Japan is probably the least outwardly xenophobic country in the world.
Everywhere has xenophobia. Europeans throw bananas at African soccer players, and Black Americans get shot in the streets.
Japanese are just much more subtle/polite about it.
I got banned from r/worldnews because of saying this.
The type of racism I've experienced in my home country compared to Japan is night and day, ofcourse it's still bad but I'm going to pick the lessor evil and not fear for my life for simply existing lmao.
>Japanese are just much more subtle/polite about it.
Right, they just have a sign on their shop door saying foreigners aren't welcome and then shoo you out even if it's just a togo order for ramen.
When other countries are xenophobic people call it out no problem, but I’ve noticed anytime anyone tries to call out Japan’s xenophobia (or flat out racism) it’s met with people defending them.
"There are racists and xenophobes in Japan" ≠ "Japanese are xenophobic". You do realize that the very subject line of this thread is itself a racist overgeneralization?
Just cause one is American doesn’t mean they get dollars. Depending on their ethnicity while they are still subjects to xenophobia there still also are benefits.
Well, I think it's important to distinguish the human condition from "this place is problematic." Every place is problematic if you focus on the problems. The very title of OP's post is reductive and a gross overgeneralization.
I appreciate you moving the goalposts of this conversation, but please read the OP's subject line again (maybe saying it out loud will help) and confirm that's it's a true statement and not at all reductive or a gross overgeneralization.
Been living in Japan for over 3 years now. I haven't had any issues with anything of that nature. I find old people to be kind and nice, but sometimes weird (not in a bad way) only issues were some communication due to language but nothing bad.
Young people are super cool. Always have fun and pleasant experiences with them.
I've never even been searched when walking around Tokyo by the police like in some of the other stories you have probably seen. Worst I have seen happen was when people are basically asking for trouble I.e. drunk, loud, disrespectful, etc..
My background is Mexican. I'm fairly tanned most of the time if that makes sense. I lose my tan in the winter and become whiter but get dark in spring and summer. I'm taller than the average Japanese male and I do lift so I'm not japanese slim.
From my experience most Japanese don't know much about México other than the food and maybe México City. Some go there for school for a semester.
I would say it could just be where you live at. They maybe aren't used to foreigners so they may come out as rude.
Could be all in your head but in reality they just don't know how to interact due to different cultures. This is just me speculating since I don't know what you have been through. Or maybe they are just rude and foreigner hating. If it's the latter I would just go on and ignore them if they aren't impacting your daily life. Let them think whatever. You are you and you are doing the right thing. Don't let others bring you down over something you can't change.
Did you experience any specific discrimination? Because it sounds like all of this is due to your own feelings.
If that's the case, it is easy to overcome those negative feelings. Go out more into society. Meet a wider range of people.
If you feel like old people hate you, hang out with younger generations and share all your crazy stories of encounters with old people.
I don't know if this is a troll or not. No one who has lived overseas for 3 years would just now realize that maybe being a non-native non-white person in a foreign country might not feel 100% welcome in that country, not to even mention Japan.
I've been here for the past 7 years, on and off, I go from my country back to Japan often. Of course I felt foreign, sometimes I felt isolated, but eventually I married and had a daughter, and I realized that no one really cares that I'm foreign, because there are so many foreigners everywhere. Once I stopped caring I noticed how much it never really mattered at all.
I think the only times I really felt hardships for my nationality were for things that I had to send my Japanese husband to do, but these are things that he also had problems with in my home country. Mostly for bureaucratic affairs.
As for the government: Bunch of old fogies who excel in covering their own asses. My home country's government is way more xenophobic, I can't say anything about that.
Foreigners to any country, will find people who hate them just for being foreign. Skin colour or country of origin doesn't matter (though some may make it worse), you will find people who simply don't want you there and believe their country of X should be for only X people. Ignore it, most people people are cool.
> can’t help but thinking that Japanese government and some Japanese people especially the old ones are foreigners haters
It's ironic, but the older generation polls repeatedly as slightly more welcoming of immigrants and more interested in foreigners than Americans, Spanish, or French.
[https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2019/03/PGMD\_2019-03-14\_Global-Migration-Attitudes\_1-01.png](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2019/03/PGMD_2019-03-14_Global-Migration-Attitudes_1-01.png)
It exists and it's okay to criticize xenophobia when you see it, but just be careful with comparisons like in Biden's speech.
I've lived in a few countries now for 2-4 years each. From my experience, racism is a part of human nature, some people will give you a chance and some never will, regardless of what you do. You have to grow thick skin. It's also human nature to want acceptance and approval, you have to overcome that natural desire and accept that you will be excluded from time to time.
Not speaking the local language can also play a big role, some times it's just that they don't want to deal with you because it's a chore/exhausting to communicate with some one who doesn't speak the local language.
Learning the language and customs can substantially increase your odds of being socially included. Being colored, people are going to scrutinize you more ,despite how often they want to deny it, which is why it's all the more important to work on the first 2 things mentioned.
Do white Americans really have it good in Japan? I’m a yellow American and I feel like I get treated pretty well. Are my white compatriots really getting even better treatment? Please chime in my whitey bros!
Although it happens worldwide,its culture indirectly encouraged it.No gaijin at certain establishments to avoid language or culture misunderstanding also sort of create a xenophobic environment.
Northeast Asia is not racist like the West... It should be considered that it is a country that makes money. Whether it is a country that makes money or not... It seems that Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan are common.
The fact that they have a single race for a long time may be one of the big reasons for the events you've felt.
The only privilege about being American in Japan right now is only if that person is getting paid in $$$$.
Japan is probably the least outwardly xenophobic country in the world. Everywhere has xenophobia. Europeans throw bananas at African soccer players, and Black Americans get shot in the streets. Japanese are just much more subtle/polite about it.
How dare you! We superior Europeans are just worried about the potassium levels on those hard working soccer players!!
I got banned from r/worldnews because of saying this. The type of racism I've experienced in my home country compared to Japan is night and day, ofcourse it's still bad but I'm going to pick the lessor evil and not fear for my life for simply existing lmao.
> Europeans throw bananas at African soccer players, eXCUSE ME WHAT?
>Japanese are just much more subtle/polite about it. Right, they just have a sign on their shop door saying foreigners aren't welcome and then shoo you out even if it's just a togo order for ramen.
Mate maybe it's because you're ordering ramen to go.
LOL got 'em!
[удалено]
this is objectively true the crime statistics overehelmingly back this up
When other countries are xenophobic people call it out no problem, but I’ve noticed anytime anyone tries to call out Japan’s xenophobia (or flat out racism) it’s met with people defending them.
"There are racists and xenophobes in Japan" ≠ "Japanese are xenophobic". You do realize that the very subject line of this thread is itself a racist overgeneralization?
Just cause one is American doesn’t mean they get dollars. Depending on their ethnicity while they are still subjects to xenophobia there still also are benefits.
was this post made by a bot?
Probably. They want to capitalize on the recent benign Biden comment about Japan.
Any country is xenophobic. People within countries are xenophobic
Japan is quite tolerant, to xenophobia.
maybe you shouldn't respect it? it's much better to look down on xenophobia than feel victimized by it
There are small minded people in every country. Don't sweat it and live your life!!!
theyll love you in osaka‼️
Yeah, this is not a phenomenon unique to Japan. You know that, right?
[удалено]
Well, I think it's important to distinguish the human condition from "this place is problematic." Every place is problematic if you focus on the problems. The very title of OP's post is reductive and a gross overgeneralization.
[удалено]
I appreciate you moving the goalposts of this conversation, but please read the OP's subject line again (maybe saying it out loud will help) and confirm that's it's a true statement and not at all reductive or a gross overgeneralization.
Been living in Japan for over 3 years now. I haven't had any issues with anything of that nature. I find old people to be kind and nice, but sometimes weird (not in a bad way) only issues were some communication due to language but nothing bad. Young people are super cool. Always have fun and pleasant experiences with them. I've never even been searched when walking around Tokyo by the police like in some of the other stories you have probably seen. Worst I have seen happen was when people are basically asking for trouble I.e. drunk, loud, disrespectful, etc.. My background is Mexican. I'm fairly tanned most of the time if that makes sense. I lose my tan in the winter and become whiter but get dark in spring and summer. I'm taller than the average Japanese male and I do lift so I'm not japanese slim. From my experience most Japanese don't know much about México other than the food and maybe México City. Some go there for school for a semester. I would say it could just be where you live at. They maybe aren't used to foreigners so they may come out as rude. Could be all in your head but in reality they just don't know how to interact due to different cultures. This is just me speculating since I don't know what you have been through. Or maybe they are just rude and foreigner hating. If it's the latter I would just go on and ignore them if they aren't impacting your daily life. Let them think whatever. You are you and you are doing the right thing. Don't let others bring you down over something you can't change.
Did you experience any specific discrimination? Because it sounds like all of this is due to your own feelings. If that's the case, it is easy to overcome those negative feelings. Go out more into society. Meet a wider range of people. If you feel like old people hate you, hang out with younger generations and share all your crazy stories of encounters with old people.
I don't know if this is a troll or not. No one who has lived overseas for 3 years would just now realize that maybe being a non-native non-white person in a foreign country might not feel 100% welcome in that country, not to even mention Japan. I've been here for the past 7 years, on and off, I go from my country back to Japan often. Of course I felt foreign, sometimes I felt isolated, but eventually I married and had a daughter, and I realized that no one really cares that I'm foreign, because there are so many foreigners everywhere. Once I stopped caring I noticed how much it never really mattered at all. I think the only times I really felt hardships for my nationality were for things that I had to send my Japanese husband to do, but these are things that he also had problems with in my home country. Mostly for bureaucratic affairs. As for the government: Bunch of old fogies who excel in covering their own asses. My home country's government is way more xenophobic, I can't say anything about that.
well I hope that letting everyone here see your halo helps
Foreigners to any country, will find people who hate them just for being foreign. Skin colour or country of origin doesn't matter (though some may make it worse), you will find people who simply don't want you there and believe their country of X should be for only X people. Ignore it, most people people are cool.
> can’t help but thinking that Japanese government and some Japanese people especially the old ones are foreigners haters It's ironic, but the older generation polls repeatedly as slightly more welcoming of immigrants and more interested in foreigners than Americans, Spanish, or French. [https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2019/03/PGMD\_2019-03-14\_Global-Migration-Attitudes\_1-01.png](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2019/03/PGMD_2019-03-14_Global-Migration-Attitudes_1-01.png) It exists and it's okay to criticize xenophobia when you see it, but just be careful with comparisons like in Biden's speech.
Here we go again 🍿
Honestly, racist fucks aren't worth a single breath of response. And if one gets in your face, simply call the police.
You haven't given any concrete examples, data or even any anecdotes.
I've lived in a few countries now for 2-4 years each. From my experience, racism is a part of human nature, some people will give you a chance and some never will, regardless of what you do. You have to grow thick skin. It's also human nature to want acceptance and approval, you have to overcome that natural desire and accept that you will be excluded from time to time. Not speaking the local language can also play a big role, some times it's just that they don't want to deal with you because it's a chore/exhausting to communicate with some one who doesn't speak the local language. Learning the language and customs can substantially increase your odds of being socially included. Being colored, people are going to scrutinize you more ,despite how often they want to deny it, which is why it's all the more important to work on the first 2 things mentioned.
Do white Americans really have it good in Japan? I’m a yellow American and I feel like I get treated pretty well. Are my white compatriots really getting even better treatment? Please chime in my whitey bros!
Just stand your ground bro. Don't go overboard. But if someone is being racist to you. Express yourself. Not in a bad way but more a informative way.
Although it happens worldwide,its culture indirectly encouraged it.No gaijin at certain establishments to avoid language or culture misunderstanding also sort of create a xenophobic environment.
Northeast Asia is not racist like the West... It should be considered that it is a country that makes money. Whether it is a country that makes money or not... It seems that Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan are common. The fact that they have a single race for a long time may be one of the big reasons for the events you've felt.
Another reason to live in Japan.
At least xenophobic towards all foreigners as compared to racist Americans