From: harkcom@spinach.pa.yokogawa.co.jp (Alton Harkcom)
Subject: Re: More on "gaijin" (was Re: Please give your opinions...)
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 05:20:17 GMT
	<HARKCOM.92Nov16113149@spinach.pa.yokogawa.co.jp>
	<BxtuDJ.Jt3@ncifcrf.gov>
Organization: Yokogawa Electric Corporation, Tokyo, Japan

In article <BxtuDJ.Jt3@ncifcrf.gov> masuda@fcs280b.ncifcrf.gov
   (Michiaki Masuda) writes:

 =}>  The word
 =}>gaijin can (and sometimes is) used to refer to non-Japanese as inferior.
 =}
 =}   It is often used to refer to non-Japanese as superior.
 =}(e.g., Gaijin complex). 

   True.  And in my opinion, superiority/inferiority complex are both
the same form of racism...

 =}   In his exapmle, "gaijin" can be replaced by "Amerika-jin", 
 =}"Igirisu-jin", "Chuugoku-jin", etc.

   True again.  But the difference is that 'gaijin' is used enough in a
bad sense that it seems to carry the extra baggage referred to.  Some
people see this baggage as "too heavy" and want to try and eliminate the
carrier.  But as is often said in this group, eliminating the carrier
will just give birth to a new carrier.  The baggage itself is what needs
eliminating...

 =}>   I recently have started trying to ignore concentrating on the words
 =}>used and spending more time addressing the intent of the statements
 =}>made.  I've had mixed results but I feel this is the best way to
 =}>communicate...
 =}
 =}   This is a smart choice especially when you communicate in Japanese.
 =} [rational explanation deleted]

   (Is that "[rational explanation deleted]" bit going to get me accused
of biased deletion? :)

   Whether communicating in Japanese or English, it seems that the
average person (myself definitely included) is horrile at
communicating their meaning.  So my comment was not referring to the
mode of communication but rather the inneficiency of the communicator.
So in light of this I see it as more important to try to see the
meaning rather than the words and to ask for clarification whenever
a possible 'misunderstanding' occurs.

 =}   Recently, I read a book "Amerika to Nippon" written by Reona "Leo" Ezaki 
 =}(Physicist, Nobel Laureate). In comparing the American society and the 
 =}Japanese

 =} ["Amerika to Nippon" by Reona Ezaki]
 =} he cites a data which shows that
 =} in the US, 60 % ofinformation is transmitted by way of the language
 =} whereas only 16 % is conveyed via words in Japan.
 =} [...]
 =} This seems to be a good estimation.

   Is that why nobody knows what's going on around here :)  [JK]

   I guess I'll have to read that to see how valid the data is as it
doesn't sound like a very accurate accounting.  Comparing newspaper
articles between Asahi Shinbun and the New York Times seems to show
both to be about the same.  Comparison of technical documents (my
own experience) shows that the Japanese documention is slightly less
specific.  However, the fuzzy areas are usually areas which shouldn't
be fuzzy [flexible command sequences for example].

   If we are to include things like repeat information then the above
estimates seem OK as a lot less is usually repeated in Japan...

 =} The recent uprise among non-Japanese against the word "gaijin" is perhaps
 =}beyond comprehension of many Japanese. We cannot see any point in
 =}categorizing a word like "gaijin" into a group of derogatory, complimentary
 =}or whatever words without considering the context or the way it's presented.

   Many Americans feel the same as many Japanese in regard to this (as
this group demonstrates).  Flogging a word for the way it is used is
silly.  'attacking the messenger, not the message'...

 =}>    Recipe for dealing with racist remarks: 
 =}>
 =}>	When someone intentionaly makes a rude remark as to the
 =}>	inferiority of some group of people,
 =}.....
 =}
 =}	Any good recipe for another type of racist? What if someone makes a
 =}remark as to the superiority of some racial/ethnic group?

   Since it is the same type of ignorance, the same recipe will work.
However one might need to increase the basting and sprinkles a bit to
get rid of the stronger taste of bullshit...  :)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan