Is it okay to like foreign culture? Wondering about japanese racism

[Exodar]

I enjoy watching anime but recently I've been learning that the Japanese are very racist people. It occurred to me that maybe its like a Jewish person enjoying something from Nazi culture. I've been thinking maybe I should stop watching it as its produced by people who think badly of anyone outside their national/ethnic group which would be me and I shouldn't support this.

What do you think about this? Thanks

[rukA00]

Well I think it is very terrible for people to think badly of other cultures or races. All of us are different, and it will never change. I will never stop watching anime or liking some aspects of Japanese culture, but I do not support racism or discrimination of any kind. You can keep watching anime or liking foreign culture, but you need to stick to what you believe in, and that is not supporting the cause of Japanese racism. Also, where did you learn that the Japanese are racist?

[Hanamaru Kunikida]

Staff Officer Black.

[nrL]

They are not.

[IluvAllison]

@Exodar I think its funny and insane that you would even think to compare your assuming of japanese peopls racism with the nazis discrimination against jews.

I dont personally live in Japan but apparently this is a discussion and a conflict having been done and im sure is still being done, by various gaijins who travel to Japan. Some feel the culture and reception of the japansese is racist, others do not.

Here are two youtube videos of westerners living in Japan telling you their view, im sure you can find other videos from these so that you can create yourself a more rounded view on it all. And of course read on your own on internet, and dont buy into everything you hear so easily.

[Jasanime]

From what I understand from chatting to westerners living in Japan, it is no more racist than most countries. Japanese people do tend to be very traditional, with parents wanting their children to marry Japanese partners and such. And of course there are stereo-types of foreigners just like you'll find everywhere else. But many Japanese people are excited to see and meet foreigners.

Racism is sadly something that exists almost everywhere. There is a lot of racism in my country, but I rarely see it because naturally I don't associate with racist people. So while there may certainly be racism in Japan, it doesn't mean that the Japanese are particularly racist.

The moral of the story is DON'T STOP WATCHING ANIME - EVER!!

[Xeyuzio]

They are not.

I've heard they are extremely xenophobic but I'm pretty sure these are the older cultures.

[DeathBlade/13.666]

My experience, most of all Asians can be extremely racist, but it's not really racism. It's nationalism to be correct. The whole "Don't call me Chinese, I'm Thai! How would you feel if I said all White people looked alike?" deal. Then again I've seen latinos do it too, but not to the extent of Asians. Plus they tend to get really indignant about it, if you ain't their nationality you ain't crap basically. Though I know my dad had to deal with a lot of racism from some Koreans and Native Hawaiians when we lived in Hawaii, but most of that was dealt with after he showed how much of a nice howlie he is. But he still noted that the Koreans, Natives, Japanese and other Asians and Pacific Islanders tended to be more racist (nationalist) to each other than to him (being white).

[.:neuko:.]

Speaking as a mixed-race person myself, I wouldn't necessarily associate the Japanese, nor the products of its culture with "racism"--and that's having seen many anime that include depictions of "black" people, along with Germans and Jews. At worst, such representations tend to come off more as stereotypical than racist--and of course, the world is full of stereotypes, from road signs to urinals. On the contrary, I find such depictions to be somewhat amusing at times, not least because they rather imply ignorance between cultures than racism.

Ironically, it's the more multicultural countries that seem to have a problem with racism than those at the other end of the scale like Japan. With the former, acts motivated by racial hatred seem to be more frequently reported and make worldwide headlines, and even now certain peoples in those countries are denied basic rights or privellages simply because of their race.

It's not that anime is intentionally created to insult, undermine, or make fun of races of people besides its "own"; it's just that Japan isn't all that multicultural as a country, so is bound to be ignorant of many races beyond its borders.

For instance, Japan would be naturally ignorant of slavery once practiced in the United States, and by extension, Black African people since historically, it has had no involvement with the practice at all, hence the lack of anime based on such slavery. And as I mentioned before, Japan is not especially a multiculural country, so it shouldn't be all that surprising that many anime are also weak at representing "foreign" people--and sometimes to the point of unintentional offense. I would regard such representations as little more than stereotypes however, just as long as they're not purposely designed to incite racial offense.

In fact, I'm more offended by the sight of "politically correct" anime characters whose racial characteristics have been replaced by generic "features" solely to avoid claims of racial offense (although this is fine for anime such as Pokemon in which racial representations have no real relevance to the storyline) --a visually depressing practice that effectively chooses to avoid rather than tackle racism.

In regards to liking cultures other than your own (or "foreign culture" as you seem to have loosely put it), it's not a question of liking a culture on the basis of whether or not it advocates racism. For example, I like a lot about Arabic culture (and by extension, Islamic culture), but I do not tolerate Islamic extremism. If you would dislike a culture on the basis of its attitude to race then you might as well give up looking for likeable cultures altogether, since all are quilty of racism--sometimes by ignorance if not by intention.

[SuXrys]

My experience, most of all Asians can be extremely racist, but it's not really racism. It's nationalism to be correct. The whole "Don't call me Chinese, I'm Thai! How would you feel if I said all White people looked alike?" deal. Then again I've seen latinos do it too, but not to the extent of Asians. Plus they tend to get really indignant about it, if you ain't their nationality you ain't crap basically. Though I know my dad had to deal with a lot of racism from some Koreans and Native Hawaiians when we lived in Hawaii, but most of that was dealt with after he showed how much of a nice howlie he is. But he still noted that the Koreans, Natives, Japanese and other Asians and Pacific Islanders tended to be more racist (nationalist) to each other than to him (being white).

Huh, strange. :/ Did he had any idea why?

[Albear]

Japanese people become somewhat uneasy towards some gaijin. If you go to any country and immerse yourself in their culture, you can forget about racism. You'll be more accepted and respected if you treat the native citizens the way you want to be treated.
Sure being different can bundle your person with isolation and racism, but that's where you prove yourself.

[DeathBlade/13.666]

Huh, strange. :/ Did he had any idea why?

Nope, but he thought it was funny because when my parents first got to Hawaii, some black woman was telling him that they ain't as racist as they are in his home state (Georgia). Which turned out false.

[CrimsonMoon]

From what I understand from chatting to westerners living in Japan, it is no more racist than most countries. Japanese people do tend to be very traditional, with parents wanting their children to marry Japanese partners and such. And of course there are stereo-types of foreigners just like you'll find everywhere else. But many Japanese people are excited to see and meet foreigners.

Racism is sadly something that exists almost everywhere. There is a lot of racism in my country, but I rarely see it because naturally I don't associate with racist people. So while there may certainly be racism in Japan, it doesn't mean that the Japanese are particularly racist.

The moral of the story is DON'T STOP WATCHING ANIME - EVER!!

My thought is exactly like this.