Probably they don't use italki as much. But don't take it personal... I've even found a few rude people around here, who actually end up insulting and stuff. I'm sure you'll find someone who'll be very interested in being your language partner :)!!  Best of lucks, Ender!

I agree with Ira. Today a native Chinese person asked me what my method for getting so many friends on Italki was . I guess they thought i had some special way of getting friends but as Ira pointed out it is most likely because i am an Englishman . As for ignoring messages, i will ignore them if they don't put any effort into them . It doesn't have to be a lot but just a quick hello and a brief introduction can improve your chances dramatically in my opinion . If you are already doing this then all you can do is continue to try and i'm sure someone will help . Good luck.

I think first of all you should look carefully at the profile and see whether he/she is interested in what you can give. For example I get a lot of messages from Turkish and Arabic guys who "want to practice English", I'm here not to teach English to anyone I'm not a native speaker. Sometimes there are Chinese friends who can teach Mandarin and want to practice English, but I'm not interested in Mandarin, I practice it every day at work. You should check if you have mutual interests with the person you talk to

Don't get offended about it, Ender. That's a polite way to say "NO" here on italki.