From: harkcom@spinach.pa.yokogawa.co.jp (Alton Harkcom)
Subject: Re: Not a Myth at All
Date: Wed, 13 Jan 1993 04:32:44 GMT
	<1993Jan8.212916.6558@island.COM> <C0LuA2.EL8@ncifcrf.gov>
Organization: Yokogawa Electric Corporation, Tokyo, Japan

In article <C0LuA2.EL8@ncifcrf.gov> masuda@fcs280b.ncifcrf.gov
   (Michiaki Masuda) writes:

 =}  You have already switched the issue in response to Maiko-san's posting.
 =}As I understand it, she stated that if an unfavorable behavior of some
 =}foreigners gave Japanese an excuse to post "No foreingers" signs,foreingers'
 =}learning Japanese (for better communication) and good behavior should be
 =}helpful for not giving an excuse and to make the survival easier.

   If it were a language problem then your above statements would make
a lot of sense.

   However, the shopkeepers will turn away even the foreigner who has
learned Japanese (possibly from birth) merely on the visual racial
distinctions which the shopkeeper sees.  This is why it is racism...

 =}Instead of agreeing to this statement, you started to argue that Japanese 
 =}shopowners should not discriminate gaijin customers based on even their
 =}command of Japanese as if you had been trying to say this is also racism.

   Does a sign like "No Foreigners" take into account language?  No it
does not.  The shopkeeper will look at the person coming in and say
"gaijin ha dame!" to anyone who doesn't look Japanese...

   If it were a language problem, then there would be many Japanese who
would have to be barred from the shop.  There are those Japanese who
through physical disabilities or their environment can not read, write
or speak Japanese.  However, a shopkeeper will try their best to serve
such a person [not to do so would be immoral by Japanese standards, or
at least the courts say it is illegal...]

 =}>>>>  BTW, what would you think about the "irezumi okotowari"
 =}>>>>(No tattooed person allowed) policy that you might have seen
 =}>>>>just below "gaijin okotowari"?
 =}.....

   Amazingly enough, the signs against tattoos are not usually accompanied
by signs against non-Japanese...

   The "No Tattoos" sign is discrimination based on the stereotype of
people who have tattoos.  It is applied to those who have tattoos.
tattoo discrimination?  The "No Foreigners" sign is discrimination
based on a multiple of things including the stereotype of non-Japanese
people.  It is applied to those who do not appear to be of the Japanese
race. Racial discrimination.

   Both forms of discrimination are wrong because they pre-judge an
individual's behaviour based upon generalizations of some other
individuals behaviour.  The mechanism for applying the prejudice is
one of common physical appearances.

   To see the wrongness of the discrimination one need merely ask
oneself "Is there anything about the common appearance that makes the
an individual of that appearance undesirable?" or "Do others who do not
share this common appearance have the undesirable behaviour?"

   These forms of discrimination are protection for the weak.  One who
is too weak to be willing to judge others on their own behaviour can
fall back on eliminating groups by physical appearance.  Start with those
who look physically different.  Then move on to those who share different
customs/practices which are visible.  Then move on to those who dress
just a bit differently.  Then move on to those who talk a bit differently.
Then one is stuck with someone who displays the worst of the list of
bad behaviours... ones ignorant self.

 =}  "Some gaijin caused trouble at the bar." -> "Gaijin cause trouble." ->
 =}"Gaijin okotowari."
 =}
 =}  "Some people with irezumi caused trouble at the bar." -> "People with
 =}irezumi cause trouble." -> "Irezumi okotowari."
 =}
 =} These two mental processes look analogous.

   They are.  And you brought up a good analogy as to how discrimination
is based upon generalizations transfered to phyisical characteristics.
Unfortunately you missed the most important part:

| Some gaijin and some Japanese | -> "Gaijin cause trouble." ->"Gaijin Dame!"
| caused trouble at the bar.    |

| Gaijin are rumored to be | -> "Gaijin cause trouble." ->"Gaijin Dame!"
| big hairy barbarians who |
| eat babies and rape      |
| anything that can't      |
| outrun them...           |

These are the actual paths taken in making the signs...