed in dubai, there are planty of clubs that serve alcohol. i frequented the manilla club with arab and phillipino friends (i do not drink alcohol) it is available and acceptable in certain places. just not in the street like some sort of drunken lout. i work in a respectable private school and i have facial hair, i have tattoos, but must cover them whilst at work. you are right about adapting to their way of life as you would expect them to do if they visited your native country. i do not drink wine, nor eat fish heads, there are plenty of tasty foods without having to eat foods you do not like, you would not catch me dead in a KTV nor will you get me to drink alcohol , but the working weekends if required is a must. my bed is comfortable and a lot of the chinese people colour their hair, and ive seen plenty of males and females with tattoos . a lot of the mothers that come to the school show them off along with their blue hair. there are middle eastern mothers that come to pick their children up dressed from head to toe in their traditional dress and headsacarves.  its mostly the older generation that is unwilling to accept the changing ways of the world, but the younger generation are slowly but surely leaving the 'traditional culture' of the older generation. and yes you must adapt to their ways and culture, which is forever changing, if you want to get on here. when im not at work i wear a basketball vest (the humidity will kill me in the end) and although i get stared at a lot, i also get some smiles . mostly stares, but hey ho. i cannot 'untattoo' what has been done, i have just been to Nanning for the 3 day labour festival break and they loved me out there, they were wanting their picture taken with me and they know how to smile out there unlike shenzhen, where they wear a 'grimace' on their face 24/7 haha. i do stand out being 6'6" and tattooed. So i guess its different districts have very different ways of acceptance. i think i will end up in nanning now i have visited there, the world is my oyster.

I am 5'11 and untattooed and stared at constantly.  In like 9 months of living in my wifes city I saw 1 other caucasian and 1 Indian.  Little kids shall follow you around.  Say "Woooooow" as you walk past.  Some are even fearful of you. 
Chinese society is extremely racist from the US point of view.  In addition they have a fear of Muslims as one of their primarly problems are with the citizens of Xinjiang. 
But you can get Xinjiang food quite readily.  Lamb kabobs and such.  Delicious.