Japanese American Identity & Self-Image | Asian American Poll

JAPANESE AMERICAN IDENTITY & SELF-IMAGE
(Updated Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:14:07 PM to reflect the 100 most recent valid responses.)

In relating with other Asian American groups, Japanese Americans most exhibit which of the following attitudes?
More Americanized than thou | 51%
More rooted in ancestral heritage | 0%
More anxious to be low key | 49%
More embracing of other AA | 0%

Which of the following has the most impact on the Japanese American identity?
Smallest percentage of recent immigrants | 36%
World War II internment | 51%
Japan's economic success | 6%
Smaller population than other AA groups | 7%

This poll is closed to new input.
Comments posted during the past year remain available for browsing.

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WHAT YOU SAY

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Boston,

I'll say the same thing I said to AC dropout. Japan has acknowledged it's past and has apologized NUMEROUS times! You can easily check this fact. Check CNN.com, google, or whatever you like to check what Japan has been doing. Now, whether or not the apologies were good enough for the victims is subjective, and will NEVER be resolved.

I am not by any means minimizing what the Japanese did during WWII. I think Japanese leadership and military personnel committed serious crimes.

However, Japan has apologized. You may not like the “degree” of the apologies, statements made by SOME politicians, and a book (out of many) that was approved for Japanese education. However, the fact is, Japan has apologized, and have taken various actions to “compensate” the victims (countries and defined groups).

You may say you do not accept Japanese apologies or actions. That is your right. You may even say Japan never apologized. However, that would be a lie.

Oh, yeah. You haven’t said anything to support “Japan is close minded”. If you say compared to U.S., I would agree with you. If you compared to other Asian countries in general, I have to say you must be joking!

A Girl from Japan,

You have a world-view of a young teenager. Nothing wrong with that if you are one.

World Traveler Monday, November 19, 2001 at 13:17:23 (PST)

a girl from japan,

The most recent anime movie I can think of where Japan does not lose in WWII is Jin-Roh.

Maybe it was too far to say they have stories where Japan wins WWII. The stories are more like "Japan does not lose WWII" or "Japan fights in a similar war to WWII but doesn't lose"

I never heard of that story of asian countries trying to bomb Japan 4 or 5 years ago. That's very sad. Which country?

I'm pretty sure the USA wants to protect their bases on Japan. They are afraid of China still. USA has their own agenda in Japan, you can not really trust us either. Every year in Japan there is a story of American GI abusing some Japanese girl.

Ah, money the great evil. I guess your right Japan could not pay every victim. That would be insane.

But they should definitely change their history books a bit. But then again USA history books are very lacking on Vietnam Conflict and Korean Police Actions.
AC Dropout Monday, November 19, 2001 at 13:00:14 (PST)

world traveler,

you dont get it. yes, japan has apologized but it has done so selectively and under specific conditions. For ex., Japan has verbally apologized to China, but refuse to put it in writing? Why is that?

I think most people aren't touched by japan's apologies simply because they are NOT SINCERE. Sincerity is the most important thing. What is the worth of an apology when you have to twist somebody's arm to do it. Obviously nothing, because they just apologize under pressure.

If Japanese society really do feel sincere grief and shame for what they've done, then yo won't see these reight wingers re-writing history, and you wont see racist politicians like Ishihara being elected because their views wont be tolerated.
ccccc Monday, November 19, 2001 at 11:18:47 (PST)

japan has to learn that people can forgive their sins in WW2 but people will not FORGET abt the atrocities. As long as u twist the facts, deny the wrongdoings,glorify your mistakes and ignore the anger of your neighbours, there will be no ends to the hatred and suspicions towards the japanese.

Talking abt J-pop,i wonder why almost all of the japanese artistes need to dye their hair blonde or add in a few lines of strange sounding english into the choruses of their songs.
holler Monday, November 19, 2001 at 05:49:58 (PST)

ac dropout,
i am very curious about which anime and movies made the story of japan winning WWII. do you know any specific titles? i never heard of any of that kind of stories. that's too insane... i wonder why anyone would want to do that.

i think this is one of the reasons why japanese government wouldn't admit what we did during war. when the victims ask for apologies some would also ask for the consolation money as well. since japanese government is stingy, they are not gonna pay for those victims. though, they have given money to some victims in the past. imagine how much they are gonna have to be spending if they pay for every single victim.
another reason is that we don't have a military system in japan. so if the government admitted, there would be a possibility of being a target of nuclear bombs or something like that. even though US military is behind us, how reliable is that? even US military may as well let other countries attack japan. you never know. of course, i don't agree to what the government is doing. they are doing something morally wrong. but they are trying to make the japanese survive in a way.
one of asian countries tried to drop a bomb in japan about 4,5 years ago but they failed. the bomb fell into the ocean, fortunately. i think we are pretty much threatened.
don't take me wrong. i'm not trying to justfy what japan is doing to other asian countries or anything.

by the way, you made a good ponit in being kawaii could easily be kowai to foreigners. that's very true. also, that's funny:)

a girl from japan Monday, November 19, 2001 at 02:37:16 (PST)

To: World Traveler.

Japan and Japanese are most open minded country in Asia?? Based on what facts?
A country open to western military technologies to invade fellow Asians. Raping, Torturing innocent childrens and hiding from Japanese public from Real World War II history. The reason Japanese government want to hide because they simply lost the war.

Japan is superficial country. In outside they might look open but in deep inside there very closed minded country.

Boston.
Boston. Sunday, November 18, 2001 at 22:34:11 (PST)

AC Dropout,

Just one thing... Check the facts. Japanese government has accepted the responsibilities of it’s actions in WWII and APOLOGIZED numerous times. Furthermore, they have taken numerous actions to financially “compensate” the governments and citizens for Japan’s WWII actions.

The problem is that the other governments and victims never see whatever Japan does as good enough. How much apologies is enough? Such is very subjective. Many Japanese feel they have done more than enough. Many others Asians don’t even know that Japan has been apologizing and taking responsibilities, since their government has not reported such acts, or their governments have minimized the sincerity of such apologies.

One can accept the apologies and go on. Some will never forgive rest of their lives. That’s too bad, because they are only making their own lives miserable.

World Traveler Sunday, November 18, 2001 at 15:12:08 (PST)

Peace,
I agree with u. japanese government is a crap. a while ago, the committees of history text books were arguing whether they should include some of the facts, sych as what japanese have done to other asian countries in the past. they are really disgusting fellows... they not only deny the facts but also try to justify them. they are so evil. though, when those people were little, there were conflicts between japan and korea. so i can see where it's coming from. still, i can't stand people like them. i've read the book which one of the committees has written. it was sick. i couldn't restrain my anger towards him. so i didn't even finish that book.
does anyone know why the government is so f***ed up? what can we do to fix it?
a girl from japan Friday, November 16, 2001 at 13:32:00 (PST)

Park and Park,

With comments like that I doubt you will get much of your point across.
It obvoius you have some resentment against the Japanese. However, if you don't elaborate more, maybe I would be able to sympathize with you. But currently you post read.

Japan...#%@$!! I hate them.

J Korea,

Walk around the village more and you will see non-japanese people dress like idiots also. I've seen Koreans dress like they were black rappers in NYC. But that doesn't mean Koreans are styleless.

Look WWII Japan is like the Nazi Germans. But I know a lot of rich Jews driving Mercedes and BMW. Wars a bitch, people die when you have wars.
Time moves on.

Would it make you feel better, if you shot a Japanese person in NYC to atone for the attrocities Japan did to Korea? Buying a gun in NYC isn't that hard. But it doesn't solve anything, does it?

World Taveler & a Girl from Japan,

You have to admit Japan's government offical stance on their involvement in WWII does leave many of the invaded countries a little irritated. The German Governement have admitted their atrocity of the Jews to the world. What's Japan so afraid of the admit their actions during WWII.

Also, you have to admit some fashion in Japan is just too Kawaii (cute) can easily be mistaken as Kowaii (scary) to a foreigners.

The last thing I think is the strangest think is the "WWII revisionist" in Japanese Pop culture. Granted only a very very small percentage all books, anime, manga, movies, and TV shows have stories with Japan winning WWII. But its just too strange.

Even when Disney made the movie "Pearl Harbor" it got the last part right. USA lost to Japan in that battle.

USA doesn't make movies about USA winning in Vietnam.
AC dropout Thursday, November 15, 2001 at 15:54:49 (PST)

Park and Park,

I thought they had better educational system in Boston.

"Japan sucks"
because ????

"whats Japanese or Japanese Americans stance in the world?"
I don't know. You tell me ( I doubt if any one person is qualified to answer that ).

"Then they're talking bad about Asia and Korea???"
They? Who? What did "they" say?

"Those people don't represent Asia."
Evey asian country represent Asia in some way, whether you like it or not.

"Those Japanese are narrow minded assholes."
Based on what? Japan is considered by many to be the most open minded in Asia. They are the most accepting of other ways, which is one of the criticism that people of other Asian heritages have of Japan.

When you criticize others, please be constructive and offer accurate supporting materials.

World Traveler Wednesday, November 14, 2001 at 08:05:58 (PST)

I'm Corean American, most Corean Americans that I know don't hate the Japanese people and certainly not Japanese Americans, why should we?
Majority of the people today had nothing to do with the past.
For some of us who do follow the news don't like the Japanese governments stance. How can you expect Coreans and rest of Asia to let go of the past when the Japanese government continuously act insensitive toward her neighbors.
Its easy to say 'its the past" when it wasn't your people who were victimized.
Why don't the Japanese gov't own up to her past, instead of denying and trying to hide it? This is the problem!

Peace Tuesday, November 13, 2001 at 17:14:59 (PST)

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