Multiculturalism
The second birthday of my blog – Ayaan Hirsi Ali
This blog had its 2nd birthday last month. I started this blog because I missed San Francisco but I couldn’t find a way to return there. Now, after 2 years, I have a ticket to Toronto, Canada, where I plan to stay for a few years. I will leave Japan next month.
I was thinking of [...]
Is non-western people’s anger at western people reasonable?
It sounds like “I do not believe in human rights but I have human rights.” I do not understand that why some people in ethnic minorities in western countries blame western people for racism. Many non-western people treat their disadvantaged people (women, disabled people, poor people) without respect back in their home country. If they [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )American Green Card Lottery and Australian immigration policy
My Vietnamese Australian teacher said, “The Green Card Lottery is good and it keeps giving hope to people in poor countries.” I disagree with his opinion. Actually I have applied to the Green Card Lottery twice and I wished that I would win it, but now I think that the U.S. should choose immigrants like [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 4 so far )Are all cultures equal? Is there no cultural superiority?
There was a time when I thought that all cultures were like artworks — equally beautiful. It was when I really enjoyed the melting pot that is the U.S. However, I have now come to believe that while human beings are equal, it is cultures that are not, after I learned many things about multiculturalism, [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 4 so far )The first birthday of my Blog – multiculturalism and the U.S.
Today is the first birthday of my Blog. A year ago I was deeply sad due to the fact that I have not been able to return to San Francisco. After a while, I realized that my sadness would not help me return to San Francisco and the idea of writing a Blog on San [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 1 so far )Many of ethnic cultures go the same way but on a different stage.
When I watched a French movie, Les Miserables, which is set in 18th century in France, I saw something similar to current Japanese society in the film – a woman is considered as a degenerate because she has a daughter outside of marriage. She said something like “why should I be blamed because I slept [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Support discrimination and blame the others for racism?
I met an educated Chinese Canadian male who said that the Caste system in India is a part of its religion and culture. One of his friends who is Chinese told him that she suffered discrimination in Sweden. He said that because Swedish people are racist, people do not immigrate to Sweden even though the [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 2 so far )Strict Japanese immigration policy
Immigrants built the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and countries in South America. Both the majority and the minority are immigrants in these countries. Most people are immigrants there. I think that is why people in these countries are tolerant of different people and why they criticize discrimination toward foreigners in Japan and strict Japanese [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 4 so far )American Freedom and “Freedom, Equality, Brotherhood” on an old French coin
After I came back to Japan from Vancouver, Canada, I started thinking of this question. “What is freedom?” Vancouver is about 2 hours from Seattle by bus. Its downtown and suburban facades are almost the same as the U.S. The area has the same kind of grocery shops and the same style of shopping malls [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Can people who experience Multiculturalism be tolerant to an intolerant society?
I have longed for Cosmopolitanism, which was created by Aleksandros III in ancient times, since I learned it at high school. I have often thought that Multiculturalism is similar to Aleksandros’ Cosmopolitanism. However, as learn more about Multiculturalism, I have come to feel that a “colorful mix” is not always beautiful or lends [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 4 so far )Japan is a comfortable place to live but it is difficult to be yourself.
I encountered a British man who was 29 years old and had lived in Japan for more than 5 years. He firmly believed that London is the most multicultural city in the world. When I heard that, I insisted that New York City is the most multicultural city in the world because I could not [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 4 so far )Discrimination against black people in Japan
An African-Canadian man living and working in Japan seemed to believe that Japan has less discrimination against black people because Japan has many fans of black culture and many young Japanese girls are interested in having a black boyfriend. Do you think that this means that Japanese people do not discriminate against black people?
I [...]
Religion in Japan Now
I found in the United States that many Christians talked to me. I didn’t know why at the time, but thinking about it now, I suppose it may have been because I wore a cross pendant.
Before my trip, my friend had sent me the pendant, and a couple of days before leaving [...]
Japanese can live without a dream!
In California my friend told me about a video he’d watched at school in which a Japanese office worker was interviewed.
“It was funny.” He said. “He was able to answer any question about his job, such as his goals, visions, and his aims; but when he was asked, ‘What is your [...]
Asian life was difficult for a Japanese.
(California in 1998)
“In Japan I used to eat different foods every day… Yesterday Italian, today Japanese, tomorrow Chinese… But in this town it’s always Chinese. Even when people from the adult school talked about having dinner together, it was Chinese. Where is my spaghetti?”
I’d already partially become weary of living in an oriental town. Japan [...]
The world does not live together as one in Los Angeles.
It looked to me like ethnic minorities rented land in Los Angeles in hopes of a richer life or a better political environment and an improved society. Seemingly, many of the minorities weren’t concerned with finding individual freedom since they retained their cultures, which often gave very little room for such autonomy.
An Indian girl [...]
America, proud of its multiculturalism, might even regard the Korean male-dominated culture as one of its own subcultures?
( The U.S. in 1998 )
While in the United States, I met two Korean women who had been forced to marry because they’d reached an age where Korean women were expected to marry. Due to their circumstances in Korea, they had fled to the United States. This made me think prejudicially, that Korea was a [...]
Difference between other Asian countries and Japan (2) – Education -
( The U.S. in 1998 )
There was an Indian woman in my TOEFL class who was a medical doctor and was preparing to enter graduate school at the University of Southern California. One day in class she asked, “What is the Renaissance?” after noticing it in a practice book for the TOEFL. It was unbelievable [...]
Origin of difference between the West and the East
In East Asia, people traditionally have built relationships through blood relations or through agriculture. Many people lived with their parents until they married and started a new family. People had to consider their family member’s opinions and help their families. To make a living in agriculture, people had to work with a big team [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )A Canadian hostess girl in Japan, 19 years old
When I stayed in a guesthouse just after I returned to Japan from the U.S., I met a 19 year old Canadian girl illegally working as a hostess in a Tokyo nightclub. She was gentle and well-mannered and I came to like her. She originally came to Japan as an assistant language teacher of [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )My African-Canadian teacher in Japan
A few months ago, one of my English tutors was a black Canadian male who had traveled to more than 20 countries and had worked in Holland just after finishing high school. His brother married a Dutch woman and had lived in Holland and recently moved to England. He was intelligent, knowledgeable and had a [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 3 so far )My Vietnamese teacher in California
The other day, I was thinking of my Vietnamese teacher who I met in California. I took note of everything she said during our TOEFL classes at the Adult school, which offered ESL and vocational classes to immigrants and residents for free. The teacher graduated from a college in Paris as well [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )ESL class at San Francisco City College
I remember one day at San Francisco City College, in an ESL class, the teacher started taking roll, calling out each student’s name and looking at each student’s face. The ESL class was free and you could attend classes after you registered. Everyday different people came, immigrants, temporary residents as well as international students attended [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 1 so far )Multicultural, multiethnic and multiracial city
I enjoyed San Francisco the most out of all the cities I have visited in the world. When some people hear me say this, perhaps a European or Australian, they may think I have only been to San Francisco but I have actually been to over 30 cities outside Japan- I have traveled in [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )San Francisco
She really enjoyed the diversity and the eccentricities of people in San Francisco, where she felt she was really able to be herself. When she walked down the street, she saw so many different people. She saw Asians, Hispanics, African-Americans, and Japanese people who looked like aliens with their hair dyed many colors. [...]
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