Racism certainly relies on the belief that certain groups of people are inferior. Context and intent are key.”. Lots to unpack here. The implication is that anyone can make a mistake, even so-called “experts” in a given field. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. I chose LinkedIn to solicit input. It also acknowledges that different Japanese people have different opinions, which acknowledges their humanity.
(I have encountered some Americans who love Japanese culture and think that using “san” is cool, arguably a silly way to express their fondness for the culture, but also a far cry from outright racism.). Is she just saying that some people will use ‘san’ with Japanese people in a derogatory way, or is it just the fact that it is ‘racist’ (in the strict sense of the term), without necessarily any ill will? It has since acquired many other uses, including identifying a religion or practice (Calvinism, vegetarianism); a prejudice (racism, sexism); a belief system (altruism, pacifism); a physical condition (alcoholism, hypothyroidism), or a feature or trait (colloquialism, highbrowism).
When I got home an hour later, five unhappy tweets awaited me: “The way you’re categorizing me as “a Japanese person” and my opinion in this category as a majority or minority view is kind of discriminatory; OK? Do you remember all the words from last week, September 21–27, 2020? They are also, on average, less likely to be hired for jobs than white candidates, despite the fact that there are laws prohibiting the consideration of race in the hiring process. ( Log Out / 4) N. A.
Still, the insidious idea that race determines a person’s behavior is strong and pervasive. There has been a guy who kept calling me “Takahashi” without Mr. or –san (and it’s not even my name!) I was already falling from the tree and didn’t even realize it.
Many people tend to think of racism as glaring and obvious: racist slurs, slavery, the Ku Klux Klan, Nazis, lynching, and other violent hate crimes. However, question 3 is case by case. They may not have any bad intentions but the effect is discriminatory.”. For starters, it is the first time in my forty-three years dealing with Japan that I have ever heard a Japanese person express this sentiment.
Cheers, (name withheld). (It goes without saying, all forms of discrimination are unacceptable and deplorable.). Yes, if we would now expand this to a transgender discussion, I would feel with “- san” more comfortable as it goes with all genders.
Racist means promoting, rooted in, or indicative of racism, as in racist ideology or racist comments. I’m expressing my feelings as a human being. Antiracist movements like the Civil Rights Movement, the movement to end apartheid, and those led by organizations like Black Lives Matter work to replace racism and injustice with justice. (Actions and statements like these are sometimes called microaggressions.). For better and for worse, I made an exception the other day and commented on someone’s tweet. I’ve heard san used in many contexts. .
Since Yuri did not give me a chance to respond to these mischaracterizations of my intent, allow me to state my case here. Japan is a country and culture, and this is an important distinction to make since “racism” too often gets tangled up with the more generic (and equally abhorable) concept of “discrimination.” In this context, it seems more meaningful to view this kind of discrimination through the lens of culture and/or nationality. Just to clarify, do you think it is racist/discriminatory, or simply tone-deaf? Though, I rather feel awkward that we tend to use First+san combo for non-Japanese, but we do not for Japanese (Last+san). But those who advocate for the recognition that racism is systemic often note that referring to racism as simply a belief ignores these actions taken due to such a belief and the oppression said to be embedded in such systems.
It would be a respectful act and prove that the person is familiar with Japanese culture. then followed up the above comment with the following): Tim-san, I understand you wondered if there could be any offensive case and started this post but it hasn’t found any. Dictionary.com Unabridged But alas, social media – especially twitter – prevents the intimacy inherent in face-to-face engagements and creates just the right conditions for misunderstandings, dehumanization of others, and monkeys falling from trees.
If my interpretation is correct, then I agree with her completely! It is not my place as a non-Japanese person to tell Japanese people whether or not they should be offended by the use of “san” in the context described – or any context for that matter. I said knowing “san” offends you, I would not use it with you. “The essence of cross-cultural communication has more to do with releasing responses than with sending messages. It sounds weird to insert Japanese word in English. Change ). Antiracism is an active effort to identify and dismantle racism. While I agree that it is easy to have misunderstandings with such small space to write, fortunately I have only experienced this a few times. (K.K. Intent and context are key. Besides, I would avoid being “sexist”. Upon reflection, I should have displayed more humility, tact, and thoughtfulness in my messaging.
To avoid biasing would-be respondents, I did not share my motivations or the content of Yuri’s tweet when I posted my survey. 3) no, I don’t (many Japanese do), My answers will all depend on the context. These all mean discrimination against. 1) It’s respectful and appreciated but not necessary 2) Not racist 3) I don’t! In this way, racism prevents people from seeing others as individuals. T.H.’s response: “I think it’s both. Japanese Responses (for privacy concerns, initials are provided in lieu of names): “Hi Tim-san. For the record, I don’t spend much time hanging around twitter and rarely comment, mostly because I don’t care for the medium, as it limits meaningful discourse and tends to breed toxic interactions.
Who gave me permission to go out and play on twitter!? At the risk of pedantically splitting linguistic hairs, I’d be remiss not to mention why I hesitate to racialize behavior in this context. Completely oblivious and blissfully ignorant, I closed my laptop and took a happy afternoon stroll around town with my wife. But it is my place as an interculturalist to point out that it is dangerous to assume all Japanese in all English-speaking situations are offended by the use of “san,” since I know some Japanese people who are offended when “san” is not used.
But I digress.
Mostly I’m disappointed because I was blocked by someone that I followed and respected. When I speak in English, I would never add san to address. The suffix -ism is used in racism to indicate a doctrine of prejudice—in this case, a prejudice based on race (-ism is used in the same way in words like sexism and ageism).
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. As for if I use “san” when addressing non-Japanese, I would do so if that person addresses me using “san”. Discussion of systemic racism often references statistics that highlight the prevalence of these practices. Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020, 11 Wacky, Moving, Memorable ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Moments (VIDEO). But maybe, having lived always in an international environment and due to my personality, I do not see myself as a victim. Throughout history, the word race has commonly been used to refer to a classification of humans based on various physical characteristics, especially skin color, facial form, and eye shape. I have gotten various responses from people who said they find it irritating and insensitive. Melanin is also a factor in hair color.). ************************************************************************************, I have a few sincere questions for my JAPANESE LinkedIn contacts who speak fluent English…. Regarding Twitter, I was not into the Twitter scene for many years but just in the last year I started getting pretty active. 1) I’m semi-offended but not as much as you think every Japanese does. Namely, they note that racism is a tool of the dominant group, the group with economic, social, or cultural power—in most cases, white people. A lot of people, especially white people, are uncomfortable talking about racism and using the word racist. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Other forms of bigotry, intolerance, and xenophobia, such as anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, are often considered to be rooted in racism.
Knowing how you feel about it, out of respect, I’d gladly avoid using “san” in addressing you. These terms imply that such racism is upheld by laws, policies, traditions, and institutions—and the people who keep them in place. Racism is most commonly used to name a form of prejudice in which a person believes in the superiority of what they consider to be their own “race” over others. 2) Not at all. It is worth clarifying here that her premise in this tweet is completely wrong.
I want to make it clear that I truly appreciate every perspective offered. Such a system is often thought to operate through white people using the advantages that the system gives them (often called white privilege) to maintain their supremacy over people of color (often called white supremacy). Absentee Ballot vs. Mail-In Ballot: Is There A Difference? But remember the big fat underline on “depending on the context”. Respect and social inclusion sometimes contradict. If you are speaking English, please stick to English. 5) Based on points #3 and #4, it makes sense that we should all strive to be more sensitive and, before making assumptions, ask Japanese people (and anyone for that matter) how they would like to be addressed, then follow their wishes accordingly. (Use of the term reverse racism, such as to refer to prejudice against white people, is often criticized for dismissing the role of power in most cases of racism and its systemic use.).