I received this email tonight from a listserve I signed up to a long time ago (genkijapan). Most of it is generally kind of spammy and I tend not to read them very much. However, this one caught my eye:
Q: Sorry for being random, but I’d like your opinion. Would you think it is possible for an English-speaking American who learns Japanese well, to marry a Japanese? Japan seems so strict with their culture, and I often hear that they outcast foreigners, that I often wonder if intercultural marriage like that would be accepted, if even TRULY possible. - Hannah
A: Hi Hannah, as I mentioned before Japanese is a racist country, but most younger people are quite up for what’s called an “International Marriage” (i.e. one person is Japanese, one isn’t) and they are now quite a large percentages of marriages that are international as most Japanese people don’t get married at all now it seems! You may find a few parents who are against it, but as long as you are charming enough I’m sure you can win them round!
Uh. What?!!?? Now I know Japan, like many Asian countries has had a long history of being unaccepting of Westerners. With good reason if you ask me! As an English person I actually feel quite ashamed of that part of my heritage!! However, to claim Japan (Japanese?) as a racist country is an inflammatory comment at best and racist itself! I know many people that are happily married in such circumstances–my own marriage being one (not Japanese, but I don’t think the country matters here folks). I know couples who are wonderfully eclectic mixes and who are probably happier than their “well matched” (read: identical) peers.
I find the email disgusting to be honest. In today’s globalized world what kind of message does this send? “Don’t go to Japan, they’re racist”. And that’s going to help the situation, how? Marrying outside of your own culture isn’t an easy choice to make, and it was extremely rare in our grandparents (and even parents) time–most being through the wars, and that’s a whole other kettle of fish. Not to mention that learning a foreign language specifically to marry a foreigner sounds completely weird to me and a little too much like the anime freaks in my classes who want to marry Sailor Moon (セーラームーン)…
If these idiots knew anything about Japan (or any other Asian country) they’d know that international marriages happen quite often and that thousands of Westerners call these countries home. Sure, there are still issues–but they’re the same anywhere (just look at the US with interracial marriages…)
I’m even too angry to cohesively form an argument here… lost for words. Completely. This guy (Richard, at GenkiJapan.net) is TEACHING people this (along with bad Japanese – several of their videos at youtube have had spelling and grammar errors)… and they eat it up. Shocking.
I’m sorry Japan (and Asia)…
