During the discussion and in the short films shown in class about hafu, people raised several advantages of hafu, but not many disadvantages were raised. The first thing that was raised as the advantage was that “hafu are bilingual”. However, I find this perception is a disadvantage.

It may be true that hafu have more opportunities of becoming bilingual since usually hafu have parents speaking different languages. However, that does not mean that hafu can naturally become bilingual. Many hafu, especially those who are half Japanese half white or black that live in Japan, face pressure of becoming bilingual, and have a complex that they are not bilingual.

Since half white/black hafu do not look Japanese or Asian, the Japanese people automatically decide that they are bilingual or at least speak English. This becomes a pressure to many of the hafu. Most hafu living in Japan live in a Japanese society, going to Japanese school, playing with Japanese friends, talking in Japanese with their family, and hardly use English in their daily life. If both parents are bilingual, there is a less chance of using English at home. Nevertheless the Japanese people do not realize that hafu kids are living just the way any other Japanese kids are living like.

One of the things I felt unfair was those kikokushijos, who are Japanese but have been living overseas for their whole or part of their lives. Although they are Japanese, if they cannot speak Japanese, the Japanese people will say its “shouganai” because they have been living in an environment without Japanese. Why can’t they apply that to hafu living in Japan?

The best way for hafu to become bilingual is to use English at home. However, because they are living in a complete Japanese society, this is difficult to accomplish since children will dislike being forced speaking in a language they are not familiar with. Another possible way is to make hafu go to an international school which will be difficult for those who live in the countryside and since the tuition is very expensive many parents cannot afford it.

Japanese should realize and consider the fact that hafu are not naturally bilingual, and that hafu also have to make the effort like any other monolinguals to become bilingual.

 by Rashel Phillips