Job Discussion Forums

[malcoml]

Markle

[SEndrigo]

I think some of you are being too hard on Markle...after all, he did make some good points even if you didn't agree with him.

Of course, racism in Japan is not as bad as racism in some other countries...namely, Korea, where you can get verbally and physically abused.

But, on the other hand, just because there is less overt, in-your-face racism in Japan, doesn't mean we should turn a blind eye to it. Just because someone won't Tae Kwan Do kick you on the street doesn't mean racism doesn't exist.

I think different people have different experiences in Japan, but I have found that (and this certainly doesn't apply to Markle) young eikaiwa teachers here tend to ignore this stuff as they seem not to care about it.

I've had numerous conversations with foreigners here in Tokyo, and I've come to the conclusion that most of them don't care if there is racism in Japan, they like being a "special guest."

Which is sad because this kind of foolish attitude ruins all the gains foreigners have made in Japan.

I once spoke with an eikaiwa teacher who told me he didnt care if Ishihara said all Chinese people are criminals, in fact, he laughed and thought it was quite funny!!!

This is the kind of people we are dealing with here, first-rate idiots who don't care if there is racism here as long as they have some dates on the weekend.

This is the kind of "logic" we are dealing with....even though most Japanese people I know are not racist, the Japanese people who ARE racist would love this, as it takes all the stress off of them to behave in a suitable way toward foreigners.

I don't think Markle is an apologist...I have seen foreigners here in Tokyo who would defend torture and beheadings as long as they could work a 1 to 9 schedule, go out drinking and chase skirt.

[Mark]

As for Sendrigo's point about some foreigners not taking racism seriously, I'd just say that it depends on the kind of person.

There are a lot of folks here that are just here to drink, show up to work (most of the time) and chase women. They're usually young, although not always. They're not going to be here a long time and have nothing vested in the country. They often don't really have any Japanese friends, and view this country basically as a kind of entertainment park. It's like a long vacation. You get boozed up and chase skirt. And, in my experience at least, a lot of these types of folks don't really treat Japan as a real country.

For those who are a little more serious about the country, I haven't met many who deny or diminish Japan's problems with racism.

However, I think it's also important to remember that some people are trying to understand Japan as Japanese people see it. And that ends up meaning that you have to cut Japanese people some slack. If you don't, you'll never get them to open up to you. But trying to understand how they see things is not the same as apologising for them.

As for what Markle is saying, I think I get it. I think he's saying that what we're calling racism might be better expressed as xenophobia or ignorance or whatever.

And, I think he has something of a point. Average, everyday racism is a little different in Japan. Japan is a closed society and it's not accepting new members from the outside. It's incredibly difficult to actually become Japanese. I've had Japanese people say that third-generation Koreans are not Japanese because they're still too Korean. Is that racism? Racism, to me, means saying that a particular group of people is no good, or at least not very good. So, it seems racist, but it's a little different. It's difficult to understand their point of view.

While I agree that Japan is basically a racist society, I think it's generally not a racism of hatred, but rather a racism of exclusion. If that makes sense.

[markle]

[Akula the shark]

Markle,

you've been good enough to at least express your opinion of what this case is, although you've spent most of the last post taking potshots at me. Fair enough, I'll take it on the chin.
If you don't want to call it racism, please yourself. I wouldn't mind though if you would describe for us exactly what you think it is.

[markle]

potshots have been removed

What should we call it? well to be quite honest I'm not sure, although I am certain that 'racism' is uncalled for and misleading. I think Mark is onto something with the idea that it is not characterised by hatred and oppression ala the Nazis and the KKK, but more a extrememe nationalism with racial overtones.
One factor you have to take into account is the homogenity of the Japanese mainland which leads to the idea of a national identity that has a racial character. This is in contrast to the formation of a national identity made up of diverse immigrant groups such as the US, Aust, NZ and post war Europe.

Gotta go more later perhaps