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English Speaking Asian Expats who Lived in Japan - A question about your Experience

LookingStill

後輩
11 Sep 2007
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In many cases in Asian countries and around the world, I believe having a caucasian "face" has its many advantages including Japan. My Japanese friends tell me that usually people are very nice to caucasians. However, they feel bad about the discrimination that the other Asians can encounter in Japan. Now I understand why those feelings can exist, and I can come to terms with that.

But you as an English Speaking Asian, do you have any experiences to share, or did you find that you speaking English changed the way the Japanese people viewed/treated you better than your non-english speaking counterpart?

How did it affect you making friends?
How was your experience if you were trying to date Japanese women?

Or if you are a native Japanese and would like to provide your honest comment, please feel free to voice your opinion as well.

Or even if you are not Asian, but have heard of the stereotypes, and would like to share your experience.

Thank you.


A Simple Request おねがいします
This discussion is not to bring out animosity between groups, explaining why one group needs to apologize to another for historical reasons. Please Let's Not Get Into That. Let's try to keep this civil and limited to a sharing of experiences. Thanks :)
 
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I'm not Asian, but what I have learned is that if you are (such as an Asian-American), you can easily enough "hide" from the crowd with your Asian features and not suffer the onslaught from certain types (English leeches, for one). You go unnoticed until you open your mouth. Then, you may find yourself in a minor dilemma, depending on circumstances because people will have assumed you are a local and can speak Japanese.

Another issue concerns teaching English. Some employers (and students) feel that perfectly fluent English cannot possible come out of an Asian face, so they choose not to hire such people. Stupid, but it happens. Thankfully, there are the smarter employers.
 
I'm not Asian, but what I have learned is that if you are (such as an Asian-American), you can easily enough "hide" from the crowd with your Asian features and not suffer the onslaught from certain types (English leeches, for one).
way to pull punches and be considerate of English speakers. also you forget that not all Asians are oriental im Jewish so i consider myself Asian but most people assume me to be white.
 
Japanese chicks who study English are more receptive of Caucasians ( especially us White guys ) online,majority of them aren't interested in Asian-background English speaking persons regardless of fluency level.
 
Another issue concerns teaching English. Some employers (and students) feel that perfectly fluent English cannot possible come out of an Asian face, so they choose not to hire such people. Stupid, but it happens. Thankfully, there are the smarter employers.

Glenski, this part of your post struck me most. How did you discover this perception of Asian English-teachers? Through speaking with other Japanese people, or did you know any Asian teachers of the English language that experienced this firsthand?
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I'm Korean-American and have lived here from the age of 4. With the correct training I know I can become a fun and capable teacher for some of the students there. Experiencing life abroad in Japan for at least a few months is something I have wanted to do for years. I have really high expectations, but I'd like to get a realistic view on what to expect.
 
My Japanese friends tell me that usually people are very nice to caucasians. However, they feel bad about the discrimination that the other Asians can encounter in Japan.

Westerners do get preferential treatments from general Japanese population ( some Japanese girls have fondness for White guys ) :).On the flip side,we face subtle positive racism in Japan :(

Did your Japanese friends also tell you that 2 of Japan's richest men are Zainich-Koreans,google Softbank & Lotte Corp.Both Koreans and Chinese longtime residents encounter many forms of discrimination if they don't speak Japanese very well.
 
Did your Japanese friends also tell you that 2 of Japan's richest men are Zainich-Koreans,google Softbank & Lotte Corp.


Not sure where you are going with this, their affluence doesn't and shouldn't have any significance to anyone here (including asians).


Japanese chicks who study English are more receptive of Caucasians ( especially us White guys ) online,majority of them aren't interested in Asian-background English speaking persons regardless of fluency level.
Hehe, good for you but I'm not really interested in online girls either, but I guess you're saying that maybe they reflect what the people in Japan think?

Both Koreans and Chinese longtime residents encounter many forms of discrimination if they don't speak Japanese very well.
Just my opinion, but when illegal immigration occurs on what the majority of the native population deems to be on an uncomfortable scale, negative views and opinions form of that immigrant population. Case examples include: Spain or the USA.
 
In real world,Japanese chicks signed up for English courses at Eikaiwa are regard as " Gaijin hunters " .
 
I don't know what the positive/negative racism means, but if you just want to date women, just google F4. When you look similar or better like them, you can date any young women you want.
Or it might be an idea to work in a non-Japanese host club.

In many cases in Asian countries and around the world, I believe having a caucasian "face" has its many advantages including Japan. My Japanese friends tell me that usually people are very nice to caucasians. However, they feel bad about the discrimination that the other Asians can encounter in Japan. Now I understand why those feelings can exist, and I can come to terms with that.

I don't know which resort Japanese women want to go, the place where they can buy Asian or caucasian men, but it is a bit shame that some women go to Asian resorts to buy them. Of course, it is much more shameful that Japanese men go to buy women abroad.

Anyways, it is unfair of you if you have an avarage Asian face to claim that Japan is a terrible racist country. But it is more constructive to find what you can do for the women.
 
Anyways, it is unfair of you if you have an avarage Asian face to claim that Japan is a terrible racist country. But it is more constructive to find what you can do for the women.

I never said in my post and make the claim that Japan is a terrible racist country and if I sounded like that I apologize. In fact, my view is that Japan is a great country with well-mannered individuals that many of us in the west can learn from. However, I'm concerned because I'm making the decision on whether or not to stay there next year, and my native Japanese friends tell me that some people in Japan view the other Asian immigrants there in a not so good light, especially if they do not speak Japanese.

Furthermore this post was not supposed to be about women, I'm rather looking for people to share their entire experience. This includes the difficulty in looking for jobs in teaching English, making friends, and having a great time.
 
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what .... illegal immigration isuse relates to English speakng Asian expats living in Japan !?
I've provided balanced opinions.
By the way,Nissen Cup O Noodles founder Ando Momofuku 吳百福 was a Taiwanese
 
I am genuinely interested in what positive racism White peoples are subjected to, for your point of veiw of coarse.
You missed how "positive" and "racism" are oxymoronic. Or maybe you didn't, and just figure that it's self-evident how self-conflicting that statement of theirs was.

pipokun said:
I don't know what the positive/negative racism means, but if you just want to date women, just google F4. When you look similar or better like them, you can date any young women you want.
Thanks. My self-esteem really needed a punch in the mouth today. 👍

LookingStill said:
I never said in my post and make the claim that Japan is a terrible racist country and if I sounded like that I apologize.

Yes you did.

In many cases in Asian countries and around the world, I believe having a caucasian "face" JAPAN IS A TERRIBLE RACIST COUNTRY has its many advantages including Japan. My Japanese Snape kills Dumbledore friends tell me that usually people are very nice to caucasians.

/humor

Tokapi said:
In real world,Japanese chicks signed up for English courses at Eikaiwa are regard as " Gaijin hunters " .
Lol whut?

Really. Ummm... that sends up red flags everywhere. I'm not the greatest looking guy in the world, but I still don't enjoy the occasional Japanese/Korean/Taiwanese schoolgirl ten years my junior trying to play footsie with me at work. It makes me uncomfortable, especially when the boss is around.

what .... illegal immigration isuse relates to English speakng Asian expats living in Japan !?
I am not surprised. I'm dismayed that my countrymen would do such a thing, especially after our own immigration issues. But I am totally unsurprised. I especially consider it an insult to all of those legal immigrants in Japan who did all the work to maintain their visas and pay their taxes.

EDIT: LookingStill, that quote was a joke. Offense not intended.
 
You missed how "positive" and "racism" are oxymoronic. Or maybe you didn't, and just figure that it's self-evident how self-conflicting that statement of theirs was.
My point exactly, what racism is positive. I know this has been beaten to death, but I am always interested as to why some forms of racism are positive.
 
Really. Ummm... that sends up red flags everywhere. I'm not the greatest looking guy in the world, but I still don't enjoy the occasional Japanese/Korean/Taiwanese schoolgirl ten years my junior trying to play footsie with me at work. It makes me uncomfortable, especially when the boss is around.
What?! That's pretty scandalous! Are you their teacher? Can you elaborate? I can't imagine asian school girls being so forward and flirtatious like that.
 
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