A black man reports having had to endure the heart-rending experience of being called an Obama by a class of Japanese schoolchildren.
The account comes by way of a Japanese journalist:
I met a young American Japanophile on a plane recently. His Japanese was surprisingly good [i.e. he could say his name].
He was dispatched to a Japanese elementary school to teach English this last year. He said he loved Japanese children and was clearly enthusiastic about them, but he had a bitter experience at that school. It was from when Obama was still popular and the subject of something of a boom.
The first day he called at an elementary school in the country, the kids he met pointed at him and said “it’s Obama!” The entire classroom soon broke into an Obama call – “Obama, Obama!”
The entire class was chanting “Obama!” over and over, and even the teacher started grinning and joined in the chant.
He reflected on the experience: “Calling me Obama just because I’m black, isn’t it a racial stereotype? Even the teacher joined in!”
I thought about it. Certainly, calling a black man an “Obama” is not something you could get away with in America, whether or not you meant anything by it. I can appreciate his discomfort.
But considering it from the perspective of those Japanese kids, maybe they just wanted to greet their new teacher as enthusiastically as possible and so started calling out “Obama, Obama!” Perhaps they had no idea that might be hurtful to some people. The same goes for the teacher as well.
The moral of the story is probably that Japan is so insular that outside of major cities the arrival of a barbarian interloper is still considered worth making a song and dance of (literally in this case), and most will never know any better – although in retrospect being compared to a latter-day Jimmy Carter will probably seem rather more cruel than it does at present.
2ch weighs in:
“Sorry about those yokels…”
“These kind of black jokes are the worst!”
“If I went to the US and got called a ‘samurai’ I’d probably feel the same way.”
“The teacher was an idiot…”
“Why the hell did he join in?”
“He probably wasn’t as black as Obama…”
“How is being called the name of the President discriminatory?”
“How about we call you Hatoyama from now on?”
“I see what bothered that darkie now.”
“If that happened to me I’d be livid.”
“Japanese just get called Bruce Lee when they go to the states though…”
“What’s the big deal? This is just like calling the name of some famous white person when you see another white.”
“Well, it was the country. Those bumpkins can’t be helped.”
“I can forgive them as we’d just be called Chinese in a foreign country anyway.”
“Children can’t be helped, but that scummy teacher needs to resign.”
“This is certainly a very Japanese incident. They can’t understand about the discomfort they cause the person either.”
“Obama doesn’t even look that black – you can find Japanese who look like that.”
“If you look at that McDonald’s ad you’ll see just what kind of little idiots you’re dealing with here.”
“The people who say he is being overly sensitive are themselves being overly dismissive of racial discrimination.”
“If this guy was a Republican it must have been pretty harsh…”
“Blacks are so tedious.”
“It’s just because it was the first real black person they’d ever seen. You never see black or white people out there.”
“This is more like gaijin-sama arriving at a village of the natives and being given presidential treatment.”
“I’m from Kagoshima [almost foreign parts as far as most Tokyo inhabitants are concerned] and when I came to Tokyo they wouldn’t shut up with the funny names based on my origins. It was damn annoying. In fact, as I recall the teacher joined in too…”
“Well, teachers are basically on the same intellectual level as elementary schoolers.”
“If it were me I’d have responded ‘Yes we can!'”
“Where was the change…”
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In class in Japan the teacher asked the students where they thought I was from. They all responded what translates to "outside country." Not even a specific country... just "outside country."
Those students didn't receive even an American geography lesson. The sad state of Japan's education.
...I can probably say the EXACT same thing regarding international geography for American education.
AnonAnon here,
Anyone else thinks that as a whole, humans a xenophobic? We DO tend to deny anything not from our own comfort zones...
you should take example from panda, they're Black,White, and Asian.
Well, I disagree that the Japanese are completely without restraints when it comes to foreigners. One of my friends walked past a child and his mother while in Japan. He was black, so the child was clearly intrigued:
"Mama, ano hito nani?" (Mama, what is that person?)
Without actually knowing who my friend was, she replied:
"Eigo no sensei desu." (He's an English Teacher.)
And so, in the context of children, I do not see the shout of "Obama! Obama!" being anything more than the children's own amusement as seeing a black person, probably for the first time in their lives. It's just not normal in Japan, so you can't expect them to know better.
Which makes sense why that person joined in without thinking much else about it. But I bet there were better things he could have done. Like, if he had actually talked about black people, he could possibly get the attention of the kids and gain their emotional support.
Then, it'd be up to them what to think in the future, after they're old enough to understand true history and the roles of blacks (assuming they ever learn about them--the Japanese school system barely talks about them as anything other than a symbol for being a foreigner).
Of course, having tons of Japanese stare at your private parts when you're in a bath house is somewhat awkward, if not hurtful... (Yes, I'm blonde...) but you can't blame them for their curiosity. If they avoid you for it, though, then there might be an issue.
Even elementary school kids should know a few countries. At least I did when I was one. Even if it was completely off, at least name a country.
Correct, they just cannot fine like Jackie Chan. heh
"It could have been worse, like putting you in a separate bath all alone. At least they let you in the bathhouse together with the Japanese."
True, they could have treated you like a Russian and denied you entry. [Apparently Russians are known for not using the shower before entering the bath.]
:points: Gaijin! Gaijin! He from Gaikoku!
sure. because all asians look alike right?
i've been called jackie chan more times than i care to recall in england...where i grew up...wearing glasses
"having tons of Japanese stare at your private parts when you're in a bath house"
It could have been worse, like putting you in a separate bath all alone. At least they let you in the bathhouse together with the Japanese.
In America
Every Chinese guy is Jackie Chan
way to say, some teenies called me jackie chan in europe and I'm not even chinese.
sad european education?
not it's just common sense
Us foreigners don't know American geography, it's a waste of subject. Like calculus, you'll never use it in real life.
You know, if you're white, it's a bit hard to know if you're from Europe, America, Southern Oceania or South Africa. If you're black, is a bit hard to know if you're from Europe, America.. etc. The same goes to indigenous, persian, and even arabs. And as japan ethnic is 99% japanese , when you see a non-japanese, they'll obviously say you're outisde the country. Is better than, when in americas or europe, people calls all Asiatics as chinese, when calling them just "Asiatic" would be far more accurate.
I thought it's okay and more polite to ask someone you meet (for the first time) when you really don't know where he/she's from. Or is that too much work?
Don't worry about them arabs and "differences"~ 1 out of 2 would deride you in their language. 1 out of 2 would look at you in a arrogant manner and 1 out of 1 would rush you in a crowded area screaming AH LALLALLALAAH LAHLHAHLA HALHLAHLAHALHALH ALA LHAHAL HLAaAha Ah ahALAHAHA LKAHA ALAH ALHA LAH and go Boom~! Just call them all ragheads and your set~
Then they would fuck your women.
Shut the fuck up
@06:28 e @18:59 Americans are the only terrorists in the world.Period.
@Comment by Anonymous
10:30 12/02/2011 # !
HAHAHAHHA maybe in your arabic dream, where you get all 72 white blond women after completing a suicide jihad.
I went with my gf to tunisia couple of years ago and guess what some old grampa dare to ask me how much for my gf.
way to go fkn arabs
is your arabic female so fugly? well maybe thats why they hide their face inside their burkas.
LOLOL - He's gonna Hate It after 2012.
I went for a one-day English teaching job for some fifth graders at a primary school a bit back and had to introduce myself with "I come from Germany". When prompted to guess what that translates out into in Japanese, the very first reply in every of the classrooms I went to was "Jamaica!"
I'm blindingly white and blond, so that was kind of... yeah.
Then again, it could be worse - at least no one asked me about beer and sausages or showed me the Hitler greeting. That's more than I expected.
"or showed me the Hitler greeting" ... damn that would suck...
For some reason that just made me remember John Bradshaw Layfied doing the Adolf-chan salute during a WWE show in Germany
so yeah, only in japan *shrugs*
everyone know that hitler is funny guy,
what kind of guy who grow his mustache like that
Honestly, that would not surprise me. The other year there was an article on a Japanese girl who said her idol was 'Hitler-san'. And she had a nice picture drawn of her & the fuhrer together. [I couldn't make that up if I tried.]
Japan; home of inept
"Hitler greeting"
lol
I did that to a German exchange student that came to my high school. maybe I'll do it again sometimes
The German student is in another country learning a new language and new culture while getting ahead in school.
You're throwing out unoriginal insults while failing life and generally being a retard in high school.
It is pretty LOL I agree. Just LOL at your inability to see who's ultimately the winner in this situation.
Those 2ch... got mixed feelings this time.
“If you look at that McDonald’s ad you’ll see just what kind of little idiots you’re dealing with here.”
AMEN.
I'd rather be called an "Obama", than something like a "Jay-Z", or a "Tupac" (no offense to the dead, but seriously. Guy acted infantile).
Asshole and prone to grudges yes, infantile no.
agree
Yea but there is still the random stupid response, like the 7th one. Stereotypes and discrimination are two seperate things lol.
Stereotyping and discrimination are two different things. One can choose discriminate based upon a stereotype or not. They tend to be related. However they are not the same thing at all. I find many stereotypes to be true in some instances but if I let them color how I judge/treat someone then I have, more or less, begun to discriminate against them.
It's funny how the idiocy of political correctness has caused small minded people to treat stereotypes and discrimination as the same thing.
@ 22:44: You say that, but I'm white and I still can't tell the difference between British, French, Irish, Spanish, or South-African. German and Italian is a bit easier, but only if they're the archetype of that race. So, I highly doubt most Japanese can tell if someone is Korean or Chinese, or vice versa.
In fact, I read something somewhere that said that Korean/Chinese immigrants often simply change their names to Japanese names to avoid detection (to avoid the prejudice that comes with being Korean or Chinese in Japan).
@22:44
Chinese, yes. But even native wouldn't always be able to tell difference between a Japanese and Korean person. They look strikingly similar.
“Japanese just get called Bruce Lee when they go to the states though…”
not just Japanese but other Asians as well.
“I can forgive them as we’d just be called Chinese in a foreign country anyway.”
PLUS ONE FOR THIS.
Well, if you have never encountered a black person before, it can be hard to distinguish some of them.
The same actually happened to me, something I'm not really proud of (not Obama of course, but I confused two other people). Needless to say that I apologized for it.
But yeah, it can be hard to distinguish some people from other races if you didn't have close contact with the before, whether it be asians, caucasians, africans or latinos.
Distinguishing people from each other is difficult if you aren't familiar with their 'race' at all.
Most Westerners can't properly tell Chinese, Koreans and Japanese apart. While Chinese, Japanese and Koreans -certainly- can. In most cases, anyway.
It works the other way around as well. To them, the teacher probably really looked sufficiently Obama-like.
Well put. It goes along the same lines as how white Americans tend to think of anime characters as white, while of course Japanese (most at least) recognize the anime characters as Japanese. Actually I've recently started watching Katanagarari, and I love how the character cannot tell the difference between people due to his upbringing. It's an exaggeration, but a wonderful commentary on perspective for people who live in a melting pot... which is ironic considering how non-melting-pot Japan is :D
In regards to this black guy, I believe it was less about the commentary than it was that he was put in a strange spot and was caught off guard, so he put it in the complaint about race. Children can be forgiven their mistakes. As for the teacher, I can sadly understand his potential thought process. If anyone has ever dealt with children en masse, and have to force them to do things they don't like to do as an authority figure, you really wish for moments where you can be their friend as well so that they don't treat you so much like a villain. That doesn't change that he should have at least acknowledged the guy and escorted him into the situation before joining the chant or something.
And of course, the black guy should have known the universal Japanese symbol for 'this is embarrassing' and put one hand on the back of his head and rubbed.
@HouseLife
You talk about children in the classic parental dismissive way, you would rather worship children then treat them like the should be, they should be treated like children. What the fuck does a 5 year old child have to say that really fucking matters? Absolutely nothing. They wont be talk about peace treaties or global economic crisis, the most you will hear is how they got a new sticker that they just love, or how someone fated and they laughed. At the age of a child people need to be taught how to conform, listen, be humble and learn respect, ill all cultures. Children are children, but one day they will be adults and that's what you teach a child. How to be an adult.
Well, I have a hard time distinguishing the human race.
When i went to japan, they said i looked just like Obama....i look nothing like Obama! lol I'm sure they where just trying to be polite
@HouseLife
And I loved when in Code Geass noone could tell Karen/Kalen was from Japan, not from Britania :D
That was an awesome chance to pretend to be Obama, passed up.
Honestly, the easiest equivalent is being called a Chinese kid when you're Japanese/Korean/any other Asian.
no dude, calling a japanese kid chinese is'nt the same thing. its like calling an afican, jamaican. the equivalent would be a class of african kids chanting JACKIE CHAN!! when a japanese or korean teacher was introducced.
Or communist just cause you're from one of the nordic countries... Americans have no right to complain about people's lack of cultural sensitivity.
In Japan you are just labeled a "foreigner." I always laugh at the news when they talk about crime being committed by "foreigners."
Do they ever stop to think about how absurd that is? The criminal could be from anywhere in the world. Never mind that I'm from America and the culprit was someone from the Phillipines, I'm lumped in with the "foreigner" group and vilified.
All because Japanese people can't be bothered to say what continent people are from.
"I always laugh at the news when they talk about crime being committed by 'foreigners.'"
The issue with that is using race to identify a criminal at all, not that yours is getting lumped into the rest. Being more specific doesn't make it any less racist.
So you're saying it's acceptable to vilify everyone that is not of your nationality because mass-discrimination is better than pointing out the group that is actually responsible?
I'm glad you're so fair with hatred.
It does become rather pertinent information if, for example, a certain group is in fact disproportionately involved in a given activity.
In any case, the original poster is quite right there - in fact it is rather worse, as the Japanese are constantly talking about "kaigai" ("overseas") as if it were a single place.
Thats what Xenophobia is and by the way things are going, it is kinda fair. I dont know enough about modern Japanese news other than this site, but in the past, the outside penetration usually implies that the outside is trying to convert the inside. In the past, the west had done a decent job job penetrating and converting the Japanese through religious, military might and economic differences and exchange. Im not saying its right because I believe that as time goes on, things change. This isn't to be so according to these accounts.
From my experience, German news pull similar stupidity - see a crime committed by a teenager, and they very often include the bit "Southern looking". Which has become code for "Turkish", even though it used to refer to everybody from a country in the Mediterranean. Never mind that many of these perpetrators hold German citizenship and were born and raised there.
Same thing can be seen in Holland, France and Italy, though for the later two it tends to be "African" or "Maghrebi" instead.
And I don't think I have to mention the treatment Hispanics receive in parts of the USA?
Every country is racist to some degree, Japan is just more noticeable because of the total ignorance of 99% of their population.
I'm pretty sure the Japanese aren't as ignorant as americans who can't even point out where their country is on the world map, not to mention where the rest of the countries are.
@19:35 Don't lump Americans with some midwest cultist town, that teaches only hate and religious extremism.
Nor Americans with some piece of trash, from the ghetto, who'd rather sell drugs, than get an education.
Yeaaaaah, you've never actually been outside your house have you? If you've actually met anyone, from ANYWHERE who can't tell you where the USA is, then you need to re-examine your circle of friends. Maybe stop believing everything you see on YouTube. Or whatever the hell you're doing wrong. LOL
Gotta point, Now there are kids who don't know where the Pacific Ocean is on the map, but even my 2 yr old can point out his country, and even what state he lives in
Calling him Obama's way better than calling him nigger.
I dunno; I'm Chinese, but if they call me Kwai Chang Caine in US, I'd be flattered. Lol.
(Yes I'm aware Carradine's a whitey.<_<)
Don't get so personal over everything~ Mattaku~
Japanese wannabe chinese...lol.
In Japan, foreign criminals are mostly Chinese or Korean.
But Japanese media want to hide where foreign criminals are from if they are from China or Korea.
This is why they use a word "foreigner."
They hate Japan and love Korea and China.
Sorry for my poor English.
I've mistaken once a Japanese coworker for being South Korean. He was born in the North though, so I couldn't tell his accent apart from the rest.
No, it isn't. It's the same when I went to a different country and I get the famous crane kick pose from karate kid and karate chops wannabes just because I'm Chinese.
Imagine if you went to a totally different country from Asia as an exmaple and random people you meet on the street start to act as robots and also start saying "Hasta la vista, Baby.". And you know that isn't English all just because it came from a English movie.
Unless you're educated on the matter it's difficult to tell them apart. There are many types of asian races and pacific islanders most people can't be bothered to learn the differences.
Yeah, but it's just wrong to assume them to be Chinese off the bat. Just call us Asian if you want. People DO know what an 'Asian' is, right? They can't possibly be THAT stupid.
Most don't. Dammit, we had a school task, choose a continent and write about it, and it was a huge uproar when one girl kept arguing with the teacher that she wanted CHINA and Australia.
Countries=/=continents.
doesnt indian people fall into asians too. asians is not specific enough
Is Asian a type of food?
Sorry... I couldn't help myself... I'll try to restrain myself in the future...
@16:36
China and Australia aren't even on the same continent anyway.
An educated guess on which region they're from from would suffice, instead of the usual stigma which 2ch got it right;
Slit eyes = Chinese
this may be racist, but most of the Chinese that i have seen, models aside look far more pissed off than Japanese. in general.
I'd be pissed off too, if I where living with 1.3 billion other people.
I have to agree with @alidan there.
We're a serious ethic group that's hardly approachable and tough to approach too
In other words, we're a tsundere bunch ┐（￣ー￣）┌
who wouldn't be pissed if their house was covered in exploding sewage?
Australia is a continent you idiot.
Anonymous
18:40
their country is big enough to support them... kind of...
what you should look at there are the conditions, looking pissed from an early age, will cause the pissed wrinkles to form, and from there the pissed expression stays even when not.