Genetics - 1/2 breeds

[Mels]

My wife (Japanese) is 9 weeks pregnant, so I've been thinking about this lately, even though I've always told myself that it didn't matter. The health is what's important...yada yada yada.

Anyway, what was said before is all correct...another interesting thing is that the wavy hair gene is stronger than straight. And, if both parents are half white, with one recessive blue gene, then the child can have pure blue eyes and still be only half white, half Japanese. The odds are only 1 in 4 though.

I know a guy who's father is half japanese and he doesn't look asian at all. He looks like a typical, tall, goofy white guy.

OH I FORGOT TO SAY

CONGRATS TO YOU AND YOUR WIFE!!!!!! You will definitely have an adorable baby!!!

[Mels]

[Mels]

I am white, but a mix of the 'white' races. I am part irish, scottish, english and god knows what else. Perhaps a mix of asian/black/white is just a more of an extreme. I am 6'3" and my woman is pretty small. So I hope it isnt the case of the german shepard and the chiwowa, where the chiwowa almost dies coz the pups were too big

My mom is 5 even. Dad was about 6 feet. I was a 7 pounder. Mom was in labor for about 36 hours and did have a tough time. But she got through it just fine.

Today, there are so many advances to help the female through labor and childbirth. IYou and your wife will be fine. Just make sure you both have a great doctor that can make suggestions if something comes up. Such are C-section, etc...

[Mels]

Interesting comments. I wonder how you might of turned out had you spent your formative years here rather than in the states? I'm curious because my son is 6 and he'll be start elementary school here in April and I am anxious as to what problems he might encounter.

I can share what my parents went through and what they decided. Maybe it will help, may be not.

I suppose it depends on what the family plan is..meaning, my parents made a decision that my first language would be english because they wanted me to have a good command of one language first before I learned a second.

I am grateful for that decision. My dad said that many of his freinds recommended this because their own kids ended up in speech therapy classes...because their english was poor....heavy accents due to speaking Japanese.

Additionally, my parents wanted to make sure I was equiped to handle living in the US. Altough many half children can pick their nationality when they are a certain age, my parents did not contact the Japanese Embassy when I was born, I did not have the opportunity to choose my nationality (residency)....but even if I had a choice, I would have picked the US.

Is your son going to attend an International School? Or is he going to attend a Japanese school? What language will he be taught in? Personally, for me I was happy I was taught in English. I did not have future issues with language, etc.

Does he speak fluent Japanese and American? What is his first language? Does he have a command of one language?

The reason I am asking is:
if he is attending an International school, then he will be with other kids who are foreigners. He will then go through the normal kid stuff. and what a great experience he will have. Plus, they teach in english.

if he is attending a Japanese school, then he and any other foriegn students will be different. But that is not a bad thing. As you sound like an involved parent, your communication with the teacher and your child will be something important. Your son, at this age may not encounter anything challenging. But kids are kids.
Personally, I think it is important to distinguish the following:
is the challenge due to him being half, or
is it normal childhood experiences for his growth

You obviously are an involved parent and that is so important, regardless where you live. However, your influence is so important while in Japan....you are his american side and he will need to learn that side as well.

Here is a story of one of my friends who did not have his father around nor did he have any contact with his dad until he was eleven:

Mark was born and raised in Okinawa. His american father left when he was a baby. Mark's first language was Japanese (opposed to the Okinawan Hogen).
He did have a tough time going to the local school...it was because he did not have a father present in his life and he looked more white then Okinawan.
At 11, he came to the US. He had a tough time here because he spoke broken english. But he got through it all. We met in college here and became good friends. However, I did notice an accent when he spoke english.
When he came to age to choose his nationality (residency), he choose Japan. He is married to a girl from Tokyo and has three kids. So, for Mark, he went to the Japan side..
I think Mark's life story is unique, although there are others out there.

When my parents and I left Okinawa for Tokyo at 10, my parents decided that mom and I would stay in Tokyo while dad headed to Thailand for a year.
Mom could have sent me to Yokohama (Yokosuka Naval Base) for school. However the train ride would have been 1 1/2 hours and she did not want me to go through this at 10.

I could have been enrolled in a Japanese school, but mom felt it would have been to difficult..plus, they would have tested me and I would not have passed the kanji exam...simply because I only knew english at the time.
My parents hired a tutor from the University of Tokyo to teach me for one year. That one year actually advanced my knowledge in math and science tremendously, although I had to play catch up on english once I returned to school. All in all, it was great experience. I taught myself hiragana, katagana and kanji because I wanted to read the manga books.
I do wonder from time to time...what would it have been like if I attended a Japanese school? I know I would have been facing certain challenges...heck I had already gone through that with kids in the neighborhood, but it would have been a learning experience.

Your boy will be just fine. He will have something that the average american or japanese doesnt have...he has the best of both worlds. and he will learn how to deal with situations today, that will help him in the future.

[Maths Dude]

I was just worried because my family has a history of large babies. I was 11 pounds my bro even bigger. I think she couldn't handle 11 pounds ! I'm guessing everything will match up alright hehe!

[American Oyaji]

Hey Maths,

I'm 6'9"/10"

japanese ex wife is 5'1"

Babies weren't so big, but they sure grew.

[Mels]

I was just worried because my family has a history of large babies. I was 11 pounds my bro even bigger. I think she couldn't handle 11 pounds ! I'm guessing everything will match up alright hehe!

It will work out just fine. You sound like my dad, very caring and loving, that is what she will need when she is pregnant. If you are not in Japan now, then your support will be more important because her family is in Japan.

My mom did well in Monatana when she was pregnant, but I am sure it would have been even better if her mom was around...but dad made her time good.

[Maths Dude]

Yeah we are in OZ. I said she could go to Japan and have it, but she wants to stay here - so be it. I'm sure my mum has already knitted a million booties since she has no grandchildren yet. We have no family at all in this city so I'm guessing its gonna be tough - and I am a student again. Hopefully I'll be finished everything so a squawking baby doesnt affect my sleep before exams! One cultural issue is in Oz we simply never sleep with the baby (I think this is western culture), they have their own room from day 1. I never once slept in my parents bed - not even when I had a bad dream. I think that toughens you up a bit. But in Japan they sleep with the Kid!! I think I have decided to let her do what she wants, but I am also concerened that it will be crushed in its sleep .

[Mels]

Yeah we are in OZ. I said she could go to Japan and have it, but she wants to stay here - so be it. I'm sure my mum has already knitted a million booties since she has no grandchildren yet. We have no family at all in this city so I'm guessing its gonna be tough - and I am a student again. Hopefully I'll be finished everything so a squawking baby doesnt affect my sleep before exams! One cultural issue is in Oz we simply never sleep with the baby (I think this is western culture), they have their own room from day 1. I never once slept in my parents bed - not even when I had a bad dream. I think that toughens you up a bit. But in Japan they sleep with the Kid!! I think I have decided to let her do what she wants, but I am also concerened that it will be crushed in its sleep .

I think it depends on the family. I know in the US many of my friends have the baby sleep in the same room or in the same bed. I think I would want the baby in the room in their own crib...but i have to say, once you have that little baby in your arms, you may want to sleep with him/her...I babysat my godson when he was two months old, and I loved having him sleep on my chest...they smell sooooo good too. But, I would put him in his little crib next to my bed. I would wake up in the middle of the night to make sure it was alright and breathing....but he was always cool.

I am glad you will let her do what she wants, you won't crush the baby, it will curse you out in its baby way to wake you up

My mom and dad were not around any family and they did well. You both will have a great time. BTW, good luck with school!!

[American Oyaji]

Yeah. My kids fell asleep on my cheat many times.

And since Japanese homes usually don't have central heating then the baby sleeping with the mother is quite practical.

Sometimes I'd fall asleep with the baby curled up beside me and wake up and he'd be over beside his mother.

[Adhesive]

My mom is 5 even. Dad was about 6 feet. I was a 7 pounder. Mom was in labor for about 36 hours and did have a tough time. But she got through it just fine.

Can I ask how tall you are? I'm just curious because I'm 6'2 and my wife is about 5 even as well. Oddly enough, I'm much taller than both of my parents; father is 5'10 and mother is about 5'4. genetics are such a trip.

[Adhesive]

Me and my wife have decided to follow the Japanese custom of having the child sleep in the same room. I've come to find the western custom of isolating the child in a seperate bedroom at night to be unnatural. I understand the argument about independence, but really at such a young age I'm much more concerned with developing a secure attachment to the child than anything else.

[Mels]

My mom is 5 even. Dad was about 6 feet. I was a 7 pounder. Mom was in labor for about 36 hours and did have a tough time. But she got through it just fine.

Can I ask how tall you are? I'm just curious because I'm 6'2 and my wife is about 5 even as well. Oddly enough, I'm much taller than both of my parents]

It is all about what cards you are given. I am 5'3". I have girlfriends who are 5'5" and 5'8" or taller and male friends who are 6'-6'5". Then again there are friends who are short. This isnt specific to being half....there are many americans who are 5' married to a 6'+.
If you have a child, they may be shorter then you....or they may have the hght.

[Mels]

Me and my wife have decided to follow the Japanese custom of having the child sleep in the same room. I've come to find the western custom of isolating the child in a seperate bedroom at night to be unnatural. I understand the argument about independence, but really at such a young age I'm much more concerned with developing a secure attachment to the child than anything else.

I do like this approach as well ..up to a certain age. I slept with my parents from a young age and even when they had me sleep in my own room...I think that was between 2-3, I use to sneak in their bed. It was security I wanted. But they were able to break that habit. My mom would also come to sleep with me from time to time.

That time of bonding is very important for future development. But, I do have friends who are having challenges with their kids who, even at 7 and 8 want to sleep with their parents. They are slowly breaking that habit, but it has been challenging.

[Iraira]

[quote="amdg"] For example your woman (man?) might be a beautiful and highly desirable specimen but has Huntington disease, which is a genetic disease that only shows its symptoms at around the age of 35. Is she the perfect genetic specimen? No, but she may look it, and you might have many children with her before she turns 35. The theory of evolution is all about who can have the most viable offspring, its not the same thing as saying who has the &#8216]
Anytime someone mentions trinucleotide expansion diseases that show penetrance and anticipation, I get all gooey inside. Slip-strand mispairing rocks.

[is2scooby]

I'm a classic 1/2 Japanese 1/2 Caucasian (French, English, Irish, German) mix. There are TONS of us here in Hawaii.

My dad is a 6'2" New Yorker, and my mom is a 5'2" Asagaia Tokyo native.

I got stuck in the middle at 5'9".

When I'm in Hawaii, everyone thinks I look REALLY white. When I am went to college in California people thought I was Spanish or Italian.

When I recently spent some time in Tokyo no one could believe I was anything but 100% Caucasian. So they were very surprised when I could understand them speaking Japanese.

Here's a pic for reference. Excuse the metrosexual shirt. It was a phase. lol

[is2scooby]

Oh, and congratulations to the new parents to be!

[is2scooby]

Oh, and just for reference if you're wondering where a goofy halfbreed like myself comes from...








I think my Dad did good for a goofy Bronx kid.

[GomiGirl]

I am far from a genetist, but it is widely known that the origional colour was black and all other colours derived from black people. When it comes to eye colour, blue is the mutant. So when a brown and blue dna strand come together, the controls (enzymes)that control the dna coming together see blue as the mutant and iron out the irregularities, the result is brown.

Weird to pull up an old thread but I this is just random shit that I wanted to post but didn't want to start a new thread.

I met a Japanese woman today - she is my son's swimming coach - and she has the most amazing blue eyes. She has no FG in her heritage even way back when. She was not wearing contacts and she was born with blue eyes. She has no vision issues (not wearing glasses or contacts) but she did mention some sort of disease. I didn't want to pry too much as I am sure she is sick and tired of explaining her eye colour to people. Natural mutation? First time I have ever seen or heard of this.

I just want to know what colour eyes her kids have if/when she has them.

That's all - just wanted to share this random information from my day - I am such a rockstar.

[Wage Slave]

The mutation of brown eyes to blue represents neither a positive nor a negative mutation. It is one of several mutations such as hair colour, baldness, freckles and beauty spots, which neither increases nor reduces a human’s chance of survival. As Professor Eiberg says, “it simply shows that nature is constantly shuffling the human genome, creating a genetic cocktail of human chromosomes and trying out different changes as it does so.”
Read more at http://scienceblog.com/15361/all-blue-e ... oSlj2Vt.99

[Coligny]

Flash a bright light in her eyes, she will sneeze... Work with aryans too...

[Russell]

According to this vid, blue eyes make people have more kids...

Solution for the population problem in Japan?

[Grumpy Gramps]

[snip]...beauty spots...[/snip]

Oh that's how they're called. My doctor calls them "age spots". Will tell him next time, so he can learn to express himself properly.

Blue eyed J-girl, must be a stunner

[yanpa]

I met a Japanese woman today - she is my son's swimming coach - and she has the most amazing blue eyes. She has no FG in her heritage even way back when. She was not wearing contacts and she was born with blue eyes. She has no vision issues (not wearing glasses or contacts) but she did mention some sort of disease. I didn't want to pry too much as I am sure she is sick and tired of explaining her eye colour to people. Natural mutation? First time I have ever seen or heard of this.

Is she from the Tohoku area by any chance?

[Coligny]

I hate it when this happens...

I put all stops to control myself... Just to be overtaken by a wilder contender...

Was going to ask if she was born after 3/11...

[yanpa]

I was actually being serious. There is apparently a slight genetic predeliction for persons with Tohoku ancestry to have blue eyes. Though I can't find any usable references right now. Might be something to do with Ainu genes.

[Russell]

I was actually being serious. There is apparently a slight genetic predeliction for persons with Tohoku ancestry to have blue eyes. Though I can't find any usable references right now. Might be something to do with Ainu genes.

Would there also be such a thing with Dutch genes in Kyushu?

Or weren't they allowed to fuck the locals in Dejima?

[Mike Oxlong]

[Coligny]

I...

I... Have to watch this...

ASAP...

(Hate Bronson though... Nearly as much as Charlton Heston...)

[yanpa]

I was actually being serious. There is apparently a slight genetic predeliction for persons with Tohoku ancestry to have blue eyes. Though I can't find any usable references right now. Might be something to do with Ainu genes.

Would there also be such a thing with Dutch genes in Kyushu?

Or weren't they allowed to fuck the locals in Dejima?

Let me refer you to the fine tome "Interracial Intimacy in Japan", Leupp 2003, particularly pp105 - 115.