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"Jap"

TO ASHIKAGA


Well, everybody's different. For me, I get confused and a bit upset when a white person use "nigger" because I'm black and white people in history have used "nigger" in a derogatory way. But if I was in Jap. I couldn't give a damn if a Jap where to call me "nigger." Because the Japanese does not have a racial history of mistreating or enslaving black people. Like another person said, a racist word is history, usage, and intentions. A highly doubt the word,"nigger" exist in Japan and the people that use it, likely got it from a rap or r&b cd. So, when a Jap says "nigger," they heard from a cd from their favourite rapper and use it to mean,"buddy" or "neighber." and I do not hold their ignorance against them or have any negative feelings towards them. I don't let one word have that power over me.
and by reading all the posts from both threads, it seems that it's just an abbr. in England, Australlian, Singapore, Hong Kong, and to 80 percent of Japanese living in Japan. I never said all. and, of course, like you said, your older relatives experienced the word and was offended because it was used in a derogatory term. This is related to the U.S. and even tho I was born here, I only saw it as an abbr. and only knew it to be bad when I turned was 20. and I'm 21, now. To me, Jap is no different from Brit. and Amer DO have a bad history with Brit. The Bostan Tea party. The fight with the Brits over Indepedance, do people here HONESTLY believe that the word Brit wasn't used in a derogatory way when we were fighting them? Think about how long we hated the Brits. I'm pretty sure that "Brit" USED to be a derogatory term for British, but it's an abbr. now.

I would not use the word, if somebody tells me not to use it around them. So, if you came to me and say,"I find it offensive, please don't say it." Then I won't. But I don't think Amer. are the only ones guilty in this. I notice that in Jap. you can words like "gaijin" meaning outsider, which is now politically incorrect and many people to choose to use that word when "gaikokujin" is a politically correct word. And I would prefer to be called "gaikokujin" over "gaijin." But many Japanese have a one way street where it's ok for them to say "gaijin," which is politically incorrect over "gaikokujin," which is nicer. Not to mention you have other derogatory words like "yank." A word which is widely known as a Brit. derogatory word for American, Japanese use it to mean,"rude, horrible, rotten, person." Which is EQUALLY as bad as "nigger." Not to mention "gaijin" has been used to mean "barbarian" as one poster has mentioned. It really does go both ways. You can't tell us not to use certain words and use choice words yourself.

But I do avoid saying Jap over the internet because it could be misinterpretated. But if you knew me, you would know that I have Japanese cousins, and that I have many favourite Japanese musicians. My favourite bands are ScReW, Versailles, and ONE OK ROCK and they are all Japs. If you go to my YT page, you will see 55 Japanese bands on my playlist. Go to my myspace or website and you will see a bunch of pictures of Byou, who is the lead singer of ScReW. and I could read katakana and some hiragana Japanese. But if you dismissed me as a racist b/c I use the word Jap, then you would never known any of those things. So, to me, actions speak louder than words. In the end, a word is nothing but a word.

But I still believe that only Americans use Jap in a derogatory way and not all Americans, either. Just the nasty ones. and I don't think it's fair to live in fear that I might say something derogatory. It's like,"Wait! Should I say "knee," it might be a racist word in Africa. Should I say "itchy"? It might be a racist word in China." I can't live a life where I'm constantly checking every word I say because it may or may not be racist in some country. I would not say "Jap," if I knew it bothered a person. But only around that person. I'm going to still use that word. and I can't be bothered with overly sensitive people who gives word that much power over themselves. When the intentions are CLEARLY innocently used, which is why I do avoid it over the Internet b/c you can't see a person's facial expression and you don't get tones. and Jap is one of those weird words b/c unlike "nigger,""nazi,""Nipp." the word can be used as an abbrev and is nothing but an abbr. in some countries. and of course, the difference between Jap and Nipp is that YES, Nipp is an abbrev. for Nippon. But only the Japanese can call themselves and their country "Nippon" or "Nipponjin." Gaikokujin are not allowed to say "Nippon," but we are allowed to say,"Nihon," "nihonjin," and "nihongo." So, even "Nippon" is a bad word for gaikokujin to use. Jap is an abbrev. for Japan(ese.) Japanese, unlike "Nippon," is a word that we are allowed to use, so I don't see what's wrong with the abbrev. when the racists people that used it in a racist way are either dead or dying out and it's only a bad word in America.

And maybe it's a bit hypocritical, b/c like I said. It does bother me sometimes when white people say "nigger." Like it doesn't bother me in racist comedy skits. but b/c of history. However, it doesn't bother me when Japs say nigger b/c of history or lack of history. Context, clothing, tone, use, all of it does matter. Like if a Japanese guy was wearing a business suit and say,"Nigger," I would be shocked. But if he was wearing a large basketball shirt and baggy pants and said,"Yo Nigaro." or ヨニガロ with a big, friendly smile on his face, then I know that he's just saying ニガロ as "buddy" or "neighber." Plus, it's hard for Japanese to say "nigger" because English has more sounds than Japanese. It is easier for them to say,"Nigaro," because of the hiragana sound system, which is all the sounds in Japan. and "nigaro" sounds a lot like "negro," which is not as bad as "nigger." And depending on the clothes, context, and intent, I don't think I would be offended by the word "nigger," even if it was in the Japanese sound system b/c of the lack of history.
 
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