by Marina Kouyama

“Is asking immigrants to Japan to learn the Japanese language reinforcing an ethnic sense of nationalism? Or is it promoting immigrants’ civic participation in the political process? Is it both?” This question was asked during class. The majority opinion was ‘both’. Then, the class discussed: “even if it is both which is it closer, more ethnic or more civic?” The most common opinion was that it is ‘more ethnic’, claiming that asking migrants to learn Japanese language means that they are forced to follow the proverb “When in Japan, do as Japanese do (When in Rome, do as the Romans do).” However, is it really ‘more ethnic’? Is there no place for the choice ’more civic’? I would like to rethink about that.

First of all, why does immigrants’ learning Japanese language seem like ‘more ethnic’? It related to Japanese history of assimilation. Japan is often called ‘homogeneous country’. However the origin of the concept ‘Japan is homogeneous’ appeared not so long ago. There were some ethnic minority groups in Japanese society, for example, Ainu or Okinawan. They were forced to act like Japanese, and ultimately, become Japanese. The main feature of this assimilation was domination of language, prohibiting their ethnic language and forcing them to speak Japanese. Hence forcing Japanese language to non-Japanese speaker appears to be based on ethnic nationalism.

In this case which questioned in the class, however, asking non-Japanese speaker to learn Japanese language does not seem like assimilate an immigrant into Japanese authorities. It is for immigrants themselves, rather than for Japanese society. Learning Japanese language helps immigrant to live in Japanese society. It is hard for them to lead their lives in Japan without knowing Japanese language, because most Japanese people speak only Japanese language. If they do not understand Japanese language at all, they could not get necessary information, they could not deal with troubles or dangerous situation, or they have less chance to be employed due to lack of the language. Therefore, learning Japanese language is promoting chance of their social participation.

It is not happening only in Japan. Imagine Japanese people immigrate to or study abroad in the United States. They probably feel a strong necessity of English skill. It is better for people to have a skill of the language which is dominantly spoken where they are.

For these reasons, it could be said that asking immigrants to Japan to learn the Japanese language is ‘more civic’, rather than ‘more ethnic’.

by Maika Kubo

Until I took this class, I have never thought about “hafu” so deeply. “Hafu” was just an admiration person for me. However, though this class, I learned their hardships as being “hafu” especially in Japan.

First, in Japan, “hafu” people are always seen as special, different people because of their appearance. Since they were born as “hafu”, they have no choice but be seen as special from others. For example, the “hafu” girl in the video we watched in class mentioned that they are always asked same question, “Where are you from?” Also, she mentioned “hafu” people are often given an odd look even if they do nothing. Because Japan is said to be a monoethnic, homogeneous country, this tendency is strong compared with other countries. In my opinion, Japanese people think there is a great difference between them and foreign people because Japan is an island country, and it has never been colonized. I think this fact is also connected to the problem that Japanese people can’t speak English.

Second problem is the meaning of the word “hafu”. I didn’t know that the word “hafu” is a Japanese coinage from English. Of course most Japanese people don’t use this word negatively, however, the meaning of the word “hafu” can be “incomplete person”. The word “hafu” can give impression of people who can’t belong to any countries or races. If I were “hafu”, I would think about this problem deeply, and might feel lonely. Japanese people tend to place a great value on harmony with others, so the group that they belong to is important issue compared with other country, for example, the U.S.

Third problem is that in Japan, the image of “hafu” is fixed. First, Japanese people’s image of “hafu” has wonderful appearance. They have long leg, big nose, and white skin. This image is permeated because of many “hafu” entertainers or fashion models on TV or magazines. However, in reality, each “hafu” people has different appearance. Second, the image of “hafu” can speak two different languages. However, in reality, if they don’t learn both languages (by parents or other), of course they can’t be bilingual. When I was in elementary school, my “hafu” friends were forced to learn their second language after school.

As I mentioned, through the class, I found three problems about “hafu” in Japan, and my way of looking them was changed a lot.

by Kie Maruoka

From the reading and the slides we saw in the last class, the Japanese population is changing. The number of people who get married to non-Japanese is increasing and the number of mixed-ethnic children increase. Then Japanese society should change and need to be adapted to the current world situation. However, according to the reading material, the recent emergence of the community of mixed-ethnic children is very challenging the Japanese traditions. This is because many Japanese regard our country as a homogeneous country or a single-race society for a long time. Can’t we change? We have to see the current situation and try to change the traditions. Unless we change, many mixed-ethnic children will continue to be discriminated from the school and society in Japan.

Also, in Japan, many people often use the word “hafu” to call people who are born from Japanese and non-Japanese parents. I’ve never thought that this use might not be well for people who are called like this. So I was very surprised when I knew this fact. According to the reading, parents who have mixed-ethnic children do not feel well if their children are called “hafu”. This is because this word sounds like special or different from others. In my opinion, many people who use the world “hafu” do not intend to discriminate those people or treat them as different person from others. But if they feel like being discriminated from others, we have to refrain from using this word and have to consider which word we can use. Before reading the material we used in the last class, I did not know the word “hybrid identity” to use in this topic. When I hear the word “hybrid”, I think about cars or technical machines. But the reading says that this word may connect to the privilege or self-esteem. Perhaps this word “hybrid” is better than the word “hafu” or “double”. Now I can’t say clearly which world is the best to use. However, I thought that we have to know that even if we take granted to call people who are born from Japanese and non-Japanese parent “hafu”, those people who called so might not feel well.

In conclusion, if we become one of the majority society, we tend not to think about the minority. Therefore Japanese society can’t catch up with the changing society within the increase of mixed-ethnic children. I want to know well more about this topic in order to be able to say my opinion clear.

by Akifumi Kamamoto

I focus on the topic “hafu people in Japan”. When I chose this topic, I recalled what Prof. Robert said to us. His telling was like that: when we, Japanese people, meet hafu people who have Japanese parent and parent from foreign countries such as Europe or America, we regarded them as cool. Also we try to communicate them in English and asked them to speak English. Then we think them as hafu people. However, we regard them as foreign people when we meet hafu people whose parents are from Japan and foreign countries like Africa or Asia. This is because they look like “foreign people”. I could image this situation easily because I think Japanese people generally have the image of hafu people that they look cool or cute and they can speak two languages. However this image changes when we meet the latter hafu people. This division is wrong. Even though I don’t know how all hafu people think that they are called “hafu” and whether it makes them disgusted or not, I think this division is rude to them.

In order to understand hafu people, it is important for us to think about this question “how they want to be called or how should we call them? For example, should we call them hafu, mixed, double or other expression?” If I want to know correct statistics, I have only to take questionnaire, but now I can’t do that. Then, I can state just my opinion. The term “hafu” came from the origin of a word “half”. We can understand that it means that they are not one person but half person. The term “hafu” is a well-known word, but I think it is not suitable expression. Next, the term “mixed” is sometimes used. I think this is the worst expression because this term has discriminatory meaning. I have watched movies in which the term “mixed” was translated into “konketsu”, and in these movies the term included discriminatory meaning. So it is not good expression, I think. In my opinion, the term “double” is the most suitable expression. The term “double” has a nuance that they have two nationalities. The term has a nuance to force them to choose which nationality they will have, too. I think this choice is needed in order to make equal society that all people have just one nationality.

In conclusion, it is difficult to understand “hafu” people correctly, but we need to know them more and more.

by Akisato Fujita

From the readings, I found that many mixed-ethnic children suffer from teasing in the Japanese school system because their appearances are different from others. This time, I’d like to think about the reasons why there is some difficulty of accepting foreigners in the Japanese society and children which have a foreign parent are abused in the school system. It is considered that there are mainly two causes about it.

The first reason is the principle of Japan. Japan is classified into countries which have ethnic nationalism because it has a jus sanguinis principle and it is relatively hard to acquire its nationality. The jus sanguinis principle means that when one of natural parents has Japanese citizenship, their child also acquire it. This principle is usual for countries which have ethnic nationalism. However, Japan has many conditions for foreigners to get Japanese nationality, and the procedure is very complicated compared to other countries. It can be said that that is why there are not so many foreigners living in Japan. It means that most of Japanese people do not have much time to communicate with the people having different backgrounds. Therefore, Japan has too few people who understand them, and has not still created the societies which could accept foreigners, and it also affects the Japanese children’s way of thinking about mixed-ethnic children.

The second reason is the education about foreign people in the Japanese school system. There are basically no education systems in the Japanese school system which teaches children to understand people from foreign countries and mixed-ethnic ones. If there were many children from other countries in Japan, they would not be teased even if their appearances are different from others because spending time with them is usual for Japanese. However, Japan has not still had so many foreign people, so it is unusual for Japanese children to meet mixed-ethnic children. Therefore, it is necessary to teach children other different cultures and identities in order to understand mixed-ethnic people. The problem is that children are not taught about them in the school system now, and it causes some difficulties with many mixed-ethnic children.

For two reasons, Japanese principles and education, it can be said that most Japanese people including children do not understand the people who have different identity. Therefore, it is needed for all Japanese to think about people who have different identities and try to accept them.

by Yuu Yokoyama

I’m interested in the topic; what is the good point by being born as hafu. In the TV which we watched last class, they answered, “People can remember us easily as hafu.” by this question. I was surprised this answer, but I also apply to this answer. We Japanese think hafu as special people and different ordinary Japanese although they are not special human but they are Japanese or another country people like us. This makes hafu different people.

I found out interested blog in which an interviewer asked a hafu person do you have good or bad experience as you are hafu (Joruju, 2011). That person is hafu between Japanese and Portuguese, but he have never been to go Portugal since he was born, he cannot speak both English and Portuguese, he can speak only Japanese and he studied in only Japan; thus his interior is Japanese.

He calls himself as unfortunate Japanese because he cannot speak English, he is not bilingual and he has no English name although he was born as hafu. He said that many Japanese expect he can speak English well and he lived in Portugal, but when people noticed the fact, people are always disappointed.

I think we Japanese take it for granted that hafu people can speak English and they have another name although not all hafu people are so and we are disappointed one-sidedly. Hafu people do not lie and they are innocent. I think it is serious problem.

Although internationalization go ahead, Japanese people still have the different view for foreigners and hafu people; we still judge by appearance. It is not always bad, but we should not have the prejudice for them. For example, my friend who came from Sweden has been studying in Japan for two years, so he can speak Japanese well. However when he speak Japanese outside, Japanese are surprised and looked at him. He said although he can speak Japanese well, Japanese talk to him in English because Japanese think foreigners cannot speak Japanese. He gets angry that thing. This is a little different from the circumstance of hafu but this is the fact that Japanese often judge people by appearance.

We Japanese think hafu people are beautiful or handsome, we often say “ Hafu! Urayamasii!” However, we should not jump to that conclusion. We have to think about hafu again because they are not special, same human. We should not judge by appearance. Hafu people have the same mind with us.

References
Joruju. (2011). What is the good point as hafu? Retrieved October 11, 2012, from http://theinterviews.jp/flyer-to/1117506

by Misa Takahashi

I would like to talk about hafu in Japan. There is Japanese idea which hafu lead to a feeling of privilege and to heightened self-esteem (Kamada, 2008), many people maybe this is true, but I don’t think every ‘hafu people’ feels a sense of superiority in the term of ‘hafu’.

I read a story when I was in an elementary school, this story is engraved in my memory－the boy said to his mother, “ Mom, am I 1/2 (hafu) ? Am I different from my friends?” Mother answer, “you are not 1/2 (hafu). You are ‘double’.” He became to feel that he is ‘double’ rather than ‘hafu’, he gained a self-confidence.

In this story, I think that there are 2 problems. First one, almost of all people have a fixed idea which term of ‘hafu’ only means superiority. The dictionary means of ‘hafu’ is 1/2 (半分). Person is 1/2? This is real superiority term? I don’t think so. However, no matter how I call mixed-ethnic person ‘double’, I can’t fully convey the term because people think that mixed-ethnic person is ‘hafu’. They don’t recognize that calling ‘hafu’ has means (but, in these days I believe ‘double’ is good term, so I can’t criticize them.). Second one is problem of how to call ‘quarter’. In fact, there is the oppositional term to ‘hafu’, ‘double’, though this is not usual and truly good, but there is no oppositional term to ‘quarter’. ‘hafu’ problem is tend to only selected, but there are variety mixed-ethnic people and many variety problems. For example, one of my friends, she has a Brazilian grandmother, when she was called ‘quarter’ by friend, she was not glad that (the friend didn’t mean any harm, rather than it means superiority). If she is ‘hafu’, we can call her ’double’, but she is not also ‘hafu’.

In modern century, traffic technique has been developing, and the number of immigrants from foreign countries has been increasing rapidly in Japan. Many race, groups, and variety sense of values are maybe intermingled in the future. In conclusion, I think that calling ‘hafu’ should be stopped, so we have to realize that calling ‘hafu’ is hurt his or her feelings, after all, we should recognize that the existence of terms of ‘hafu’, ‘double’ and ‘quarter’ hurt mixed-ethnic people’s feeling because we separate ‘we’ and ‘others’, ‘we’ and ‘different’ unconsciously by calling these terms.

by Suguru Kobachi

Last class, we talked about hafu in Japan. First of all, is the word, hafu, okay to use as a way to call them. The word hafu comes from the English word half, and some people might consider themselves as not a complete person if they get called this way. Some other words that we came up in class that we could use to call them were mixed, hybrid, and etc. If we were to change the way we call them, I thought the best one would be hybrid even though it sounds a little weird when it’s used for calling a person instead of machines. Mixed sounds more discriminating because we use mix for dogs and other animals and I think that it’s not the right word to describe a person.

Before I listened to what we talked about in class last week, I’ve never thought this much about what hafu meant and what it means to the people being called hafu. But what I was thinking while we were having this discussion in class was that, “Is being called a hafu, such a bad thing?” If this word was being used in a discriminative way, it’s definitely not good, but in Japan, the majority of the people assume hafu as a good characteristic. Everyone is jealous because hafus are pretty and handsome. In my opinion, if I was a hafu, I think that I would be proud of the fact that I am hafu.

But I wanted to hear other people’s opinions about this topic too so I had a small discussion with my family members. An opinion that I agreed with them within the discussion was the fact that we, as in the Japanese people calling these people hafu doesn’t sound bad at all from our point of view. But if you look at it from the hafu people’s point of view, they might have a different way of taking the meaning of the word. If I was a hafu, then I might have had a different opinion about this topic. As a result, I think that even though if that person is a hafu, if they are living in Japan and are acting like a Japanese person, we should consider them as a Japanese person and treat them the same way as any other Japanese person would be treated.