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Cyna
Joined: 23 Jun 2003
Posts: 20
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 Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2003 12:27 am Post subject: Latinos in Japan |
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Hello everyone,
Well this topic has been tackled from an African American angle; however I have searched through numerous threads and have found no information regarding Latinos in Japan.
My husband and I will both begin the application process with several recruiters to teach English in Japan, yet I am concerned that we do not fit the "American" image that foreigners expect.
Can anyone help me with what the Japanese perceptions of Latinos are. Also does anyone have any personal experiences on this matter |
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Celeste
Joined: 17 Jan 2003
Posts: 814
Location: Fukuoka City, Japan
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| Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2003 1:12 am Post subject: |
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| In F ukuoka, we have a sizeable Latin community. I have elementary school students whose parents hail from Chile, Brazil, Mexico, and Aregentina. There are several Latin/Salsa nightclubs here, and a couple of decent Mexican restaurants. The F ukuoka Now! magazine which can be found at www.fXXXukuoka-now.com (remove the XXX from this address- fu kuoka is a bad word on this forum- always gets beeped!) has sections in Spanish. From what I can see, there is great interest in Latin culture here, and you have no worries about the "image" thing. |
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locagrl814
Joined: 04 Jun 2003
Posts: 58
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| Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2003 2:23 am Post subject: |
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I believe Japan has a significant Latino population. I've met some Japanese exchange students when I was in college and they were all into salsa and latin culture.
Try doing your search with google. I really wanted to make sure if Japan has good latin clubs like they do here in NYC. I came across this website:
http://www.salsapower.com/cities/osaka.htm |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2003 3:12 am Post subject: Re: Latinos in Japan |
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| Cyna wrote: |
Hello everyone,
Well this topic has been tackled from an African American angle; however I have searched through numerous threads and have found no information regarding Latinos in Japan.
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This topic has also been handled from the Korean/Japanese/Chinese-American perspective as well, with the consensus being that if you have native-speaking ability in English, a university degree you will probably not fare any worse getting a job that a caucasian as students are primarily interested in your english ability, but you will be able to incorporate your Latin culture into your classes as well.
Employers I believe dont really judge you based on looks or ethnic background but more on educational background qualifications and personality. Your reasons and motivations for wanting to work in Japan are also important. There are over 30 different nationalities working on the JET program or working for schools like NOVA and not all of them are the 'blonde blue-eyed American' that you see on the TV ads.
In the past few years there have been many South American born Latins coming to Japan on Japanese ancestry visas and working in factories or blue-collar type jobs. Usually they will experience forms of discrimination etc but I think with the hollowing out of the Japanese economy their ranks have thinned somewhat in recent years.
There are many latins living in Shizuoka and Nagoya as that is where Toyota is and many of the large industries where they worked. Are you referring to Japanese-South Americans e.g. from Chile, Argentina or English-speakingAmerican nationals who are of Hispanic descent?
FWIW I work at a university with native Spanish-speaking people from South America and Spain and my guess is they get just as much respect as caucasians etc, based on their teaching position etc as anyone else. |
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JimDunlop2
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Posts: 2286
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2003 3:18 am Post subject: La comunidad Latina.... |
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Tenemos pueblo de Peru.... A lot of em..... There's also a fairly large Brazilian community here as well. But I still wish there were a larger presence. I miss the dancing scene: salsa, cumbia, merengue, etc... But then again, I live in Yamanashi Prefecture which isn't that large...
Should be OK though... Have a friend who did 1 year in Japan on a WHV for Berliz. He's Argentinian ethnically, however when you hear him speak, his accent is so slight, you'd guess he were a native speaker. |
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locagrl814
Joined: 04 Jun 2003
Posts: 58
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| Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2003 3:39 am Post subject: |
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estoy tan feliz there are latin communities in Japan! I'm of Filipino ethnicity, but I just love latin culture! Paulh is right... Don't worry about not being the blue-eyed blonde hair type that people see on ads. Companies will hire you as long as you possess native English fluency. I don't even think that you should worry about having a latina accent when you speak english. I dunno if people have noticed but different ethnic groups have different english accents. I think that's perfectly fine just as long as you speak clearly.
I have one question though... in cities where there is a decent size latin community, do you often hear people speak Spanish (or Portuguese) on the streets? |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2003 4:37 am Post subject: Re: Latinos in Japan |
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| Cyna wrote: |
My husband and I will both begin the application process with several recruiters to teach English in Japan, yet I am concerned that we do not fit the "American" image that foreigners expect.
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FWIW I come from New Zealand, speak with a non-American accent and have never had any problems getting work in Japan or being taken seriously by my employers or students. As a Kiwi, I dont think I fit the 'American' image either, whatever that is.
PS dont you mean what EMPLOYERS expect? |
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Cyna
Joined: 23 Jun 2003
Posts: 20
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| Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2003 4:47 am Post subject: |
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Hey locagrl814 thanks for the reply.
Well I was raised in the U.S. so I don't have a spanish accent (just a touch of an urban accent from living in the city of Chicago). My English is perfect and I have a journalism degree, which basically boils down to an English degree.
Oh Spanish (not Portuguese) is very common in the states. You hear Spanish spoken everywhere. In stores most signs are in English and Spanish. Telephone automated systems are in English and Spanish. Just in the city of Chicago alone the population is a third of Hispanic descent (mostly Mexican and Puerto Rican). |
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locagrl814
Joined: 04 Jun 2003
Posts: 58
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| Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2003 5:44 am Post subject: |
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hi Cyna. Oops sorry I didn't ask the question correctly. I wanted to know if you can hear people speak Spanish on the streets in JAPAN. Sorry!
I'm from NYC... there's a lot of Latin Americans here. I was raised here in NY but I dunno why I have a Colombian accent. Must be from hanging out too much with my Colombian friends! My bf is Brazilian... his parents sometimes talk to me in Portuguese. Sometimes I pick up their accent as well. I hope Osaka has a vibrant Latin community. If not, I'm definitely gonna miss it! |
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C76
Joined: 13 Jun 2003
Posts: 113
Location: somewhere between beauty and truth...in Toronto. ;)
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| Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2003 12:07 pm Post subject: |
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Yet another cool thread!
I'm thinking more and more about Japan. And then I wondered how I was gonna get to practice my Spanish.  |
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