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Color blinded: a user's guide to racism in Japan

Japan, Inc., April, 2004 by Tony McNicol

"If you are contributing to Japanese society, then you should have your rights recognized," Aruhido says. "We are not talking about the right to vote--things that are guaranteed only to citizens. [But to be able] to spend money like anybody else, to enjoy public services that we pay for the same as anybody else."

Jean-Pierre Lehmann is a Professor of International Political Economy at Switzerland's IMD business school. A long-term Japan scholar and observer, he doubts that Japan will embrace multiculturalism any time soon. He calls Japan a "global outlier" as far as progress towards multiculturalism and action against racism goes. "I think most Westerners are totally ignorant of racism in Japan," Lehmann says. "It does not feature in the press, and there is no international campaign."

But even if the government won't legislate to protect minorities, Aruhido points out, the mix of ethnicity that you can find in other multicultural societies is already here. "Are you able to find Chinatowns in Japan? Yes. Are you able to find Koreatowns? In some sections, yes. Are you able to find pockets of different ethnicities? Of course. So I am pushing for legislation to protect the reality of what is already here. Things do change, you just have to keep pushing."

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Since winning his case, Aruhido has received hate mail and, at one point, as many as 30 prank calls per day. He welcomes debate and discussion, but says that, surprisingly, "non-Japanese have been the most visceral [critics] of this whole thing. I was asked point blank by a reporter one day: 'Why do you as a foreigner believe it is necessary to do all these things?'"

"I told him: 'I am not a foreigner. I am a Japanese citizen.'"

Fundamentally, Aruhido believes that changing racist attitudes and cultural norms is a resident's obligation: "Anybody who wants to make a place a better place to live has the right, if not the duty, to do something to improve things for everyone."

COPYRIGHT 2004 Japan Inc. Communications
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group
 
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    1

    khonghieu66@...

    05/22/09 | Report as spam

    RE: Color blinded: a user's guide to racism in Japan

    hi, i am doing research on racism in japan and i was wondering if i could ask you some questions about this article
    contact me at collieluver66@yahoo.com please

  •  
    2

    khonghieu66@...

    05/22/09 | Report as spam

    RE: Color blinded: a user's guide to racism in Japan

    hi, i am doing research on racism in japan and i was wondering if i could ask you some questions about this article
    contact me at collieluver66@yahoo.com please

  •  
    3

    dione_chiong

    07/07/09 | Report as spam

    RE: Color blinded: a user's guide to racism in Japan

    Some old men in Japan are racist. I had tried several times being discrimated as bar girl..I am actually an Engineer but what can I do if I am sexy and pretty that can be mistakenly for a bar girl. I don't wear provocative clothes, my breasts are naturally huge. One time I was walking to get my bicycle, an old man saying hey, i wanna take you to Karaoke is it ok? I said no...he again ask, how much I would charge for my company... I then tell him to shut up coz I am not what he thinks.
    Second in the office, while I was having my coffee break with 2 of my colleagues of the same race, an old man from another department moodily say that we are performing bad manners by drinking coffee in the front of our building and we are actually not doing anything just taking our break, we are not blocking any ways... I think more men are racist than the women. And most of them are old ones, the traditional ones. I think.

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