Job Discussion Forums

[Gordon]

Here is an interesting article about a woman who grew up in Japan with a Japanese mother and Australian father.
I'd be interested in anyone's comments about it who has children with a Japanese spouse.

http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/features/news/20050929p2g00m0fe001000c.html

[Sherri]

I found it interesting. It is not often you get to hear the perspective of one of the kids. A friend of mine (with her two 2 British/Japanese kids) met the husband of the founder of AFWJ (Association of Foreign Wives in Japan). His best advice to her was not to let her children grow up in Japan. They had 3 children and all of them now live outside Japan.

I chose not to have my 2 grow up in Japan. I chose Hawaii because it is so culturally diverse. The comments, stares and special treatment all stopped once we moved here. Comments from the article about all the attention "haffus" receive like, "Flattering in some ways? Of course...but the attention gets distasteful." and "you never get full admission to the club" just add to my relief that we don't live in Japan anymore.

Regards
Sherri

[6810]

This issue really concerns me as my partner and I will likely have a child in Japan but return to Australia. Even before reading this article, given the racism I have seen in elementary schools I was reticent about a full education in Japan.

Everyone who is different in Japan, when they leave, or go to Europe, the States, Oz or wherever say the same thing.

"I felt free for the first time".

How disturbing.

[abufletcher]

I once asked my son if there were any other "foreigners" at his Japanese elementary school besides him (and my other son) and he said that there was one other foreigner. I was surprised and even a little excited and asked who it was. He asked that is was "Ikeuchi-kun" -- the son of one of my Japanese colleague -- his wife is Taiwanese!

One curious aspect of this is that my own children, seeing as their mother is Mexican and their father is (anglo) American, would technically also be "hafu" but here in Japan they were just plain "gaijin."

[PAULH]

[abufletcher]

Paul, have you seen the documentary called "Doubles?" It's excellent and I use it every year in my cross-cultural awareness class when we work on issues of race and ethnicity (and nationality). BTW, one of the things that comes up every year in class is that the majority of the students believe in the traditional three-race division (Black, White, Yellow). However when asked if the Japanese are a race nearly everyone says yes. I then spend the next few minutes pointing out the inherent conflict in these two beliefs about race. We also spend some time desconstructing the idea of racial purity.

Basically I do my damnedest to decontruct the whole concept of race as anything other than a self-perpetuating and harmful social construct. The artificial nature of races becomes obvious to them when I point out than in the Arab world there are also "green people" ("al-akhthar") which refers to black-skinned Moslems. And that the "red people" ("al-ahmar") are ("white") Europeans. Then on a practical leve I offer them some viable alternatives to the overused "foreigner" label, for example "non-Japanese" or a nationality label. I point out that "foreigners" often feel that the label foreigner (even the polite version "gaikokujin(sama)") still feels pejoritive. I also point out the inconsistency in calling "white skinned" people "foreigners" while dark-skinned people get called "kokujin."

But you're right of course that "hafu" is used to refer only to half-Japanese. I wonder what the attitudes would be towards kids that are "half-Japanese" when the Japanese parent was in fact one of the many Korean ancestry Japanese around. And then of course there is the whole issue with "burakujin"

[fox1]

who cares what these f###ers call you. It's their problem. If they make up stupid damn words or need to define other people like that.. or use 'special' words or whatever, it's because they're so screwed up as individuals, and insecure about themselves. Just a f###n dumb word anyway

(I have known some cool guys grew up here with a parent from outside Japan)

(also... it's not like Japan is the ONLY place ever in the history of man to utter such words. It's pretty common around the place. I myself am half-this and half-that. Grew up with that (terminology).)

(also.. another thought. In the same vein, the term 'gaijin' is hardly unique. The word 'foreigner' means basically the same thing, and gets used a LOT of course in various parts)

So, I guess, my point is that I am not so lightning fast on the "Japan-bastion-of-racism" trigger

[Gordon]

[fox1]

[Sherri]

fox 1
I never said that Japan was the only country with discrimination and I don't think anyone else here said that either. If you read the article you would know that the problem is not "teasing" but a much bigger problem of not being accepted by the people of the country you identify with because of how you look or your parent's background--into adulthood.

I grew up with kids comparing their heritage saying I am half this and half that and breaking down blood lines into percentages. The point is that all of us could do that, in fact, the more you had the cooler it sounded. In Japan, kids whose parents are not both Japanese are the odd one out--and if you have kids, you know they just want to fit in and be accepted. Here in Hawaii, the term is "hapa" (half) and it is just another talking point.

I know lots of international families who have chosen to raise their children in Japan. I respect them for their choice and I think they are doing a great job. I just knew it was not the choice for me and my family.
Regards
Sherri

[SEndrigo]

hey Fox1,

Gaijin does not mean foreigner. Gaijin means "outsider".

"Gaikokujin" 外国人　means foreigner, or literally, foreign country person.

"Gaijin" 外人　means outsider, or literally, outside person.

There is a big difference between the two and Japanese people know very well what the difference is.

This has more to do with how Japanese think in regards to foreigners than racism.

It may not make any difference to you, but you don't have a family or children in Japan.

[Doglover]

Japanese do not consider themselves "gaijin" when they travel overseas and they are "foreigners" in other countries..

They even call caucasians or westerners living in their own countries "gaijin" becuase they are not Japanese. Its the Japanese who are "gaijins" in America, not Americans.

For the record I have two kids here who do look "half" foreign and to my knowledge they have never had trouble at school because of their looks. they all know Daddy is a foreigner here. They consider themselves to be Japanese, not half or different from their classmates. Japan is all that they know and Japanese is their first language.

[OaklandZoo]

[markle]

I think a point that has been overlooked is that in the end the author, - despite the negatives that she faced as a child and the positives she experienced overseas, she still feels that Japan is her home and has decided to become a naturalized Japanese.

There is no doubt that things are changing for the better in Japan, and those of you that have children with Japanese spouses will no doubt find that your children have experiences that are different from those of the author, and I would say 'better'.

[stillnosheep]

[quote="PAULH"]