From: kim@magneto.physics.auburn.edu (Han-jung Kim)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: What do most of Japanese think of Korean (Re: An open letter..)
Date: 23 Aug 92 00:06:42 GMT
Reply-To: kim@magneto.physics.auburn.edu (Han-jung Kim)
Organization: Auburn University, Auburn, AL
Message-I.D.: <Aug22.213840.42821@yuma.ACNS.ColoState.EDU>Lines: 74


 In article <Aug22.213840.42821@yuma.ACNS.ColoState.EDU> ntetsuya@lamar.ColoState.EDU (Nishimura) writes:
>In article <1992Aug22.203554.16438@u.washington.edu> yeonwook@hardy.u.washington.edu (Mark Choi) writes:
>
>[stuff deleted]
>>
>>
>>Why are the "*jins" degrading? Do they have any specific negative definition?
>>
>	No, not really.  "JIN" is just another reading of a character "HITO,"
>	which means "human, pearson, people."
>

Thank you for your reference, Mr.
Very useful to widen my ackowledge.
 However I guess that when somebody uses a word "JOSENJIN", most of
Koreans who has never met Japanese or who has never lived in Japan think
that they are insulted by that word, very similarly to the meaning of "JAPS".

I do not mind if somebody calls me 'JOSENJIN', but when I was grown up in Korea,
I becamt to have a concept that 'JOSENJIN' is that kind of word. 
So the Japanese Laguage book I have read has used 'KANGKOKUJIN' rather than
'JOSENJIN'. At that time I have understood the reason as above.

Theoretically 'JIN' , I sure, has no other meaning than 'PERSON'.
But neverthless, most of koreans over age 25 (just guess; those who studied
Korean History in middle and high school where they were taugh that Korea has
once occupied and lots of damages were done to Korean by Japan of that day)
, I am strongly sure, has negative image whenever the word 'JOSENJIN' is used.

If you has not been aware of the other meaning of 'JOSENJIN', no problem
at all to me, but maybe you need to use that word carefully at the face of
korean. They may think that they are insulted unless they are open-minded.

As long as you think that 'JIN' means just 'PERSON', you can call me 'JOSENJIN'.
I do not care, because now I know that Mr. Nishimura has no intention to
 insult korean from this word, so I do not care.

However I stongly believe that 'JOSENJIN' has some secondary meaning in
Japanese society, because lots of old korean elders have referred that 
word.  I do not want to ask Japanese society not to use that word, even thogh
that word has such a secondary meaning. If necessary all the words can us
spoken to represent the image in our mind. 

What I am interested in is why korean has been called 'JOSENJIN' WITH 
A NEGATIVE MEANING as 'NIGGER' as in AMERICA. 
If there exists a real secondary meaning of 'JOSENJIN' with A NEGATIVE
IMAGE, I want to know the 'WHY'. Then I can teach koreans whom I can touch to
be better people. 
(I graduated from a college of education and served as a middle 
school teacher for two years before coming to USA, and want to be close enough
to understand the PRESENT FACTS as possible as I can.) 
I do not want to tell any rumers and gossip to our next generation without any
basis and sources. To do that, I need to collect as many informations as I can.

Next year I will finish My Ph.D of science, then may return to Korean.
So I want to ba prepared to tell the truth to my fellows or kids so that 
korean and Japanese can be the closest friend ever before. 

I WANT TO ASK AGAIN IF THE WORD 'JOSENJIN' HAS ANY OTHER  NEGATIVE 
MEANING EXCEPT JUST PURE MEANIG OF 'PERSON'.
IF THERE IS NEVER SUCH A SECONDARY, NEGATIVE MEANING, I WILL WASH OUT
THE QUESTION OF THIS WORD AND WILL TELL MY FELLOW KOREANS THIS FACT.


NIGGER---- JOSENJIN ---- JAPS <------ not beautiful words to me.

If josenjin doese not have a negative meaning,

NIGGER --- JAPS   <---- ARE ONLY NOT-BEAUTIFUL WORDS I AM NOT WILLING TO
USE.  I love only beautiful words which makes out world beautiful!

Thanks again any body who read this posting. and thanks for your
patience to read this poor question.
 
Xref: sparky soc.culture.japan:6968 soc.culture.china:23395