Hidden job requirement... :(

cookie85

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Hi,
I'm quite upset with a company that placed a misleading ad looking for participants for a research study.

My Korean-American friend and I (Japanese-American) applied last week and were both rejected "for being Asian" (which is fine, ethnicity seems to be important for this scientific study), however such a requirement is not stated anywhere in the ad.

We wasted a lot of time exchanging emails with the company, talking about details on the research, checking requirements and language, and everything was fine until they asked our ethnicity, then came back and said "oh sorry, we're not accepting Asians". We were both surprised at this lack of seriousness!

Have you had any similar experiences?
Do you think there's a reason they don't want to mention ethnicity?

Here's the ad, with no reference whatsoever to the non-Asian requirement.
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A major Japanese cosmetics company is seeking native speakers of US English to take part in a research study for female cosmetics that will be conducted July 10th-15th (except for weekend). Participants must have lived in Japan for less than 3 years, and have previously purchased cosmetic products while in Japan. The study will be held at research center near JR Gotanda Station and will last approximately 2.5 hours. Participants will be paid 10,000 yen (includes transportation).

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE
To examine how the brain waves of customers react to a vendor's sales pitch while trying out cosmetic products in a store.

CONDITIONS FOR PARTICIPATION
1. Participants that can speak, read, and write in English, Japanese, or both.
2. Ideally, participants must have lived in Japan for less than 3 years.
3. Ideally, participants must have purchased cosmetics while in Japan
4. Participants must be right-handed.

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS
3 native US English speakers

THOSE INELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE
1. Those that are pregnant, may be pregnant, or are currently nursing.
2. Those currently taking prescription drugs or medicine (heart pressure pills, hormonal drugs, iron pills or supplements, mood-stabilizing medication) diabetics, and those with cardiac disorders.
3. Those that are in menopause
4. Those with high or low blood pressure.
5. Those currently employed with an advertising agency, TV station, publishing company, sales distribution company, research and analyst firm, or cosmetics maker.
6. Those that have previously participated in a similar study.
 
Because to the average Japanese mind "speaker of US English" = "American" = "Caucasian" (or "oh yeah....blacks too"). Likely it just never crossed their minds. Blatant racism is hardly likely as a cause. Chalk this one up to ignorance.
 
Stupid company. So, they exclude all Chinese-Americans, Thai-Americans, Filipino-Americans, etc.

Must be a product that is unsuitable for the Asian skin. We all know how different that is...just like Japanese intestines.
 
The researchers probably didn't want to mention anything for fear of appearing racist. But I can understand if the design of the study is an English sales pitch to a group of Americans, any Asian looking customers risk coming up with contaminated results.
 
It is simply because the ad something like "non-Asian American only" would bring another angry Olympic_game_like (one gold post every 4 years) or casual human right crusader(s) without reading the original post in English here.
 
same like me when apply for English teacher..:D :D :D
they want native speaker, and that means caucasian.....
 
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