That, unfortunately, is a societal issue as much as anything.
Having worked with people from all walks of life and other parts of
the world, a mindset they seem to have against Asians (people
raised in Asia, rather than those who are of an Asian ethnicity) is
that such people are often monotonous and have a tendency to "go by
the book". While that invariably translates to Asians being fancied
if a job required the monotonous reproduction of a given process
(ie. Asians are more hardworking and efficient in that regard),
they are often overlooked for roles where ingenuity and autonomy
are required.
Just take a look at the culture in general - the next time you deal
with a waiter, a bureaucrat or a senior management staff in
Singapore, try making requests that are not predicted/expected and
see how many is actually capable of exercising the common sense and
flexibility to make decisions, instead of pursuing a course of
action dictated "by the book" or having need to consult their
superiors (which is just a further sign of bureaucracy and red tape
at work). If you have worked in the Americas (I don't just mean the
US, but also parts of North and South America), Europe or
Australia, you'll experience a completely different culture.
