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Originally Posted by
bakaKanadajin
When I think about some of the things that are going on in the world I truly can't get as fired up about these issues as some. I just see this as pre-mature drum beating.
Premature? To what? What are you/we waiting for that makes this premature?
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There is already progress being made and we've been through the examples already.
And, just how do you think that progress was made? Not by sitting back, accepting the problem and doing nothing about it.
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Some people don't see what's already there as being valuable, or else they prefer to focus more on the negatives instead of celebrating the positives.
There's a difference between focusing on the negative in this discussion group, and focusing only on the negative issues in Japan outside the discussion group. As long as the topic is here in the forum, it only makes sense to focus on it. Ignoring it won't make it go away, whether you are in Japan or Canada.
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It's really subjective. My experience in Japan was, like others on here, mostly positive. I guess I'm just trying to remain positive.
I'm confused about what positivity you are trying to display. Being a "glass is half full" person is one thing, but you don't even seem to feel that the problem exists at all, or to any degree of importance.
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I just don't share some of the opinions that I've read. I've also several friends here in Toronto who are visiting from Japan and Korea and we hang out on a regular basis. Their dislike for foreigners is non-existent, another reason I can't honestly agree with some of what I've read.
If I were really a snippy person, I would throw that last statement back in your face and say, "Oh, that's just an isolated incident." I won't, and all I can say with great reluctance is that we are going to have to agree to disagree, but I'll also ask that you don't keep brushing off the problems here as unimportant to those who still live here.
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For the issues that have been discussed in this thread, I'm not condoning any ignorance, more like patience.
Again with the "wait and see, don't be so premature" attitude. We've waited 12 years for Japan to enact laws to bolster its presumed support of the anti-discrimination treaty. I'm a very patient person, but that's far too long.
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if someone arrives in Japan with a false impression of what to expect and they're ill-equipped to deal maturely with some of the realities that exist outside their own borders I don't think that's Japan's fault either.
It starts somewhere. The foreigner didn't cause the discrimination. That's the root of it all, not his response when encountering it. (However, I do agree, and have stated countless times, that people coming here to work should really prepare a lot more just to avoid as many surprises as possible.)
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By contrast, you'd be amazed how many people get over there and expect everyone to speak English and to be ready and waiting to help them settle in. It just doesn't work like that. This attitude contributes to a lot of frustration and misunderstanding down the road too when other issues crop up.
Yes, as we both have prepared before coming, and seem to have open minds about things here, the unprepared will be frustrated. That still doesn't condone the acts of discrimination themselves.
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There were many situations where something went wrong and I was completely screwed. I lost my wallet in Roppongi, my phone randomly died on me, bank account issues, not being able to access my own money, getting my alien card, mail not arriving, being turned away at clubs without proper ID, getting lost, etc. Each time the resistance I met wasn't racism in my opinion,
Well, of course, with those examples, it is clearly not racism. I don't see why you even bring them up.
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I agree with you to the extent thatr racism persists in subtle forms,
Here it can be subtle or blatant.