[Crispy]

Don't most Japanese regularly interact with only other Japanese, and not foreigners? For anyone in that situation, racism is something they only read about in books, and I think it's one of those things that you have to experience yourself in order to fully understand.

[Crispy]

Hm, so you say, but I honestly don't expect any better than at least mild racism from those who are as completely ignorant as the Japanese are of the American black/white situation. I talked to a few of my Japanese exchange student friends and they say the extent of what they are taught in school on that subject is that blacks used to be slaves, then the civil war freed them, but both sides have been bitter ever since. I don't really blame the students for not being taught any more than that...

[Crispy]

I suppose I will be seeing it first-hand. I'm not sure how I will react, though. A lot of my family (who are all from the midwest and south) are of the "casual racist" type, they don't even really know that they are racist, they don't talk about it, but subtle things about their behavior shows that they are. Are the Japanese you know anything like that?

[Crispy]

I'd be interested to know how Africans are treated differently than African-Americans in Japan, could you expand on that?

[kamome]

Trust me, when you're in Japan, you'll figure out what I'm talking about. People are going to have attitudes and opinions even if they claim ignorance. The reason it continues is because they aren't adversely affected by it (until they come to visit the US).

Basically, the Japanese hide behind their ignorance in order to justify their racism/anti-gaijin feelings. They hold up their ignorance like a safety shield, even though they should know better regardless of how rural their upbringing was.

[Ketou]

I'd be interested to know how Africans are treated differently than African-Americans in Japan, could you expand on that?

Here's a thread from BlackTokyo. Don't know if it addresses how Japanese treat Africans or Africa-Americans but it a discussions on Africans vs African-Americans.

http://www.blacktokyo.com/cgi-bin/en/forum/ikonboard.cgi?s=3d3cf6572022ffff;act=ST;f=3;t=116

[kamome]

We started talking about why some cultures have modernized faster than others, and why. My Japanese counterpart, one of the nicest guys I know, told me that Africa hasn't developed farther, even though it has had Homo Sapiens for so much longer, because Africans are not as evolved as Japanese or Europeans. I couldn't really believe it, but he had a totally straight face.

He also confirmed that the Japanese race is 'purer' than other asian races. I fully expected him to start clicking his heels and goosestepping.

Yeah, that's typical crap from most Japanese people. They are oblivious to the fact that the Japanese themselves are a genetic mix of sorts--a combination of Koreans and Chinese plus certain indigenous peoples. That belief in racial purity was used to justify their treatment of other Asian peoples in WWII, and continues to be a justification for their present treatment of Japan-born Koreans as noncitizens.

[cstaylor]

We started talking about why some cultures have modernized faster than others, and why. My Japanese counterpart, one of the nicest guys I know, told me that Africa hasn't developed farther, even though it has had Homo Sapiens for so much longer, because Africans are not as evolved as Japanese or Europeans. I couldn't really believe it, but he had a totally straight face.

My my, psuedo-scientific claptrap at its best. Did you ask him what comic book he read that in?

He also confirmed that the Japanese race is 'purer' than other asian races.

I had a Taiwanese friend in high school that use to make that joke with me (I'm at least 3 different European nationalities, plus a small bit o' American Indian). I retorted "hey, you can be 100% shit... I'm happy with 25%".

After lunch, I asked him if his secretary was married, (really pretty, flirted with me all through lunch, went to school in Austin texas), and he replied that she only dates Japanese men

Bullshit... like he knows... but with that kind of idiot attitude he'd probably be presurring her not to date you if he thought it would happen... and she'd listen ('cause decent jobs are hard to find here).

The look was not hostile, but was if he couldn't believe that I'd even think of asking her out, being a lowly American

Yeah, sometimes I get that kind of attitude from some of my father's business partners... I usually smile 'cause I know what's in store for them when they retire... a wife that hates them and a family that doesn't know who they are. Think the missus is going to change their diapers when they don't have the strength to backhand them anymore?

Man, I've had a good week here, but I can't imagine what you guys see while you're living here.

Well, I can't imagine was guys like Kamome go through, working for the Man, but as I see it I can always go home, so I'm taking this part of my life as a learning experience.

[Crispy]

We started talking about why some cultures have modernized faster than others, and why. My Japanese counterpart, one of the nicest guys I know, told me that Africa hasn't developed farther, even though it has had Homo Sapiens for so much longer, because Africans are not as evolved as Japanese or Europeans. I couldn't really believe it, but he had a totally straight face.

Yeah, I have a Chinese friend who said the same thing about Africans. I guess it is just a product of being seperate from the rest of the world for that critical time in history when Africa was being colonized by Europe.

[cstaylor]

You can say the same thing about the Japanese. Imagine what the world would have looked like if Perry (or other colonial powers) hadn't forced his way into Japan in the mid 19th century? You'd have samurai (using swords!) against the Thompson submachine gun... it would have been a bloodbath.

I just goes to show that even "educated and evolved" people can't tell the difference between racial and cultural maturity.

[Buraku]

[Takechanpoo]

[Greji]

Hey Buraku,
Althohgh it has been on my mind, why is your account name "Buraku"?
Your wife is one of those?

Nope. It's in honor of your Mom....