Job Discussion Forums

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 6:08 am Post subject:

It's not really racism...and I know that's hard to buy...it's more of a sense of Japaneseness and not...

NCTBA

kotoko · Joined: 22 Jun 2010 Posts: 109

feebleweiner · Joined: 23 Feb 2010 Posts: 17

feebleweiner · Joined: 23 Feb 2010 Posts: 17

feebleweiner · Joined: 23 Feb 2010 Posts: 17

The part that made me stop talking about what's happening is a friend told me I was lying about the school incidents and my personal life. His reasoning was "you're black and Japanese don't like black women". I was writing what happened but after he told me that I wondered what good would it be? So at most I have an idea how to handle the school kid and I will be speaking up if he acts out in our next class but the other stuff....I've felt very alone because if I say something ppl say I'm trying to make it about race or I'm not being genki or whatever.

I

Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

Well, my heart goes out to you. I can only imagine how horrible it must be.
I guess the only other thing I can say is what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, yeah? Good luck to you!

gaijinalways · Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Posts: 2279

Sounds bad, definitely feel for you. I taught briefly at a girl's JHS/HS in Tokyo, and my blood pressure was through the roof. First year junior-highers were definitely not for me. Hormones probably have something to do with it, that and that was pretty much their first year of exposure to English. The school was hopeless with a discipline problem I had (I was teaching solo 1 day a week). Their policy, what problem, you're the only one having a problem. Luckily I switched that class off with another teacher.

If I was dealing with something like you have, I might personally take the kid aside, and "accidentally" 'cube' him as hard as I could. He would probably never give you guff again. Cool

, at least until after seeing if he could walk upright again! Shocked

kotoko · Joined: 22 Jun 2010 Posts: 109

Well my heart goes out to you. If it were me I wouldn't cope at all, you're stronger than I am.

TokyoLiz · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1548 Location: Tokyo, Japan

Omigod, I had not intended to post that link in order to upset people. :/ I posted it in order to inform.

When I was a JET years ago, a school board bigwig groped an office support worker at an enkai party. Another office girl and I drew the office lady away, but there were no repercussions for the Bigwig.

I made it really clear to my coworkers that if anybody tried that on me, there would be violence. I wasn't popular, but I was never subjected to sexual harassment, either.

I'm so sad that I get rubber-necked by guys all the time not because I'm pretty but merely because I'm foreign....It can really hurt a woman's self esteem being looked at as a curiosity rather than as a person in her power.

Be safe, gals!

Vince · Joined: 05 May 2003 Posts: 559 Location: U.S.

Cool Teacher · Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 2:45 pm Post subject:

Wowza!

Shocking stuff! Crying or Very sad

Take care feeble!

kotoko · Joined: 22 Jun 2010 Posts: 109

In all honesty though, sexual harassment issues against foreign women (not Japanese women) ARE rare. The stuff happening to the OP is very sad but it's not something that happens so often that a big shocking article like that needs to be written. It's sensationalist 'news' and will do nothing more than make people worry about coming to Japan.

TokyoLiz · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1548 Location: Tokyo, Japan

Vince, good idea!

Kotoko, I wonder if you live in the same Japan.

So many of my foreign women friends, and me, included, have been groped, been sexually harassed (inappropriate comments), and worked with staff that make inappropriate sexual comments.

While I agree, the reporter has included a great deal of detail, he documents violations of personal space and inappropriate talk in the workplace.

kotoko · Joined: 22 Jun 2010 Posts: 109

I don't deny that this happens. I have mild sexual harassment at work from kids but have never had any from adults. But I'm not saying that that is the problem.

Sexual harassment is a very big problem but the article is almost sexualising it. It's not sympathetic; it's written to shock people and to attack Japan. Take a look at the other articles in the category- they are meant to comfort expats who are feeling that they dislike Japan, or for people abroad who want to shake their heads and talk about how crazy Japan is- just like they do with the used pany vending machines. It's sensationalism and, quite frankly, almost an insult to people who do actually go through sexual harassment here.

*edit* (forgot to say)
I'm on a couple of teaching/JET/Japan forums and this article has been posted on every single one of them, plus on facebook a number of times by different friends. It's written to make you want to share it, be it whether you are outraged at it, agreeing with it.. whatever. They want your clicks and we are giving them exactly what they want.