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ASIAMS.NET |
ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
JAPAN'S IMPACT ON THE ASIAN IMAGE
t has long been seen as the fountainhead of consumer electronics technology. Its cars are consistently among the world's most admired. Its corporations own two major Hollywood studios. Its kiddie culture has all but killed off Mickey Mouse and Barbie. Its $4 trillion GDP is number two behind the U.S. and its workers earn 25% more per head than Americans.
Bravo Castrati!
That's how many Asian Americans see Japan. A nation that should command the stature of a powerhouse -- and elevate the image of all Asians in the process -- possesses the geopolitical profile of, say, Switzerland, a nation a thirtieth its size. Japan's leaders are seen as mere hand puppets in a sad half-century charade of democracy. Its homes are cramped. Its men function as soulless drones whose women fly into the arms of western males. Even its vaunted economy has been on the ropes for ten years and looks ready to go down for the count. What little testosterone it possessed seems to have left with Ichiro.
A nation that should champion the Asian image has only reinforced every insulting stereotype. To many Asian Americans, Japan has done less than its smaller, poorer neightbors. Little Hong Kong exports asskicking action stars. South Corea exports people who take hooey from no one. Taiwan exports tech entrepreneurs to Silicon Valley. Impoverished China, Vietnam and even nutcase North Corea showed balls in standing up to the west. But mighty Japan? Spiritually it seems never to have recovered from its defeat in World War II.
Is Japan carrying its weight or slacking in the Asian image department?
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WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 06:00:41 PM)
I'd just like to ask, why is it so important how America sees Japan? Why does it have a duty to uphold an "Asian image"? The above commentary paints a disturbing picture of all the Asian countries clambering to impress the West, as if that were the most important thing for an Asian country to aspire to. Isn't that a bit degrading?
As for Japan reinforcing "insulting stereotypes", isn't it only the judgmentalism of the perceiver that gives rise to "insulting stereotypes"? One can take any dominant characteristic of a nations people and look down on it, or one can just accept it and not form conclusive judgments on what one does not fully understand.
krasavitsa
Sunday, June 02, 2002 at 07:16:23 (PDT)
They treat fellow asian like subhumans , did unspeakable atrosities in WWII and your asking whether they've done any good to the image of Asian. It wont be long when countries like Korea, Singapore and Taiwan will become the powerhouse of Asia and Japan typically will be looking back at their "glorious days of WWII"
Kim
Saturday, June 01, 2002 at 21:12:43 (PDT)
Good point.
This is the prime example of foreigners (ie. Japanese-Americans)yes you are foreigners to the Japanese, caring more about Japan than the Japanese do.
radicalralph
radicalralph@hotmail.com
Thursday, May 23, 2002 at 19:10:09 (PDT)
AAM: I was wondering if you could shed some light on your background. Being a 3rd generation Japanese-American, it disturbs me to hear garbage like that coming from someone of my own background. The church I used to attend in Chicago, Lakeside, has many different Asians, FOB as well as AA, and no Japanese-American I ever talked to had the idiotic views you espouse. I have heard these sort of views before, from whites as well as other Asians, and I used to be proud that my own group seemed more intelligent than that.
Jeff Yaki
yakijy@aol.com
Tuesday, May 07, 2002 at 09:41:39 (PDT)
Japanese people have always been an enigma. Go to Japan and leave your purse or wallet in a taxi. Chances are you can retrieve it. What are your chances anywhere else in the world? What are your chances of being robbed by a Japanese or Japanese-American?
In the 1940's, when the white man was invading Asia and the Pacific islands, Japan launched a pre-emptive strike. They did go overboard, and did some hideous things, but such a small nation has done so much to affect the world.
I don't see how anyone can say that they acted as a defeated nation after the war. With radiation scars seared in their minds, they transformed Japan into one of the top economies in the world! Think of the shock we all felt after 9-11. Multiply that by a thousand and you begin to realize what they went thru.
Now they no longer dominate the world in trade. This is just the nature of economic cycles. Look at the once mighty European countries. Japan still pulls it's weight, and provides more economic aid to the world than any other nation.
Jeff Yaki
yakijy@aol.com
Tuesday, May 07, 2002 at 06:07:04 (PDT)
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