Job Discussion Forums

[Chris12]

Big John Stud wrote:

Chris12 wrote: [color=yellow]John you shouldn't teach 10 little guijins! That isn't even funny! Try teaching them this song. I know the kids where I teach love it. It goes something like this: A guijin is a sub-human born outside of Japan. He's just plain stupid as stupid as can be! He doesn't know his left foot from his right! Not all the guijin live abroad, every day you see quite a few! And another favorite is If you are a guijin and you know it clap you hands! Thanks 12! I tried those songs today, and the kids loved them!

I hope you are joking! You didn't really teach those songs to children? Did you? If so you are a moran! I was being sarcastic!

[angrysoba]

[buddhaboyjp]

I understand well the feeling about this 'gaijin' thing, especially for someone just off the boat, but isn't it about time we get over this once and for all? Especially for you veterans?

Granted, I have had a few uncomfortable situations, maybe a few cases of discrimination, but these things have not kept me from living here for 15 yrs.

The things that you should be fighting about you can do nothing anyways.
You will NOT be able to start a new revolution. The prime minister is not going to listen to you and make some big cultural change for your whiney self.

If you can reach a few friends, relatives, and students about this gaijin thing, then great! You have done your share. That is about as far as it is getting.

Cannot vote? So what!! Who is there worth voting for?
Cannot buy property or invest into a business more then 49/51? So what!
You really want to be a proud owner of a pre-fabricated house with no space for the BBQ?
Do you really really want to work for a Japanese company that is not related to teaching English? I have done that, and it is NOT FUN at all.

Have you ever been spit on? Had a cross burned in your front balcony?
Do you really really think when a Japanese uses the word 'gaijin', they are full of contempt and hatred?
Don't you think there are better choice of words to show disrespect, if that is their meaning?

Of course YOU know how you want to be addressed, and surely tell those people that you can reach, but other than that, JUST GET OVER IT ALREADY! Live with it. Deal with it. Don't ignore it, but deal with it.
Do what you can. Your kids getting bullied about being a 'haffa'? Then go to the school and give them a piece of your mind. Live with it, do what you can. Other then that, STFU about it already.
Buddha H. Christ!!

[Sweetsee]

This gaijin bought a condo.

[buddhaboyjp]

[JimDunlop2]

尊皇攘夷 !!!!!

The slogan may have died but its spirit still lingers on.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to make your corner of the world and community a better place. There ain't much to vote for back home either.... But if I lived there I would certainly be voting.

For what its worth, most of the "veterans" here are dealing with it (or have dealt with it). If we hadn't, we wouldn't still be here, right? Things may not change overnight, but I see complaining and whining about it as a positive thing. Do what you can to cause people to question. Force people to re-examine their values and notions about others. Why should this be any different than disspelling any of the thousands of misconceptions and myths that Japanese people have about us?

If a Japanese student tells me, "It must be very dangerous living in America because everyone owns a gun." Do I nod my head in agreement? No! Of course not! I inform him that is not the case. Likewise, when they learn that I'm from Canada, the only thing they "know" is: "samui desho?" I'm not SO selfish and ignorant as to NOT tell them that my country is more than just blowing snow and sheets of ice. (Many are genuinely surprised that we have four seasons just like Japan does).

I am here in Japan as an educator. It is my job to teach, and for me that doesn't stop with English language instruction. With it comes also an opportunity to teach culture, manners, history, international understanding, politics, civil and human rights, and basically whatever else may be necessary to improve my students' knowledge and understanding. If I take the attitude, "I can't change 'em so why try?" I'm not being a very good teacher.

P.S. For what it's worth, I don't own a house -- I rent one, and it's got a HUGE garden and I'm buying me one of THESE: http://www.ezbbq.com/ BBQs.... And any one of y'all is welcome to come by my place, suck back a cold beer and grill a steak with me!

[gaijinalways]

Yes, we are educators, and language includes some aspects of culture. Of course, we have to decide what culture to teach, and whether it is useful to the student or not. Disspelling some cultural misunderstanding that many Japanese seem to have learned is hard work, but useful for both sides. The four seasons 'myth' seems to still be taught , so that many Japanese still believe Japan is 'unique' (in more ways than one). It is a sort of delusion, which some argue that the Japanese should be allowed to hold on to. I say, of course, if you on vacation, forget about educating. But since many of us are here for the long term, perhaps our expectations and hopes for Japanese people's cultural knowledge are 'higher'.

[buddhaboyjp]

[JimDunlop2]

buddhaboy: I'd say the level of derogatoriness (is that even a word)? varies too...

Recently, I had a conversation with a friend of mine who recently (last year) got full tenure at his university as a F/T English professor (one of the rare 1% who actually managed to achieve this miracle). Even at his workplace, his Japanese co-workers sometimes refer to him as their: "uchi no gaijin" or "house-gaijin." I think they meant it to mean like a "pet gaijin" much the same way you would have a house pet like a cat or dog... But honestly, people. Is that really called for? That reminds me WAY too much of Malcolm X's "Message to the Grassroots "speech when he uses and defines the term "house nigger."

Sorry for bringing up the African-American reference again, but in the above situation, I think it just about fits...

[Like a Rolling Stone]

One day in Golden Week I was walking in the park when a kid came round the corner and saw me. he wass with his family but walking ahead of them. When he saw me he went like this and walked bakc slowmy like I was a wild animal he didn't want to startle. Suddenly at a safe ditance he ran to his family screaming "GAIKOKUJIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!!!!" I was pleased he used the polite form. If he said GAIJIN then maybe it would be rude.

[BradS]

Anyone else getting sick of the bullsh*&t reasoning "The child may cry as this will be their first time meeting a non-Japanese person" as if we are something the be scared of. I don't think I ever cried when I first met a non-white person. Could you imagine sending your child to a school back home and explaining to a non-white teacher that your child may cry as he's not use to non-white people. It's be offensive.

I didn't mind it so much, but lately it's really starting to bug me as the new school has started and we're actually being trained to understand that the children may cry because we're not Japanese.

[sallycat]

^^^yep. i knew a lovely guy who was told he shouldn't teach kids because "they weren't used to seeing black people and it was kowai". i also got sick of prospective students saying their motivation for studying english was "i want to communicate with foreigners". it always made me think of someone tapping on the glass of a goldfish bowl.

[BradS]

It's kind of funny as the insult is so indirect. It's not that the gaijin is bad... it's that they think Japanese people are so stupid that they can't deal with us.

There's this huge misconception that non-Japanese people are SO different than Japanese people. A friend of mine went to get a tooth out a few weeks back and after three hours the tooth was still in and he was told to come back in a few days to finish the operation (no kidding). When he asked for a reason why he was told "Gaijin teeth and bodies are stronger than Japanese teeth and bodies". What a cop out!