Job Discussion Forums

chi-chi- · Joined: 17 Jul 2004 Posts: 194 Location: In la-la land

I think that many people make generalizations; it's just when we cross that line into the realm of stereotypes that it becomes a problem.
Also, people have had their own experiences, for better of for worse, to make these generalizations...that doesn't make it right...but maybe someone had a bad experience with something, or a bad day.
There are times when the boundary may be crossed into overt racism. To make a long story short, the Fukuoka schoolteacher story is this: the teacher was an elderly Japanese male, the boy in his class, about age 9 or so, was mixed race, American-Japanese. The teacher told the child over and over that his blood was "tainted" and that the boy should "kill himself." Needless to say, everyone went nuts, from the kids parents to the local courts.
There is a term for mixed race people, I am not sure if it is deragatory or not, but it's called "nissei", (nee-say). What I meant to say earlier is that I am not sure what the word is for "returnees" (people who are completely Japanese who grew up abroad and return to Japan). Is there even such a phenomena? I never saw returnees in Japan like I did in South Korea.
As far as the Koreans being xenophobic, well, yes they are, but looking at their history with the invasions and the "comfort women" used by the Japanese, there is a historical reason for the dislike. (Same thing goes for China). There was even recently a scandal with a big "sex tourism" thing with Japanese using Chinese hookers while in China. I am just saying look at the history of it.

6810 · Joined: 16 Nov 2003 Posts: 309

Tokyoliz,

thanks for getting my brain thinking more about this. I found your response intelligent, informative and incisive.

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

azarashi sushi · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Posts: 562 Location: Shinjuku

I think it's true that people have had vastly different experiences here, so each person's reaction to the word will be different.

In my case, I've never been addressed as gaijin or gaikokujin san/sama/kata/sensei ... Maybe I've been lucky, but even in banks/ward offices etc I've always been referred to by my name, excuse me or customer.

I've never been told that I can't enter somewhere "because I'm a gaijin" or felt that I've been discriminated against.

Consequently I don't have any bad feelings about the word as such... I've always thought that people just shorten it because it's easier to say.

Of course, if people started to call me "Hey you gaijin..." or in fact "Hey you anything" I would consider that rude.

Some of the other posters mentioned "being called a gaijin" ... By that are you referring to just the mere existence of the word, or do people actually address you as such?

The people who said it is deragatory... Do you mean the word itself or the way in which it is used?

If it is just the word itself, why do you consider it deragatory?

A.S

Willy_In_Japan · Joined: 20 Jul 2004 Posts: 329

I've been called "Gaijin san".....refused entry to a strip club becuase we were foreigners....seen a sign in front of a business in Akihabara that said "no foreigners".....

It's not widespread, but it does happen.

JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan

Just to resurrect an old (but IMO anything but dead) thread.....

I just came across an EXCELLENT lesson plan on the Niigata JET website. I'm posting the link here for anyone who wants to do a very insightful lesson on what it means to be Japanese versus gaikokujin.

http://www.geocities.com/myniigatacom/home.htm

Select the "What is Japanese?" lesson -- must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed to read.

Enjoy! Smile