Is "Gaijin" a Racist Slur?

Harvey · 6 Jul 2006

Haha, good one about the 窶冢窶ｹ窶ｦ窶堙娯?｢ﾃ?窶堋ｫ窶｢ﾃｻﾂ。
My Japanese friends though often say that when they to overseas, they are the ﾅ?Oﾂ人 though. So I guess they understand what's going on.

pipokun · 6 Jul 2006

外国人や台湾のお金持ちが多い住宅街。

In this case, the gaikokujin includes Japanese.

Gaijinian · 7 Jul 2006

...yeah, that's what I said...

Flashjeff · 7 Jul 2006

The "N" word, used regarding African-Americans is a racial slur, "gaijin" doesn't even come close to qualifying.

Hachiro · 7 Jul 2006

I've said pretty much all I have to say here on this topic.

I think that everyone else has as well......I hope it dies out now and goes to that dead thread place in the sky.

Conclusion here;
Gaijin is NOT a racist slur!

ricecake · 7 Jul 2006

Hachiro said:
Conclusion here;

Gaijin is NOT a racist slur!

This statement should serve as " closure " to this thread hopefully.

Mike Cash · 7 Jul 2006

Don't worry. Someone will reprise the topic within the year.

[edit]

Within the hour, as it turned out.....

Maciamo · 7 Jul 2006

Flashjeff said:
The "N" word, used regarding African-Americans is a racial slur, "gaijin" doesn't even come close to qualifying.

When I was 6 or 7 years old, all children in primary/elementary school referred to blacks as niggers. There were many jokes which sound very racist to me now, but we had no idea at the time (back in the 1980's). In fact none of us had every met a Black person back then (at best seen one once from afar). I know some adults who didn't (and maybe still don't) mind saying think like "it's as dark as in a nigger's arsehole here". Do some Americans ever say thinkgs like that or has it completely disappeared from society since the introduction of political correctness ? I am not sure whether children here still speak like that nowadays, but I haven't really heard such language for quite a long time I must say. I am pretty sure people would be shocked now, although nobody seemed to care 20 years ago (or maybe I was too young to notice it).

All this to say that the perception of "racist slur" is highly cultural and changes with time and with one's environment. Let's keep in mind that 150 years ago it was perfectly fine for Whites to think of Blacks as inferior barbarians that didn't deserve better than slavery. Western society has made a lot of progress in a few generations. But I know that some non-Western societies haven't, and only start to develop their own racist slurs and stereotypes now, or are a few decades in toning them down. A big portion of Japanese society still believes the 1930's propaganda that they are superior to other Asians. Just ask your Japanese friends what they think of the Chinese or Philipinos...

BakaAoi · 7 Jul 2006

I believe that Gaijin, even though it is translated as "foreigner", may, in some ways, be used as a racist slur. To me, it makes it seem as though the word Gaijin is used to isolate those that are not originally from Japan, or of Japanese ethnicity and looks. Which to a visitor, vacationing in Japan may seem like nothing, but to someone who actually wishes to live in Japan, it might prove hurtful and discouraging.

I'm not sure if this would apply to the topic but, where I am from; we have many different ways of saying foreigner (depending on the ethnicity). The one that I would like to point out is the term we use for a white person coming from someplace other than our state or country. Over here we call them "Haule" which translates into a white man. Even though when this word was first created I highly doubt that is was used as a racist slur, but now after time it has become one and to those who have been labelled as a "haule" it can be very hurtful. My point is that even though Gaijin is translated into foreigner that doesn't mean that over time the meaning of it won't change into something less pleasant then it was originally meant to be.

Pachipro · 7 Jul 2006

Shakespere wrote, "A rose by any other name is still a rose." If you call it a piece of sh*t, it still looks pretty. So even if the word gaijin was purged from the language and a more suitable word was used that would satisfy all foreigners, if one is a racist to begin with, he/she will still have the same ill, racist feelings towards the foreigner when speaking the new word.

Therefore, it doesn't matter what word is used when referring to foreigners as it all depends on the feelings of the person speaking it IMO. Call me a gaijin for all I care as I am an outsider, foreigner, not born in Japan, not Japanese citizen, white skinned, was alien to the culture and will never be a Japanese no matter how long I live there, how well I know the language or if I change my name to Japanese. I am still gaijin and prefer to remain that way thank you.

kkkktttt · 8 Jul 2006

Maciamo said:
A big portion of Japanese society still believes the 1930's propaganda that they are superior to other Asians.

1930年代のプロパガンダは「八紘一宇」すなわち、「人類皆兄弟」です。日本の傀儡国家だった満州国の基本政策（プロパガンダ）も「五族共和」でした。
日本がなぜこのような「プロパガンダ」を提唱したのか、当時の世界情勢についてよく調べてください。

ちなみに、1919年に日本が国際連盟の席上で提唱した「人種差別条項」を率先して葬り去ったのはイギリスです。
ベルギーが形式上であれコンゴ植民地支配を終結したのは、日本が敗戦によりすべての帝国主義的利権を失ってから15年も後の事です。

単なる無知なのか妄信的な西洋優越思想に染まってしまっているのか分かりませんが、もう少し勉強してから発言した方がよいでしょう。
ネオナチやスキンヘッドの蛮行を見れば、西洋から白人優越思想が消え去ったとは到底言えません。

「外人」が「nigger」と同等の差別性を有するか否かは、googleで調べれば簡単に分かるでしょう。
「外人」
外人 - Google 検索
「nigger」
nigger - Google 検索

RockLee · 8 Jul 2006

Could you post that in English too kkkktttt? Because not everyone can understand Japanese Thank you!

DoctorP · 8 Jul 2006

Maciamo said:
When I was 6 or 7 years old, all children in primary/elementary school referred to blacks as niggers. There were many jokes which sound very racist to me now, but we had no idea at the time (back in the 1980's). In fact none of us had every met a Black person back then (at best seen one once from afar). I know some adults who didn't (and maybe still don't) mind saying think like "it's as dark as in a nigger's arsehole here". Do some Americans ever say thinkgs like that or has it completely disappeared from society since the introduction of political correctness ? I am not sure whether children here still speak like that nowadays, but I haven't really heard such language for quite a long time I must say. I am pretty sure people would be shocked now, although nobody seemed to care 20 years ago (or maybe I was too young to notice it).

I am so sorry to hear this. I come from the "deep south" and I am older than you yet I have always known nigger to be a racist slur and that it should not be used! A little shocked to say the least!

Maciamo said:
All this to say that the perception of "racist slur" is highly cultural and changes with time and with one's environment. Let's keep in mind that 150 years ago it was perfectly fine for Whites to think of Blacks as inferior barbarians that didn't deserve better than slavery. Western society has made a lot of progress in a few generations. But I know that some non-Western societies haven't, and only start to develop their own racist slurs and stereotypes now, or are a few decades in toning them down. A big portion of Japanese society still believes the 1930's propaganda that they are superior to other Asians. Just ask your Japanese friends what they think of the Chinese or Philipinos...

The term nigger has always been a racist term. Only recently (10-15 years) has it ever been anything but racist and that is only when two blacks use it casually in conversation to refer to each other. So no matter what whites thought of blacks the term was always racist. This has nothing at all to do with political correctness either, but instead mutual respect.

Gaijiin is totally different. You can twist the word to mean whatever you like, but the intended meaning is what it is...foreigner. Take a poll on the street from Japanese and see what they tell you. You know what...I'll do it for you (since you are not able to due to location). Will get back to you later.

osias · 8 Jul 2006

kkkktttt said:
1930年代のプロパガンダは「八紘一宇」すなわち、「人類皆兄弟」です。日本の傀儡国家だった満州国の基本政策（プロパガンダ）も「五族共和」でした。
日本がなぜこのような「プロパガンダ」を提唱したのか、当時の世界情勢についてよく調べてください。

ちなみに、1919年に日本が国際連盟の席上で提唱した「人種差別条項」を率先して葬り去ったのはイギリスです。
ベルギーが形式上であれコンゴ植民地支配を終結したのは、日本が敗戦によりすべての帝国主義的利権を失ってから15年も後の事です。

単なる無知なのか妄信的な西洋優越思想に染まってしまっているのか分かりませんが、もう少し勉強してから発言した方がよいでしょう。
ネオナチやスキンヘッドの蛮行を見れば、西洋から白人優越思想が消え去ったとは到底言えません。

Maciamo's perception of history doesn't go beyond eurocentric stereotypes.

DoctorP · 8 Jul 2006

I want to clarify something. Political correctness refers to one choosing to use "the N word" in place of "nigger".

Choosing to use the word nigger in reference to someone or a group is in fact racist. For that matter, calling someone or a group: a black man/woman, negro, negroid, spade or any such term would be racist in my book.

MeAndroo · 8 Jul 2006

I have a question:

Do posters here feel there is a difference between ignorant racism, like a child asking an Asian person if they can see well through smaller eyes, and hostile racism, like a KKK member calling a black person a "nigger?"

If you do, which do you feel is the dominant one in Japan?

Only once have I been called gaijin with any venom, and in truth, we were acting like stupid foreigners. Much in the way Chris Rock separates "niggers" and "black people" by behavior, one may see a distinction in behavior between beligerent foreigners who abuse their status in Japan and those who behave themselves. I rarely experience any sort of real racism in America, due to being born and raised in a highly diverse area, and being of a minority that has arguably been persecuted less (I'm Asian). The only time I felt it was when I was in an Oklahoma hotel, and even then the woman just didn't know better.

Maciamo · 8 Jul 2006

CC1 said:
I am so sorry to hear this. I come from the "deep south" and I am older than you yet I have always known nigger to be a racist slur and that it should not be used! A little shocked to say the least!

This is to show how the local culture and people that make up society influence our perception of racism. I come from a part of the countryside where there wasn't a single Black and most children had never seen one (there are a few now though). In the US Deep South some towns have more Blacks than Whites, and racial tensions are part and parcel of the local history, so the sensitivity (and awareness) toward racism is obviously much higher.

So no matter what whites thought of blacks the term was always racist. This has nothing at all to do with political correctness either, but instead mutual respect.

Exactly. It couldn't bother you if you have never met the kind of person in question. It's like if you made jokes about aliens and never expect to see one. How much would our vocabulary and perception change if one day we do come into contact with extraterrestrial intelligent beings similar to humans ?

Gaijiin is totally different. You can twist the word to mean whatever you like, but the intended meaning is what it is...foreigner.

Different to you English speaker. But nigger is only a corruption from Spanish "negro" which means "Black". In French the racist term is "negre", but everybody knows it comes from "Black". So if Black isn't racist (and I think it isn't anymore than White) why is "nigger" a racist slur ? Becomes of the connotation it has and its usage (jokes, mockery, contempt...) among non-Black people. It is exactly the same with the term "gaijin", as Japanese do use it a lot in jokes, mockery or when wanting to express contempt/superiority toward non-Japanese people.

Take a poll on the street from Japanese and see what they tell you.

Take a poll among Spanish speakers to see if they think that "negro" is a racist slur...

Maciamo · 8 Jul 2006

Pachipro said:
Shakespere wrote, "A rose by any other name is still a rose." If you call it a piece of sh*t, it still looks pretty. So even if the word gaijin was purged from the language and a more suitable word was used that would satisfy all foreigners, if one is a racist to begin with, he/she will still have the same ill, racist feelings towards the foreigner when speaking the new word.
Therefore, it doesn't matter what word is used when referring to foreigners as it all depends on the feelings of the person speaking it IMO. Call me a gaijin for all I care as I am an outsider, foreigner, not born in Japan, not Japanese citizen, white skinned, was alien to the culture and will never be a Japanese no matter how long I live there, how well I know the language or if I change my name to Japanese. I am still gaijin and prefer to remain that way thank you.

I agree that replacing the word "gaijin" by another term won't change the problem. The problem is in the attitude (and ignorance) of most Japanese people toward non-Japanese. I wish they could use terms like Caucasians, East Asians, Middle-Easterns, or even better nationalities, more often. All too often all foreigners are just referred to as "gaijin" even when one knows very well where they are from. Here in Belgium I have attended a few meetings with Japanese people with my wife (I was the only non-Japanese), and all of them still refer to the locals (Belgians) as gaijin, eventhough most are married to one. Why can't they say "berugi-jin" ? What is it with the Japanese that makes them "nationality-blind" or "culture-blind" even when living years abroad ?

DoctorP · 8 Jul 2006

Maciamo said:
Here in Belgium I have attended a few meetings with Japanese people with my wife (I was the only non-Japanese), and all of them still refer to the locals (Belgians) as gaijin, eventhough most are married to one. Why can't they say "berugi-jin" ? What is it with the Japanese that makes them "nationality-blind" or "culture-blind" even when living years abroad ?

I would think that they use gaijin more because it is easier to say than berugijin...don't you think? Still gaijin covers it all, no need to break it down more. It to me, is still akin to saying asian if I am unsure if the person is Japanese, Chinese are Korean.

Back to the poll...

Being that it is after midnight here and not so many people around me. I did my best.

Of the 15 Okinawan's I polled, they all said that gaijin just means foreigner...basically just not Japanese, but not necessarily not from Japan...so based off my conversations with them, this meaning would be correct even if used in another country.

Of the 37 Americans I spoke with, 28 of them had the same response. 7 of them weren't sure what to say, and and 2 of them had a similar view as you do.

The ages for the Okinawans were from age 34 to 56, and the Americans ranged from 19 to 37.

I realize this means little to you, but it is a sampling of the people I see daily.

ricecake · 8 Jul 2006

Maciamo said:
A big portion of Japanese society still believes the 1930's propaganda that they are superior to other Asians.

This one single sentence finally dragged me into this.

As a Chinese descent,me and nearly all Chinese generally " rarely " like to air any unhealthy-psychological dirty laundry to Western people as to how exactly Japanese,Chinese,and Koreans treat and feel about each other.

According to my Chinese language translated book title " Yoshiko Yamaguchi,My Story ",a Manchuria-born and bred Japanese descent who was a well-known Chinese-speaking actress during 1930's Japanese Occupation with stage name " Lee Shan Lan ".One passage in her autobiography,she recall her first trip to her ancestral homeland Japan in 1939 where the oceanliner docked,this one Japanese man working at the port bluntly said to her face ... for a first class race like Nihonjins,WHY are you dressed ( traditional Chinese Qipao ) as a third class people meaning the Chinese.

There is absolutely a " love and hate " vicious cycle between Japanese,Chinese,and the Koreans,I can vouch it.I don't foresee an end to it in my lifetime.

Both Koreans and Chinese do know typical Japanese have " superiority complex " toward other Asians.

Though very very few Western people know,it was the Koreans traditionally " looked down " on JAPANESE and other northern Asian NOMADIC CLANS as INFERIOR for many many centuries when their Korean ancestors sucked up to " yellow race master " Chinamen.In the case of JAPAPNESE today,they happen to SUCK UP TO WHITE PEOPLE.

Maciamo · 8 Jul 2006

CC1 said:
I would think that they use gaijin more because it is easier to say than berugijin...don't you think?

Easier from what point of view ? Pronuciation ? Or easier to put everyone in the same basket ? Either way I do not think it is "easier" and certainly not more appropriate.

DoctorP · 8 Jul 2006

Maciamo I get it...you do not like the term gaijin. But I still do not see it as a slur, I personally see no problem with it. It doesn't carry the same meaning as spic, slant eye, nigger, wet back, etc... You may feel that way, but it is just not so.

ricecake · 8 Jul 2006

Maciamo said:
Just ask your Japanese friends what they think of the Chinese.

Both Japanese and the Koreans bad-mouth Chinese for some " undesirable cultural " short-comings or behaviors.Chinese is least outwardly snobbish compare to these two East Asian nationalities.Apparently,Japanese have no reservations around white people who they comfortably play chummy,whereas they would make loose snubbish remarks perceivingly " racist ".

As you simply wrote in a few old posts of yours,most Japanese know Chinese people HATE THEM.The Koreans also held " unwavering " hatred toward Japanese,those stubborn bittered Chosunjins wouldn't easily let go.Koreans are more forgiven toward China not Japan for past military aggressions.

Western media don't ever took interest in reporting what Chinese and the Koreans said or think about Japanese as a people,for whites would commonly take it as plain " grudge " not as serious thoughts.

Chinese people in general regard Japanese as psychological PERVERTED Asian folk,mainly for their mentally-inbalanced-attitudes toward East Asian kins and perverted sexual lenses (HENTAI is one example).One Japanese forumer here brought it to my attention recently,there is a growing number of young mainland Chinese openingly ridiculed J-girls in some sexually demeaning ways in internet forums.

Japanese have had their " downed days " as a people as well.One Japanese-American documentary program aired on a local PBS station here in northern California in the 1990's,depicting a Japanese-American family tried to make ends meet running a Chinese food place between 1940's-1950's they were obstracized by white American society.One scene with 7 year old Sansei daughter questioned her mother as to WHY she LIED to customers THEY'RE CHINESE,as for the word " Japanese " could only bring social rejection or outright racism in those dark years for Japanese-Americans.

White folks probably consider the " in-fighting or bickering " among Japanese,Chinese,and the Koreans as A PSYCHOLOGICAL FREAK SHOW they can laugh at us for our idiocy.

Hachiro · 8 Jul 2006

Mike Cash said:
Don't worry. Someone will reprise the topic within the year.

[edit]

Within the hour, as it turned out.....

How in the world did you know, (as he asks while rolling his eyes), and lo and behold it's you know who that has to step in in again.....

The other thing that is quite obvious as well is that Maciamo has a inferiority complex. Also I can not understand for the life of me how anyone could even for a moment try to compare the word nigger with gaijin. It boggles the mind.

RockLee · 8 Jul 2006

I agree with CC1, I don't see it as a slur either. Like someone said before, it depends on the way people use it.

@Hachiro: Don't go that way again, you have already made clear you don't like him. You don't have to explain in every thread ;-)

Is "Gaijin" a Racist Slur?

Is the word "Gaijin" a racist slur?

Yes, it is a racist slur and should never be used.

Yes, in practice, it is a racist slur.

No, but it have Racist connotations.

No, it is not a racist slur.

No, it is perfectly fine to refer to those who don't have Japanese Citizenship.

No, it is perfectly fine to refer to those who are not of Ethnic Japanese Descent.

I don't have an opinion.

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