by Mari Sunagawa

In Japan, there are transnational migrants though Japan doesn’t take a positive attitude toward the acceptance of migrants and immigrants.  They left their homeland to find works.  They have to earn money for their family but it is not easy.  A lot of transnational migrants are concerned about some problems which they face.

First, there is the difference between Japanese-foreigners and Non Japanese-foreigners.  The law of immigration established in 1990 produces this difference.  It gives qualifications of residence to Japanese-foreigners. On the other side, it is hard for Non Japanese-foreigners to get it.  Some of Non Japanese-foreigners try to forge documents in order to be regarded Japanese-foreigners.  They cannot forge themselves so there are people who forge migrants’ documents to receive money from them.  The forgery has increased since 1990.  As a result, even Japanese-foreigners don’t be accepted easily.  They are suspected of being criminals.

Second, most of transnational migrants have to work at the places which are danger, insecurity and low-wage.  They cannot choose their jobs.  They do what Japanese don’t want to do.  It is hard to continue working there.  However, migrants are not able to resign from terrible jobs.  They must remit to their family and many migrants rent rooms where they live from their employer.  They have to find the rooms before resigning their jobs.  Also, the employers keep the passports and identification cards of migrants.  These things are very important for them to live in Japan.  If they want to work at other place, migrants must discuss with their employers and let them return the passports.

Next, transnational migrants are not accepted by some Japanese living around them.  It is said that Japanese tend to treat foreigners coolly. For example, when a foreigner asks Japanese the way to his destination, some of them talk with a troubled look.  In other countries, people talk friendlier and some are kind enough to take foreigners to their destinations.  Especially, it is difficult for the migrants who cannot speak Japanese to communicate Japanese neighbors.  Though some Japanese is able to speak English, Almost speak only Japanese.  In addition, the system of school for foreigners is not impeccable so all migrants’ children is not able to take favorable education.

Therefore, most of transnational migrants are treated unkindly in Japan. They work hard even under terrible situation.  Japan is supported by them. I think that Japan should improvement the system of migrants. Above all, supporting migrants who live in Japan now is necessary.

Reference
福西淳 “地域社会での定住外国人労働者支援” 明石書店, 31.Mar.2005

by Megumi Shishido

I was born in Shiga prefecture and live there. In Shiga I often hear Portuguese. It is because Brazilians live there. Many of them are persons of Japanese ancestry and emigrants. They are often treated as low-priced and exchangeable working forces. So, they are apt to be influenced by economic movements. This makes their unstable life poorer. When emigrants change settlers and live with their family, there are more problems; education, security in their life and the language barrier, etc. Because of their unstable life, they can’t prepare school fees, so their children go to even Japanese public schools. Also, it is difficult to operate foreign schools such as Brazilian and Peruvian schools. Foreign schools are treated private schools, so school fees are too expensive for emigrants. Then they can’t understand Japanese well, but in Japan many things are operated in only Japanese still. Some of their children can’t understand both mother tongue and Japanese. Such semilingual children are increasing.

Thus, Japan is globalizing. In June 2005, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications established the society for promoting a multicultural society (多文化共生の推進に関する研究会) . Its report, “For promoting a multicultural society in regions (地域における多文化共生の推進に向けて),” defined a multicultural society in regions: people who have different nationalities and ethnicity understand each cultural differences, try to build a relationship of equality and live together as a member of regional community. In Shiga, opinions for operating Shiga’s multicultural society are offered. The fundamental objective of opinions is what each foreign residents can display their abilities and try the multicultural society that makes regions more active. So, many opinions are thought; supports for foreign schools, the multicultural society center for children, approach for foreign workers’ stable lives, support for multilingual practice, etc. The local TV station, Biwako ho-so, set to air information programs for foreign residents who speak Portuguese.

The idea of a multicultural society put emphasis on creating an environment for foreigners and relationship between Japaneses and foreigners. In it, the line between Japaneses and foreigners is clear and accurate. I felt it is a little conservative. The world is globalizing more and the idea of states may change, so changes of systems in Japanese society are unavoidable. I think the idea of a multicultural society positions foreigners as outsiders, keep systems as ever in Japan and accept foreigners in only place that is favorable for Japan, so I don’t like the opinion as if old politicians instist very much.

References
総務省　多文化共生の推進に関する研究会報告書http://www.soumu.go.jp/kokusai/pdf/sonota_b5.pdf
しが多文化共生推進会議　しが多文化共生推進会議最終提言 http://www.pref.shiga.jp/public/fh00/suisinplane/200911saisyuteigen.pdf
滋賀県多文化共生推進プランの概要http://www.pref.shiga.jp/public/fh00/suisinplane/planeJp.pdf
滋賀県　外国人住民の現状と課題 http://www.pref.shiga.jp/public/fh00/suisinplane/201002tabunkaplane-2.pdf
びわ湖放送　多言語生活情報番組　ＫＯＮＢＡＮＷＡ　ＳＨＩＧＡ http://www.bbc-tv.co.jp/hensei/tv_konbanwa/index.php

by Koki Shiozaki

Migrants who cross the borders do not always settle down in their host country. Those people are called “Transnational Migrants.” Some continue to stay their host country, others turn back their home country. And, people those who have immigrated to one country may emigrate to another. Besides, the people who settled down in the host country don’t lose ties to their home country completely. They have relation with people in their home, a strong attachment to their home and identity. As this had happened, international relations between two countries or more became a relationship between one person and another.

Migrants who live in transnational society used to have also complicated elements which blended the customs of their home into those of their host country. Once upon a time, America called “Melting Pot.” But now, it is said that American culture is, rather than Melting Pot, looked upon as “Salad Bowl” which stands for that a lot of ethnic groups live in America with their identity and independence.They sustain their lives where they brought up.

Today we need to grab the nature of migrants like this. I will give you examples. Women Muslim-migrants in France keep wearing a scarf. They explain that the reason why they have a scarf on is a result that they were taught in France. That is why wearing a scarf is a way to express their identity that we are Muslim-French. While in America, which represent a freedom country, there is an issue about migrants. That is driver’s license issue. In America, driver’s license should be required to show driver’s face clearly since 9/11. In terms of a security, no one can cover up their face a scarf. But Muslim women would not show up their face to anyone but their husband from the religious problem. Only eyes can be seen.

In conclusion , the state of affairs may have a little different with where migrants are. As the form of migrants shifts from melting pot to salad bowl,transnational migrants will face a great deal of challenges we all have to solve. Therefore, we should know that migrants have characteristic culture which was acquired in the course of their lives.

Reference

“Ethic Kokusaikankeigaku”

by Saki Sato

I report the problem of international immigration in France. There are many second-generation and later generation immigrants who have other country origin on the French national soccer team. For example, famous soccer player, Zidane is Algerian second-generation immigrant. And there are also players of Senegalese immigrants. Contrary to the image that European consists of almost white races, various races exist in France.

France has received many immigrants and political refugees from Spain, Portugal, Eastern European countries and so on traditionally. France had suffered from lack of a labor shortage supporting high growth after the Second World War. So the government received a lot of immigrants to solve it. Many immigrants are engaged in low wage earning. But after the oil crisis in 1974, the government decided to stop receiving immigrants who intending to start working in France because of the economic depression by the oil crisis and a strike against bad working conditions. Now France is distressed by integration of immigrants. But prominent talented persons who emigrated to France have been made progress in culture and science. They also play an active part in the political, the economic, the sporting and the music world.

But in the world of black people in France, unemployment and crime rate is problem. There is sometimes trouble between immigrants and non-immigrants, for example French civil unrest in 2005. In suburb of Paris, when policemen investigating a trial for robbery chased three North African-French youths, they ran into a substation and two of them were electrocuted and one of them was injured seriously. That was how it all started. At same night, dozens of young people threw stones at firefighters and the police and set fire to cars. The riot had spread throughout France. The then-Home Secretary Sarkozy’s remark “They are the dregs of society” , his measure for the peace and regulations against immigrants made the riot bigger. The suburb that the incident had occurred has turned into a slum. And there are many housing complexes which immigrants live and there are discrimination, poverty and unemployment problems. The matter in the incident is that the youth victims were second-generation immigrants, immigrants so they must be real French. But people who were born in France like them are discriminated against socially and are forced to live in poverty and unemployment.

There is much discrimination against immigrants in other country, too. Of course, Japan is one example. Immigrants have serious reason for immigrating. I think it is wrong to despise and discriminate against immigrants.

by Natsuki Oshiro

France is a country that has a lot of immigrants. The population of immigrants is about 6 million. (This is about 10% of total population of France.) Many immigrants are from North Africa. From 1950s to 1960s, France was in postwar reconstruction and rapid grows. In that time, they are called into France as the workforce.

In 1970s, oil crises happened and depression became serious. Because of that, France stopped the reception of foreigner workers.  After that, many foreign workers that were in France before that time settled down in France. And they called their families into France. In other words, they became immigration.

In 1980s, immigration became visible as heterogeneous people for genuine French. And new problem happened in nonreligious republic. That is a problem of “integration” of second generation immigrants. This was the beginning of “Problem of scarf”.

In 1990s,” Suburban problem” became clearly existed. Due to changes in economic structure, the unemployment rate rose, and employment discrimination happened normally. This is, if academic background is same, a person whose name is French-style is five times as many as those whose name is Moroccan-style. This is an experimental result that was surveyed by Paris First University.

In the same times as that, Far-right political parties stating “anti-immigrant” expanded the power.

In 2001, 9.11 happened, and theory of “Islamic Threat” was often said.

In 2004, Religious symbol banning Law (anti-scarf law) was established. This law banned wearing religious things in public places. In spite of France being state separation of church and state, it is very exceptional case to establish like that.

In the next year, immigrants started a big riot against immigrant discrimination in suburbs of the big city by immigrants. And in 2010, “Burqa banning law” was established.

As I stated above, the French government set up the law that bans wearing Burqa in public thoroughfare or public spaces. Burqa is clothes for Muslim women, and that covers over head to foot. For French, that makes them associate that to Islamic fundamentalism, and gives French weird impression.

The beginning of the problem is “Scarf trouble” that happened at a public junior high school in the suburb of Paris, in 1989. Over the right or wrong of Muslim girls going to school with wearing scarf, the Raishite Hardliners and the Faction tolerance multiculturalism disputed severely. After that, the problem stayed to smolder. And in March 2004, Religious symbol banning Law (anti-scarf law) was established.

The Burqa law in 2010 is stricter than that. With the background that fear for Islam that stirred up by the mass media, it is bad law that restricts public freedom of minority.

Not only the problem like having to do with the Burqa, there are so many immigrants problems in France.　 President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, is also second generation immigrant. I think that is ironic.

Namioka, Shintaro, 2011. Hito to Bunka no kousa Part Four:Musurimu josei deari France simin dearukoto (Intersection of people and culture: That Muslim woman as a French citizen). Tokyo: Akashi syoten.

by Chika Oki

Every year, many immigrants from all around the world come to the U.S. These immigrants―legal or illegal―have a common purpose; to get a job and have a better life than they used to have in their home country. This purpose, so-called “American Dream,” has not changed since the land of the U.S. was “discovered.” Though this is still a common purpose for all people who come to the U.S., it seems that immigrant system is killing “American Dream.”

The number of immigrants who can legally come into the U.S. is 65,000 per a year. These people are so-called high-skilled workers, who are highly-educated in universities or have some professional skills. This quota seems too few because much more people come to the U.S. every year. So, even if immigrants are high-skilled, a large number of people have no choice but becoming illegal or undocumented immigrants. In addition to this, many states in the U.S. have adopted strict laws which regulate illegal immigrants. For example, in Alabama, immigrants who have no documents which certificate that they are legal may be caught by the police and forced to go back to their home country. Even if they are not found by the police, they won’t be able to get a high-paying job or have a right to require changing their bad working condition.

As you can see, American system and laws about immigration is an obstacle for immigrants who want to get a good job, raise their standard of living, and go upper class in the U.S. Nevertheless, the U.S. won’t stop accepting immigrants to keep its popularity as a land of opportunity and position as a center of the world. Also, nobody can stop immigrants’ strong desire to have a better life. So, the U.S. should change these unequal system and laws. The U.S. politicians have a bias that immigrants may bring terrorism, infectious diseases, or cultural confusion, but this opinion is totally a stereotype which has no proof. On the contrary, immigration is a good thing for both immigrants themselves and Americans. Immigrants will stir up Americans’ motivation and competitive spirit for working, bring cultural diversity, and promote international communication. In addition, more international communication may be a barrier to an outbreak of terrorism because it will strengthen international relationship. To sum up, the U.S. should revise immigration system to help immigrants achieve their American Dream, because it will lead to prosperity of the U.S. after all.

References
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16040476
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12925299

by Naoya Suizu

Immigrants often become the factor of many problems for some countries.  Particularly, the trigger for the problems is the differences of culture.  If culture is different, various aspects such as the way of life, thoughts and so on are sometimes very different.   Although immigrants have their own culture of their country where they were born, the country they immigrated exists culture all their own.  As a result, by bringing about the gap between the two cultures, big problems are likely to happen.  To avoid such cultural frictions, some countries try to assimilate immigrants with themselves as policies.  Assimilation is the process becoming a part of a country or group and some countries aim at enhancing national safety and unification by the policies of assimilation.

As the typical country carry out the policies of assimilation, we can mention France.  In France, a presidential election hold just now and Sarkozy and Hollande battle as powerful candidates for president.  This election will decide the direction of French policies from now on and many problems such as dealing with Europe crisis and nuclear power will start to argue. At the same time, French think the problem about immigrant as one of the big problems.  In these days, French become more interested in this problem because a French man killed some Jews by gun. By this case, French begin to think racial prejudice and the relationship with immigrant and pay more attention to policies each candidate declares about immigrant.

Originally, since the founding of France, France has practiced the policy of assimilation for immigrants.  By this policy, immigrants are given the equal right with French based on French ideas such as freedom, equality and philanthropy.  As a result, immigrants gradually increased in France and after two world wars, more immigrants settled down because France opened the door positively to get immigrants for labor.  However, this stream has changed and French started to regard most immigrants as the robber of French jobs and the existence of bringing about bad incidents.  Also, immigrants, especially Muslim immigrants, complained of French discrimination and inequality and it happened many riots to protect their own culture in France.

by Daisuke Matsumoto

Do you think the immigrants should be assimilated with another nation?  In my opinion, they should be assimilated. It is said that when in Rome, do as the Romans do. When I was a primary school student, I belonged to a soccer club of my local area. I enjoyed playing soccer with a team mate from Sri Lanka. He is a native Sri Lankan, so he studied Japanese harder and had to be assimilated with Japanese culture not to be in trouble with team mates. Finally I think he had a great successful soccer life together.  I know that his family also spent a usually life in Japan. If one kept his or her culture in other country, they would be more likely to feel bad all the time than he or she didn’t keep. In addition to this topic, international migrations, you know, have to do with voting rights, welfare, human rights, and international marriage.

First, voting right especially can make migrants annoyed because not having voting right becomes discrimination.  In Japan, there are many cases that Japanese government doesn’t allow migrants to vote though they want to have the voting right. It is called on “地方選挙権”. However, some city like Kawasaki have allowed them to have “地方選挙権”. To sum up, voting rights is hardly expanded in japan although it is very natural to have migrants have voting rights in Europe countries. Second, I think daily life and health of migrants depend on welfare. In japan immigrants to Japan can’t register for health insurance until they have lived in Japan for more than one year. Third, when the world war Ⅱ started, Japan brought Korean to around Japan to force them to work and to be prostitute. At the same time, Korean culture was denied. It means that they have not human rights, so Korean made up a Korean town each place to protect their dairy life. Finally, when Japanese people got marry with other country’s people, they will have to consider whether the child gets Japanese or another citizenship.  According to the Constitution of Japan, when father is Japanese and mother is another, the child has to be Japanese. However, when this couple divorced, rights to bring up the child and the citizenship depend on international law. Nevertheless there is no force on international law, so ultimately this problem is decided by argument over the couple.　After all, I think it is the best not to migrate.

by Kensuke Kubo

In the lecture of International sociology, we learned about the transnational migrants in the United States. We Japanese people have no interests about such a problem of immigrants because Japanese government was having not approved receiving them officially. But, in fact, it was started that immigrants from Philippine and Indonesia has been received officially since 2008. I would like to talk about this and describe some point at issue.

In the 2006 and 2007, Japan concluded the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Philippines and Indonesia. EPA is an economic arrangement that eliminates barriers to the free movement of goods, services, and investment between countries. When Japan concluded EPA with Philippines and Indonesia, Japanese government decided to receive the immigrants working as caregivers in Japan. Last year, my professor told us the reason why Japan received immigrants officially in that time. His name is Mitoji Yabunaka, who was the vice minister of ministry of Foreign Affairs Japan. When he was in the ministry of Foreign Affairs, he decided receiving immigrants because of Japan’s present state about the problem of aging society with fewer children.

Japan is now faced with the huge problem which is population aging. Last year, Economist, the UK’s magazine, made a feature titled “Japan’s burden”. The article said Japan is the fastest-ageing society on Earth and the first big country in history to have started shrinking rapidly from natural causes. As the article said, old people are more and more increasing in Japan. However, to support those old people, it is required that people who supports them as a caregiver or a nurse. Against the increasing of old people, caregiver is decreasing little by little. Now, in Japan, the number of caregiver is about 2 million, but it is required about more 400 thousand people until 2020. The reason why the scene of nursing is suffering from a shortage of workers is the environment of the work. Some people said it is the 3K work which means きつい(hard work), 危険(danger) 給与が安い(cheap income). So, people do not want to engage or cannot continue working as a caregiver.

Since 2008, receiving immigrants were started. According to the agreement, in fact, Japan had to receive them at least 1,000 immigrants from each country within 2 years, but now, 2012, the target cannot achieve yet because of the language barrier, and the system of receiving. Almost Pilipino and Indonesian can speak English, and there are many immigrants receiving programs in the world. For example, Canada has same program as working caregivers. Wages are almost same, and Canada is an English-speaking country, so it is natural for them to choose Canada because they can speak English. The system I said above is that when they want to stay more than 2 years, they must pass the state examination for the license to work as caregivers. If they fail the exam, they cannot work in Japan.

As you see, Japanese government is not serious about receiving immigrants. Vice minister of Foreign Affairs I said before think that Japan has to solve the ageing society to receive foreigners. But some minister like ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare think that receiving foreigners is bad for Japanese unemployment people. There are bad confrontations in government, so actual immigrants are caught in a dilemma now. I think government has to integrate their opinion and make unify policy about immigrants.

References

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the report of care insurance policy. http://www.mhlw.go.jp/topics/kaigo/osirase/jigyo/m10/1001.html
Mitoji Yabunaka, Kokka no meiun(Fate of a nation).Tokyo:Shinchosya,2010.

by Chinatsu Kitamura

In recent years, a lot of people which move to the world are increasing. Above all, the foreign workers are increasing.

According to investigation of the Ministry of Health, in 1990, the foreign workers are 260,000 people in Japan. However, in 2007, they are 920,000 people. That is about 3.5 times as many increases.

At first, I want to tell about the cause of producing the foreign workers.The foreign worker consists of an unskilled labor and a skilled labor. Unskilled labors are people who work in the field which needs neither capability nor experience, and skilled labors are people who play an active part in the specialist-skills field.

And the factor of the increase in a foreign worker is economic discrepancy between developed countries and developing countries. Economic condition is different from both countries, for example, in developed countries, workers are running short and in developing countries, workers are surplus.

Thus, a lot of countries, people move around the world to get jobs. And the countries which need to workers are called “pull country” and the countries which oust many workers because there are no jobs are called “push country”.Like this, the foreign workers was born and spread in the world.

Second, I want to tell about the reason of increasing foreign countries. First, there are developments of transportation and communication network. By development of such technology, travel time can be shortened and can move now comparatively easily. And also, with progress of globalization, each country came to perform development of laws which an engineer enter others countries easily, in order to strengthen global competitiveness.

On the other hand, while foreign workers increase in number, there are some persons who oppose. That is because the fall of the wage level in a foreign country and the increase in involuntary unemployment feel uneasy as the reason. Moreover, they are concerned that the crimes are increasing by foreigner workers, for example, smuggling of drugs and weapons and theft. And also a lot of offender move to the countries not get a job but commit a crime. However, recently, there is a case that ordinary people carry drugs and weapons while they are not notice.

So more and more foreign workers work around the world. However, A lot of problem occurred to accept the foreign workers. Thus, it is important how it is deal with to a problem. I think that probably, many tolerant hearts need to be required in order to live together in globalization.

References
Goro Ono. 2009. Gaikokuzin roudousha no ukeire ha nihon wo dame ni suru (Taking in of a foreign worker spoils Japan). Yousensha.
Shakai zitsujou deta zuroku. 2012 http://www2.ttcn.ne.jp/honkawa/3820.html
Takashi Yamasaki. 2006.”Gaikokujin roudousha no syuurou, koyou, shakaihoshou no genjou to kadai” http://www.ndl.go.jp/jp/data/publication/refer/200610_669/066902.pdf
Wikipedia. 2012. http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%A4%96%E5%9B%BD%E4%BA%BA%E5%8A%B4%E5%83%8D%E8%80%85