From: masuda@fcs280b.ncifcrf.gov (Michiaki Masuda)
Subject: Re: Not a Myth at All
Organization: Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 19:35:58 GMT

In article <1ic4r8INNgp5@uniwa.uwa.edu.au> keis@psy.uwa.oz.au (Keis Ohtsuka) writes:
>masuda@fcs280b.ncifcrf.gov (Michiaki Masuda) writes:
.....
>>   The "Foreigners Only" policy that I mentioned above was used to make
>>the place look like popular among gaijin. Gaijin customers sitting close
>>to the window were highly visible from the street and gave an exotic 
>>atmosphere to the place. Although I don't know if it violated the basic
>>human rights or not, I don't think that using gaijin customers as free
>>advertisement (or "hito-yose panda" in Japanese) only because of their 
>>race was the best thing to do. 

>Stereo-typing. A tendency to perceive individuals as representatives
>of ethnic groups based on their appearance. It is tantamount to deny
>individualities of foreigners.

   True. Being a foreigner does not mean that he/she is a good customer. If
they misbehave, the owner should avoid them. B-)

   In my opinion, this "special seats for foreigners" policy is an 
expression of inferiority complex and gaijin spuremacist view among
Japanese.
   I think that it is a natural reaction for anyone to assume that if
someone else's appearance is different from one's own, there should be
other attached difference. In Japan, this assumption has been correct
in most cases until recently or even unti now. The problem is that
the human nature seems to attach superiority or inferioirity to the 
difference unreasonably. In this thread, there have been many discussions
on the "racism" that attaches inferiority to "gaijin", but we should
also realize that there exists another form of racism that should be
avoided.

>>  As I mentioned in my previous posting, "gaijin okotowari" would not be
>>regarded as racism by Japanese in Japan and it might not be an expression
>>of inherently racist attitude of the shopowner (he might be using that
>>policy just to protect his business and be an enthusiastic fan of, say, 
>>Cindy Crawford at the same time). If you try to persuade him that it is
>>wrong because it is racism ("jinshu sabetsu") same as the one the US 
>>and South Africa has, he might not understand your logic and would not
>>see the reason why he should abondon that policy. Instead if you tell him 
>>that it is wrong to discriminate all the people in a certain group due to
>>the misbehavior or bad reputation of only a part of the group, chances 
>>would be higher that he understands your point and finally realizes that
>>there are other form of racism than the one he has had in mind.

>Here I beg to disagree precisely because of my stronger "Revisionist"
>tendency. In a nut shell, the very reason I was very harshly criticizing
>a "gentler and kinder" racism, or a strong tendency for stereo-typing
>among the Japanese (some japanese, if you don't like it) is that

   Good for you. Without your saying, "some Japanese," I might have
said, "Being Japanese, you don't seem to be free from a typical Japanese 
tendency, either. You sterotyped the Japanese mentality."

>I believe that the Japanese deserve better than a smoke screen of cultural
>"uniqueness." 

   It should be pointed out more specifically that one of the most 
significant uniqueness in Japan is a racial homogeneity. It is not a
smoke screen but a fact. As the racial heterogeneity has an influence on
the, say, American mentality, it may well have an effect on the Japanese
mentality.

>If they (or we) are serious about the business of 
>taking initiative in the internationa arena so that the country attain
>the respect that commensulates her economic might, the Japanese got to
>think about what kind of visions Japan would like to offer to other 
>countries and people.

   I really respect the high road that you are taking, but the owner of the
bar may not be interested in playing a major role in the international
arena.
   If something has to be changed from an objective point of view, that
should be changed whether it does good to Japan or not. If we say, "We
adapt our value system to others' in order for us to be accepted by
others," that would sound very calculating. Ideally, respect by others 
should be a result rahter than a purpose of the change. 

>  What's in it for other people to be friendly
>with the Japanese other than earning a bit of money by trading??

   If you are not finding anything else in your foreign friends, I'd feel
very sorry for you B-).

   Other people are not necessarily friendly in order to extract money from 
Japan. Some people are trying to achieve it rather by causing a pressure
towards Japan. 

>  In short, we should
>"educate" people unaware of their "inadvertent" racism but with
>the universal values not by local rules.  

   Actually, I am not sure if I have anything good enough to educate
anyone regarding this matter. It is most likely that I have my "inadvertent"
racism, and probably, so does almost everyone. In my opinion, the important
thing is for us to keep flexibility and to be prepared to learn spontaneously.
In other words, if someone corrects his/her wrong view or prejudice from the
direct experience, that would be rooted more deeply in their heart and
mind. 

--Michiaki


Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan