Japanese American Identity & Self-Image | Asian American Poll

JAPANESE AMERICAN IDENTITY & SELF-IMAGE
(Updated Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:14:06 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.

CONTACT US | ADVERTISING INFO

© 1996-2013 Asian Media Group Inc
No part of the contents of this site may be reproduced without prior written permission.

WHAT YOU SAY

[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]

a girl from Japan

1)
It was a missle test that flew over Japan. Not "tried to bomb Japan".

2)
I appreciate the fact that you think Ishihara is “not bad”. However, he is an idiot for making stupid remarks, especially since he knew that many eyes were on him.

3)
This here is the real reason I wanted to say something about your opinions. I just couldn’t let you describe the Japanese government with such erroneous information. Japanese citizens have a great control over the books published for schools and many actions taken by Japan. I don't know whether you are old enough to have taken civics classes but Japan has a government that is similar to England, which is known to be a democratic country regardless of its monarchy. Japan, with its powerless emperor, operates and structured at least somewhat similar to England's government system.

As a fairly democratic government, politicians taking any actions vastly unpopular will be forced to resign or will not be re-elected. Bureaucratic institutions and individuals executing vastly unpopular regulations will be forced to change by politicians looking to get elected/re-elected.

You may have personally seen many things that the Japanese government did that you did not like. That doesn’t mean that the citizens overall were powerless to change them. It just means that not enough Japanese citizens took enough actions to change such actions by the government. Just like any democratic government, the enough number of citizens must take enough actions to change their government’s actions. That kind of change and force of power by its citizens are shown everyday in Japan, if you know where (what issues) to look.

Got a go, guests have arrived. Have a happy Thanksgiving!!!!

World Traveler Thursday, November 22, 2001 at 13:19:49 (PST)

AC Dropout,

1)
I don’t think I misread your post. You did write, [[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.]]. To me that clearly tells me that you are asserting Japan is afraid of admitting its guilt, and certainly you imply that Japan has not admitted its guilt. The first apology from Japan came immediately after an investigation funded by their own government reported that some of the war crimes did in fact take place.

2)
Now, you compared the Germans and the Japanese in their retributions. I have to tell you that such comparison is meaningless if your intention was to show some lack of character by the Japanese. German government and citizens were forced to see the gas chambers and death camps immediately after the war, when their citizens did not believe such atrocities took place. The situation in Japan immediately after the war was much different. The US government censored and controlled the written and media materials right after the war. Some people involved in the heinous experimentations received full pardon for transferring the knowledge to US military, and others were told to keep quiet. Therefore, I believe the difference in the response of the Germans and Japanese in handling of their war crime retributions can be attributed much more on the differences in the forced environment right after the war.

3)
I've never said that YOU wrote anything saying Japan was close minded.

4)
You showed how an outsider (you) sees how it looks. I can appreciate that. However, lets look at how it looks to many Japanese.

Asia: You were bad! Say you are sorry!
Japan: Uhmmm huh?, We’ve been good to you. We’ve put a lot of money and knowledge transfers to you. What’s the matter?
Asia: You’ve done nothing good for us. What money! What knowledge! Let me tell you about what you did in the War!
Japan: What money? What knowledge? You know, the billions of… Oh hell, never mind. That’s some heavy stuff you are accusing us of. Let us do our own investigation…
Japan: Sorry
Asia: Sorry is not good enough.
Asia: We want money
Japan: Here’s money, Here are foundations we set up to support the victims
Asia: We don’t want your stinking money! Pui!
Asia: You better say your are sorry!
Japan: Sorry!
Asia: You better give money!
Japan: Here’s some more, please remember we are going through a large recession
Asia: You better say you are sorry!
Japan: We are sorry.
Asia: You better say you are sorry! Why can’t you say sorry!
Japan: We are sorry, sorry, sorry!
Asia: That’s good.
Asia: We want apologies and money! Why can’t you apologize like a man! Why can’t you give money when you are rich!
Japan: We are sorry! More money for the foundations that will help the victims.
Asia: We don’t want your bloody money! We want apologies!
Japan: Keep the money anyways. We are sorry!
Asia: Your words are not good enough. We want it in writing!
Asia: Just say you are sorry!
Asia: Money!
Asia: Kill your selves!
Asia: Invest in us!
Japan: Whoa!?
World Traveler Thursday, November 22, 2001 at 12:23:45 (PST)

ac dropout,

it was north korea. the date was august 31, 1998. may be you can look up on internet.

ccccc,

i hear what your saying. though, japanese citizens have no control over what the government does. we can't choose who write history books... i don't want you to think everyone in japan don't feel sincere griel and shame because that's not true. most japanese, if educated the truth, feel that way. what you see is what japanese government does but citizens.

i don't necessary think ishihara is bad. he is very patriotic. he tries to change japan and make it more independent. also, he is a brother of a famous actor who died about 10 years ago. that's other factors why he was chosen. he didn'tt get elected because he is a racist. i also think it's the media who makes him look bad. the media makes a big deal out of every word politicians say. i know there are some groups in tokyo who want to get rid of him. i personally don't think he is that bad, though.

world traveler,

yes, i have a world-view and i am young. thank you very much.
a girl from japan Wednesday, November 21, 2001 at 04:14:09 (PST)

World Traveler,

You are mis-reading my post. First critism of Japan apologizes is not whether they exist or not. It is the method in which it is done. I'm not familiar with Japan internal politics to know what is going on with the apologies in Japan and if the apologies have unilateral support. But to an outsider it looks like this

Asia: "Apologize for the atrocity of WWII"
Japan: "We're sorry"
Asia: "We want it in writing from your government to ours."
Japan: "Do we have to, it's in the papers."
Asia: "Compensate of the victims"
Japan: "Here some money, but we can't give too much more."
Asia: "You're history books need to be more sympathic to the victims"
Japan: "It's our history books"

It's like pulling teeth. Germany did not behave in this manner with the Jews.
But then again Isreal has bigger problems than getting written apologizes write now.

I never said Japanese were "Closed minded." I enjoy their modern entertainment of TV shows, manga, anime, and J-pop. Some of that stuff is more open minded than European or American counterparts.

From my dealing with Japanese people they are just normal people.

My only comment is that they can of arrogrant or elitist at times. But then again, they see themselve as the only asian country to be rank #2 in the world economy for a long time. So that is to expected.

AC dropout Tuesday, November 20, 2001 at 15:39:20 (PST)

ccccc,

One:
My point was to correct the statement made by other that Japan has not apologized.

Two:
My point was also the subjectivity concerning the acceptance of Japanese apology. There will be varying degree of what are acceptable apology and actions. For some, they will never be satisfied even if all Japanese descendants here and forever suffer constant and unbearable pain.

As you probably know (or I hope you know), Japan has been making efforts to “make up” for its actions in the past (numerous apologies, setting up and funding foundations to help the victims, huge investments in Asian economic development, and tremendous amount of foreign aide – per capita basis, second to none). Now the debate is not whether Japan has apologized. Now, the debate is solely on whether Japan is doing enough, or sincere enough.

I understand why you made the comment that “I don’t get it”. Although, I did not make any comments as to if I believed Japan has done enough or Japan was sincere enough. However, it still doesn’t change the fact that the people who, rightfully or not, do not accept Japan’s apologies will have negative feelings for longer time. It is indeed unfortunate.

You also gauged sincerity of Japan’s apologies on the basis of certain actions by some people of Japan. Japan as a democratic government, cannot make right-wingers go away, or make them shut up. Look at us, we cannot make Pat Buchanan, KKK, Black Panthers, etc. go away and shut up. Those miniscule numbers of Japanese politicians who made stupid remarks didn’t get elected because they made those remarks. They made the remarks after they were in the office. They typically quit or were not re-elected afterwards. We (US) also have stupid politicians who make stupid statements. We also know that those politicians don’t represent our entire country.

World Traveler Tuesday, November 20, 2001 at 13:18:00 (PST)

NEWEST COMMENTS | EARLIER COMMENTS