misternada
後輩
- 10 Sep 2017
- 85
- 32
- 33
I have been in Japan for a very very long time, you would think you get used to everyday discrimination after a while, actually for me it is the opposite I really did not pay attention to it for many years and now it is getting more impact on me and I would like to be able to deal with it more easily.
I would like to tell you about about two examples that happened to me this week.
One day leaving for work I was waiting for the lift with two girls I work with,
only people from that company use that elevator, when the elevator door opened, there was a young woman in there, she did not look easy, probably had a bad day, when she saw me come in she was set aback and promptly moved back to the left corner, one girl I am working with went to the right corner, the other girl went to the right side, the two girls I know were speaking with each other, myself I went to the back in the middle, when I did the woman moved quickly to the right side and turned her back to wall facing the center of the elevator, that was a bit weird, the message I received was like "I am scared of gaijin, I do not want one in my back on the lift", I smiled at the two girls pretending I did notice anything, I concerned the two girls noticed that strange behavior too, what did they think about it, and if that sent the wrong messages about foreigners.
A few days later, I went for lunch with 5 Japanese colleagues, at the end of the meal when we lined up to pay the bill, I was in 3rd position,the clerk, a middle aged woman, asked the previous guy in the line if he wanted the check, he declined, my turn, I just tell her what I ate "katsudon-teishoku" then I handed my card, no a word, she turn to my Japanese colleague behind me and ask him "katsudon-teishokudesuka?" to which he says "hai", she handed back the card and the check without a word, I did not say anything but I felt a bit embarrassed and although it is a very small thing I felt humiliated and I can't keep it out my mind. Also I wonder what my Japanese colleague thought about it.
Please let me know if you had some similar stories or advices for me.
Thank you
I would like to tell you about about two examples that happened to me this week.
One day leaving for work I was waiting for the lift with two girls I work with,
only people from that company use that elevator, when the elevator door opened, there was a young woman in there, she did not look easy, probably had a bad day, when she saw me come in she was set aback and promptly moved back to the left corner, one girl I am working with went to the right corner, the other girl went to the right side, the two girls I know were speaking with each other, myself I went to the back in the middle, when I did the woman moved quickly to the right side and turned her back to wall facing the center of the elevator, that was a bit weird, the message I received was like "I am scared of gaijin, I do not want one in my back on the lift", I smiled at the two girls pretending I did notice anything, I concerned the two girls noticed that strange behavior too, what did they think about it, and if that sent the wrong messages about foreigners.
A few days later, I went for lunch with 5 Japanese colleagues, at the end of the meal when we lined up to pay the bill, I was in 3rd position,the clerk, a middle aged woman, asked the previous guy in the line if he wanted the check, he declined, my turn, I just tell her what I ate "katsudon-teishoku" then I handed my card, no a word, she turn to my Japanese colleague behind me and ask him "katsudon-teishokudesuka?" to which he says "hai", she handed back the card and the check without a word, I did not say anything but I felt a bit embarrassed and although it is a very small thing I felt humiliated and I can't keep it out my mind. Also I wonder what my Japanese colleague thought about it.
Please let me know if you had some similar stories or advices for me.
Thank you