Member-only story
What is an LBH and is the Stereotype True?
Why do we assume that western people living in Asia are only there because they have failed out of life at home?
“We have a name for guys like that: LBH,” a young Japanese woman in a video clip confides in her audience. While humorous speculation over possible meanings to the acronym peppered the comments, those in the know quickly identified the meaning: Loser Back Home.
What Is An LBH?
The LBH has a pretty specific image. Typically, they are white men in their 20s and 30s who live in an Asian country. Most often, they have a degree in something, but their career path doesn’t usually line up with that degree. Teaching English as a second language has been a growing field in the region for decades now and in some countries, it’s relatively easy to find work with no experience as long as you’re a native speaker with a degree.
Of course, sometimes these guys will have other jobs, such as seasonal work as dive instructors or they may be perpetual students, taking language classes so they can maintain a student visa and stay indefinitely.
They are notorious for liking to drink and party with their day jobs only posing a minor hindrance. A predatory reputation for trying to date any local…
