But japanese people are not only xenophobic, they are also racist. There was a show that, if I remember correctly, made fun of a black person for making sushi. Like it was the funniest thing ever for them. Racism has been normalised in the japanese society, but there’s also blatant xenophobia.
However, if I were to chose between being victim of racism in the US or in Japan I would always chose Japan because there would be fewer threats to my life.
When I lived in Japan I once watched a show where they flew to Turkey, gave a Turkish chef all ingredients for a common Japanese dish and then played laughing tracks when he tried to cook it without knowing what it is.
There were a lot of similar shows, like following foreign tourists and playing laughing tracks when they struggled with the ticket machine at a train station.
It’s both. I knew a guy who was half black, half Japanese but he was born and raised in Japan. Despite being native born and culturally Japanese, he still faced a lot of discrimination because he was black. Among the expats, we were all discriminated against due to being foreigners, but the black people got it the worst. Even among the Japanese people, there is colorism with lighter skin considered more desirable.
Can people really no longer differentiate between xenophobia and racism?
Not being pedantic, but misnaming thins only adds to the woes of the world, to (mis)quote Camus.
But japanese people are not only xenophobic, they are also racist. There was a show that, if I remember correctly, made fun of a black person for making sushi. Like it was the funniest thing ever for them. Racism has been normalised in the japanese society, but there’s also blatant xenophobia.
However, if I were to chose between being victim of racism in the US or in Japan I would always chose Japan because there would be fewer threats to my life.
When I lived in Japan I once watched a show where they flew to Turkey, gave a Turkish chef all ingredients for a common Japanese dish and then played laughing tracks when he tried to cook it without knowing what it is. There were a lot of similar shows, like following foreign tourists and playing laughing tracks when they struggled with the ticket machine at a train station.
I can only say I agree. They are both poisons, if slightly different poisons.
It’s both. I knew a guy who was half black, half Japanese but he was born and raised in Japan. Despite being native born and culturally Japanese, he still faced a lot of discrimination because he was black. Among the expats, we were all discriminated against due to being foreigners, but the black people got it the worst. Even among the Japanese people, there is colorism with lighter skin considered more desirable.