General statistics
List of Youtube channels
Youtube commenter search
Distinguished comments
About

Gordon Graham
TAKASHii
comments

Comments by "Gordon Graham" (@gordonbgraham) on "What’s it like being Half Japanese in Japan ?" video.

I have 5 kids all born and raised in Japan and all who are either in or have been through the public school system here. They pretty much, to a person, echo the first girl's sentiments "I've never really thought about it". I suppose the reason being, I've never made an issue of it, never set up an "us and them" framework dichotomy in their minds. Also, the fact that they all grew up in the same neighborhood and went to school with all their neighborhood friends, so that kids never looked at them as "foreigners" but "Kenji" or "Mei", their friends. I also run a youth ice hockey program with 70 kids among whom are kids from the US, Sweden, China and even Nigeria! Certainly, at first the other kids are curious and inquisitive about their backgrounds, but soon enough they're all just another kid and part of the group. That has been my experience here.
29
@Dragon-Believer Godwin's Law...Asian version. Nanjing, "Comfort women", Unit 731. Completely neglecting the fact that common Japanese citizens were also victims of their own government and Imperial Army.
17
@angryjalapeno Did I mention China? I merely said they should feel superior to most nations. They built the world's 2nd largest economy (now 3rd behind China's) with very little in the way of natural resources. They have a society in which there is very little street crime where people can walk home anytime of the night in any neighborhood without fear of being robbed or attacked. They have universal health care which gives every citizen access to one of the best health care systems in the world, and as a result they have the longest life-span on the planet. They have superior education (free to those who can't afford it) available to everyone. Japan ranks in the top 5 annually in international testing for high school students in math, literacy and science. Yes, there have been atrocities committed by the Japanese in the past. That is true of every nation, including China, America and any other nation you care to cite.
11
@angryjalapeno Everyone receives something from somewhere else. What you do with it is what matters most. The Japanese have done more with it than most nations. They should feel superior. In many ways they are.
11
@autohmae I have 5 kids all born and raised in Japan and all who are either in or have been through the public school system here. They pretty much, to a person, echo the first girl's sentiments "I've never really thought about it". I suppose the reason being, I've never made an issue of it, never set up an "us and them" framework dichotomy in their minds. Also, the fact that they all grew up in the same neighborhood and went to school with all their neighborhood friends, so that kids never looked at them as "foreigners" but "Kenji" or "Mei", their friends. I also run a youth ice hockey program with 70 kids among whom are kids from the US, Sweden, China and even Nigeria! Certainly, at first the other kids are curious and inquisitive about their backgrounds, but soon enough they're all just another kid and part of the group. That has been my experience here.
10
@PuertoPrincessa15 I have 5 kids, all bi-national(Japanese/Canadian) who are either in or have been through the public school system in Japan. None of them has had a single issue about racism or bullying due to their father being Canadian. In fact, they all grew up with plenty of friends and that includes friends from school and the neighborhood. Japanese public schools are awesome! I wouldn't send kids born in Japan to an international school. It's better for their immersion into society to go to a public school.
7
@djfwildcatz Patience and understanding
6
@djfwildcatz Sorry, I got a direct notification. I thought you were addressing me. My apologies
5
@supercal3944 Knowing the culture of a hafu is irrelevant as to how they are treated, because their culture is JAPANESE culture (odd that it's YOU who is OTHERING them), unless they were born and raised abroad (or unless they were born in a foreign culture bubble in Japan), in which case they are not culturally Japanese, unless of course they were raised AS Japanese (I can honestly tell you my kids don't feel the slightest bit "Canadian" because they were all born and raised in Japan. Listening to the above interviews I can immediately tell who was raised in Japan and who wasn't with my eyes closed)...which means their culture is irrelevant vis a vis to how they are "treated". It's astounding the lack of self-awareness foreigners have when being guilty of the thing they accuse "the Japanese " of being. Astounding and so common as to be barely noticeable.
4
@doandroidsdream1748 Is "being a foreigner" the issue? Japanese rent apartments to foreigners with guarantors. Or is it possibly that Japanese landlords have had issues with tenants skipping out on rent or not paying for damages. I'm a home owner now, but in the past I've had to pay a lot in damages every time I moved ( I had to pay 7万 for a cheap plastic vanity that fell from over my sink and cracked! It was clearly over 30 years old. I barked and mewled like a kitten sucking on a hind teat...and refused to pay! My wife calmly told me we have to pay...it's in the lease...shoganai...there's a difference between foreign tenants and Japanese tenants...and it's not their race or nationality...it's their attitudes about such things). I'd lived in 5 different apartments before I bought a house. There are all kinds of fees involved, fees some foreigners don't understand and often refuse to pay. Japanese landlords also refuse young Japanese or Japanese who look like "trouble", due to this issue as well. Most foreigners are in Japan on short-term visas. Many skip out on the rent, or without paying for damages.
4
The ageing population issue is way overblown considering 50% of current jobs will have been made obsolete by mass-automation and AI within the next 25 years, and considering Japan currently has a population of 126.5 million on an archipelago roughly the size of California (population 40 million).
4
In Canada you are Canadian by dint of birth regardless of where you are born, as long as one parent is Canadian. All Japanese/Canadians need to do to maintain both passports is to use their Japanese passport when entering Japan. I have 5 kids, all born and raised in Japan. I'm Canadian, so they are, too.
4
@catswork "acting"...I think it's a matter of preference vis a vis culture rather than a thought of what and who others outside of their culture are. As someone who has lived in Japan for more than 30 years, I've not heard "Japan is better than....insert country here". I have, however, heard no end to foreigners here mewl about how "the Japanese" should do this or that...implying that their way of doing things is superior.
4
@yuanruichen2564 At present we can import crops...the moment there is any kind of international crisis in which supply lines are affected then there would be a huge issue.
3
@yuanruichen2564 Japan is 80% mountain with very little arable land. Having a smaller population is more sustainable in terms of natural resources, which Japan lacks.
3
@Dragon-Believer You're citing China when I was clearly referring to Japan.
3
@sofijones5048 In Japan...not Canada
3
@djfwildcatz Do you think it's acceptable to say "black people are criminals"? Of course, not all black people are criminals, right? But saying so even without the "not all" qualifier still casts a racial implication over such a comment that would likely leave the reader with a negative impression of black people, no? Well, that's how your comment comes off, no matter how you try to justify it.
3
@djfwildcatz I appreciate your thoughtful reply. Here's what I took umbrage with "Japanese people like tourists. But they're not particularly excited about foreigners living here" This is a statement that is not about "your experience" but a general statement about "Japanese people" Your follow up statement is a condemnation of Japanese people's character...implying "they" are users..." they also make use of these foreigners (mostly Westerners or Caucasians) to practice and learn English. Not to establish a genuine friendship." Look, your having had a difficult time establishing "genuine" friendships with Japanese people does not mean Japanese people do not "establish genuine friendships" with people other than you or your friends...I have had plenty of long lasting, genuine friendships with Japanese people, and I'm not alone in this experience. I'm not "putting Japan on a pedestal" when I say this. I'm just setting whomever comes across this comment straight that your experience differs from mine and that you should be careful about sweeping generalisations. It's one thing to say "In my experience, it's been difficult to develop a genuine friendship with Japanese people". It's another thing to say "Japanese people use people to practice English, not to establish a genuine friendship" or "Japanese people like tourists but they're not particularly excited about foreigners living here."
3
@user-qy9rg3nt2l Yeah, soaplands and the kinds of clubs that have exorbitant "service" charges that foreigners aren't aware of and often end up in rows over...those very few and far between places, that don't include the 99.9% of Japan where that's just not so. So, to colour Japan as racist or xenophobic based on a less than 1% proclivity is overly judgemental, and perhaps even "racist" in and of itself, due to the insistence on the "Japaneseness" of the proclivity.
3
@joyjoy534 You clearly haven't been to Japan either. It's most certainly not "common" for businesses to be unwilling to serve foreigners. If so, please give me the names of such establishments...seeing as it's "common", I'm sure you'll have no issues doing so. Thanks
3
@supercal3944 2 of the recent Miss Japan winners have been of mixed race, Priyanka Yoshikawa whose father is Indian and Ariana Miyamoto whose father is American. Now, while there were more than a fair share of racists on the Internet expressing their bigotry and close-mindedness, there are also plenty of Japanese who applauded their being chosen. Also, keep in mind that each had to win two beauty contests for which "ideal Japanese beauty" was the criterion (prefectural and national). Both contests were judged by a panel of Japanese judges who determined these young ladies to be ideal Japanese beauties. Some Japanese judge whether you are Japanese or not based on appearance, others don't. The term "half" includes "Japanese".
3
@supercal3944 My point is, some Japanese think that way, while others don't, especially those who have grown up around "halfs". Certainly, when sitting on a train, a half will be thought of as a "gaijin", but that's a natural impression to have when most Japanese look a certain way, black hair etc, however, for those who know "halfs" they do not consider them "gaijin", at least that has been my experience in the 30 years I've lived in Japan and with my 5 kids all born and raised in Japan and all of whom are either in or have gone through the public school system. They are not considered "gaijin" by the kids at school, the people in their lives etc. They're considered Japanese.
3
@doandroidsdream1748 Rates fluctuate. Japan has a current population of 126.5 million on an archipelago the size of California (pop.40 million). How many years do you suppose it will take Japan to reach 40 million? Do you imagine the Japanese will go from 1.25~1.48 to zero? Also, do a modicum of research into job losses due to mass-automation and AI within the next 25 years and see what those outcomes look like. Don't take my word for it. See for yourself how many jobs have been lost in just the past 5 years. Do you imagine that AI and mass-automation are going to regress and not advance? Seriously, guy...figure it out.
2
@supercal3944 Japan is a highly educated country with the 2nd highest tertiary education rate on the planet. It also ranks in the top 5 annually in terms of science, math and literacy. Also, the Japanese are not ignorant of bi-racial Japanese as there are no small number of them in our society.
2
@supercal3944 Their friends are part of society, as are all those who know them. Strangers who have no way of knowing who they are view them as foreigners based on their appearance, yes. Teachers, friends, classmates, teammates, people in the neighborhood...don't view them as foreigners.
2
@supercal3944 "The Japanese" are ignorant is a racist statement. It's akin to "black people" are lazy. You're demeaning "them".
2
@supercal3944 Again...to strangers, hafus seem to be foreigners, to people they know, hafus are not seen as foreigners. That said, there are quite a number of hafus whose home environment is entirely foreign to Japanese culture, including the language spoken. There are plenty of hafus with single mothers of foreign descent, particularly from the Philippines, Brazil and Peru who can't read or write Japanese and speak it poorly. Those kids struggle at school because of language deficiencies and are seen as foreigners because of those deficiencies. Those hafus who grow up in an entirely Japanese home environment, like the Iranian girl in the video, are seen as Japanese by their friends, Japanese with a foreign parent.
2
@Alejojojo6 That's not true. Check out Debito Arudo. He's a notorious Japan critic who was born and raised in America. His original surname is Arbuckle and his parents are both white Americans. Anyone can "naturalise" and become a Japanese citizen by law. There are criteria, but it's legally possible. Koseki, being in the family registrar is not a criterion for foreigners wishing to naturalise.
2
@djfwildcatz Your experience, has not been mine. I've lived in Japan for 30 years and have plenty of friends with whom I only speak Japanese. My neighbors are friendly and welcoming, and I've never had anyone get up from their seat in a train...other than to get off at their stop. I think saying what Japanese like and don't like based on your personal experiences is myopic and doesn't really represent what "the Japanese" are...which is a myriad of different people, all with different personalities, likes and dislikes.
2
@djfwildcatz You know what was in your heart when you made those comments. Whether you own up to it or not is on you. Take Care
2
@Dragon-Believer It doesn't make it current either. Every nation has it's ugly past. Look up "residential schools" in Canada, where the government snatched crying children out of their indigenous mothers' arms because they deemed them "too savage" to raise their own children, and forced them into Catholic run orphanages only to be brutalized and raped by the "gentile" Europeans who were charged with their care and well-being. Mass graves of raped and murdered children are now being discovered. Shall we talk about slavery? Shall we conclude that Americans today are responsible for the sins of their past? It was rank and file Americans who massacred women and children in My Lai in Vietnam...mimicking what "the Japanese" did in Nanjing. The Americans fire-bombed dozens of civilian cities and targets with incendiary bombs with flammable jelly meant to stick to the skin of its victims and burn them alive! What about the genocide of the Armenians by the Turks? How about China's past? Do you think it's lily white and gentle? Maybe get yourself a calendar, guy and stop living in the past.
2
@davidhill850 It's still 22. My eldest daughter is now 21, born, raised and living in Japan. We've verified that. I also have kids, 18, 14, 10 and 7...all born, raised and living in Japan. Being Canadian, it doesn't affect them, as even if they renounce their Canadian citizenship, the moment they step off the plane from Japan to Canada, they are Canadian citizens by dint of their father being Canadian. The law only applies to Japan, so they have all decided to retain their Japanese citizenship.
2
I've lived in Japan since 1988, have 5 kids who are mixed and don't have a clue what you're talking about
2
@user-qy9rg3nt2l Where do you live. I've never been refused entry to any establishment in Japan in my 30 years here. Perhaps you could direct me to such a place that does. I'm curious about such a thing. Are you talking about "soapland" establishments?
2
@doandroidsdream1748 What if it were a Japanese person that experienced these "small inconveniences"? Do you suppose they don't?
1
@Michael-fw5ef Some do, some don't. I've lived in Japan for over 30 years and have yet to see anything other than a "soapland" entertainment establishment bar foreigners. It must have been one of those "snacks" that have exorbitant "service charges"...I've been to plenty of those...got a bj in the toilet in one. I've also seen a few foreigners freak out over the bill when they stopped in for like two or three drinks and ended up having to pay more than ¥10,000. There's a reason that those establishments cater to "Japanese only"...and it ain't race, or xenophobia...It's avoidance of trouble vis a vis misunderstanding of charges...girl at your table sings karaoke...that's a charge...etc. The Japanese understand that, foreigners for the most part...don't
1
@doandroidsdream1748 "You seem to be someone who spends a lot of time alone, yes?" I have 5 kids, a lovely wife and I run an elite youth ice hockey program with 70 kids. Of those 70 kids we have kids from Sweden, the Philippines, Canada, the US and Nigeria, all of whom have been welcomed, along with their families, warmly and with open arms. 88 million in 2065! Great! That seems sustainable on an archipelago roughly the size of California and with only 20% arable land and in an age of mass-automation and AI. I see a bright future for my kids. Unfortunately, Japan will likely be affected by the chaos and discord of other nations who have descended into an absolute mess...like California, for example.
1
@SchlaftaterNrzZz Relativity is relative
1
@doandroidsdream1748 Your imagined outcome would mean that Japanese would stop having children altogether at some point. That's not the case. Japanese families are still having children, just not 3~5 like they did a generation ago. 1.25, 20 years ago, 1.45 now...that's an upward trend, not a downward one. Figure it out, guy...the population is levelling off to a more sustainable rate. And while Japan retains its harmony through prudent immigration policies the West will continue to descend into chaos and discord, politically and socially. Enjoy
1
@peachmelba1000 Socially, the current generation will have to incur higher taxes, but when those over the age of 65 die out, the population will be at a more sustainable number considering mass automation and AI will have made 50% of current jobs obsolete within the next 25 years. The current trend in population decline is prudent.
1
@doandroidsdream1748 stable replacement fertility? Replacement of what...the 50% of current workers who will soon be unemployable? The 25% over the age of 65 who are on the coffers? Replace them with whom...more unemployable? Good argument! Being enamoured by your own argument doesn't make it valid. Maybe think things through a little more objectively before peddling that piffle.
1
@doandroidsdream1748 Japan's birthrate hit it's nadir in 2005 @ 1.25 children per woman of birthing age and has levelled out to between 1.43~1.48 in the past two decades, which is prudent considering AI and mass-automation will have made 50% of jobs obsolete within the next 25 years. No, Japan does have a choice. It chooses to address work shortages in the short-term with 3~5 year visas, visas for which there are endless lines of foreigners lined up for. It chooses to grant permanent residence status or nationality to those who assimilate, regardless of ethnicity. Neither ethnicity nor nationality is a criterion, ergo Japan is not xenophobic, only selective.
1
@doandroidsdream1748 This conversation will be over soon...I'll have forgotten it by Saturday. Japan is my home. I love it here. I'll continue to do so. You'll still be mewling like a kitten sucking on a hind teat about it. I've already lost interest about the likes of you...I won't even notice young ladies like the Japanese girl with an Iranian father, because she's just another Japanese to me...and most Japanese who I'm confident will not hesitate to sit beside her.
1
@doandroidsdream1748 Japan doesn't have a xenophobia problem. There are 3 million foreign residents in Japan, bi-racial children are the fastest growing demographic in Japan. English is compulsory education in Japan. Japan's constitution is American. Japan's writing system is Chinese. Japan embraces foreign culture and makes it her own in many cases. Having rigorous immigration policies does not equate to "xenophobia". Japan is an archipelago roughly the size of California (pop.40 million) with a population of 126.5 million, in an age of mass-automation and AI in which 50% of current jobs will have been made obsolete in 25 years. A strict immigration policy is prudent. Japanese society is grounded in harmony. Japan grants permanent residence and nationality to those who assimilate. Japan doesn't have a xenophobia problem. Many foreigners have a "Japan" problem.
1
@doandroidsdream1748 Hey, why don't you start one #mewlinglikeakittensuckingonahindteat
1
@Billynasty5 He's referring to a rub and tug or a hostess club...not a "restaurant"
1
@Billynasty5 yeah, that's what the Brazilian/Japanese guy is talking about, too...but he's not letting on
1
@doandroidsdream1748 Refute your statements? Refute what exactly? That Japanese don't suffer the same "inconveniences" such as not being rented to? That's incorrect. Point refuted. That people don't sit next to foreigners on crowded trains? Well, that hasn't happened to me in 30 years and I've never seen it, so I'll reserve my credulity on that claim...I have experienced hearing lies though. Perpetuated and repeated lies. Show me a video of a crowded train with a foreigner and an empty seat beside him or her...I have yet to see that unicorn. What insult? Mewling like a kitten sucking on a hind teat? That's a description...one I use for myself when having to pay for damages far exceeding their actual worth. That those two Columbian/Japanese seem like foreigners to me?...they do. I could tell you in an instant that neither were raised in Japan with my eyes closed. The Iranian/Japanese girl clearly grew up in Japan. I'd hazard a guess she's never had the experience of having no one sit beside her on a crowded train, so perhaps it's something besides their "foreigness" that is the cause of such a phenomenon...their attitude perhaps, or maybe they just imagine such a thing, maybe they're "manspreading"...who knows? Like I said, I've never seen it.
1
@doandroidsdream1748 So many of them aren't. Just like any other nation and people. People are people.
1
@davidhill850 The law is actually 22 years of age. It differs from the age of adulthood. I suppose the reason being, the consideration that those considering one over the other need a period of time in adulthood, completing their undergraduate degree at university first for example.
1
@doandroidsdream1748 Great! So we can agree that "the Japanese" are not xenophobic.
1
@sofijones5048 which makes it a de facto dual citizenship with Japanese citizenship regardless of Japanese law, just as in Canada. Even if a Japanese/Canadian were to choose Japanese citizenship, the moment they step off the plane from Japan to Canada, regardless of passport, they are Canadian citizens by dint of birthright. Ergo, they can maintain dual citizenship into adulthood.
1
@sofijones5048 The law is the same...22 years of age to decide which nationality you would like to be (in Japan). The Canadian law is the same. If one of your parents is Canadian, you are Canadian by dint of birth, regardless of where you were born.
1
What exactly is "it"? Strict immigration policies on an archipelago roughly the size of California, that is 80% non-arable land, with a current population of 126.5 million...and in an age when AI and mass-automation will have made 50% of current jobs obsolete within the next 25 years? I call that "prudent".
1
@doandroidsdream1748 There are many foreigners here who are leading successful, happy lives. They've assimilated, made friends, families and careers. The thing is, those foreigners are less often heard from than the ones who have experienced failures and have few friends, because they're too busy with their lives to be mewling like a kitten sucking on a hind teat about how disappointing Japan is. For them, like me, living in Japan is preferable to living in their own countries. The Iranian girl is a good example. Her father seems well assimilated and as a result she didn't grow up with an "us vs them" dichotomy framework in her mind. She is content with who she is and the impression I get from her is she is Japanese. The two Columbian/Japanese seem like foreigners to me.
1
"Japanese only" rub and tug, you mean...If you think that place was a "restaurant" you're wet behind the ears
1
@doandroidsdream1748 Is ascribing negative traits to "the Japanese" as though "they" were a monolith and not individuals not racist? "The Japanese" are xenophobic is a racist statement, no?
1
I've lived in Japan for 30 years and have 5 kids. I've never had an issue integrating or making friends, neither has any of my kids.
1
@doandroidsdream1748 "small inconvenience" was your term. I assumed the quotation marks were ironic. Also, there are 3 million foreign residents in Japan...all who have found a place to live. There are more homeless Japanese than there are homeless foreigners.
1
@doandroidsdream1748 Yes, that's discrimination, not xenophobia, the same as it is not renting to young Japanese, unemployed Japanese or dishevelled Japanese because they think they are "untrustworthy" they are "pre-judged"...Japanese are also discriminated against by landlords and experience the same "prejudice" in many cases...as per my original point that they too experience "small inconveniences".
1
@doandroidsdream1748 Yes, that's most certainly, true. And foreigners having negative experiences doesn't cancel out Japanese' negative experiences.
1
@doandroidsdream1748 Yes, such as not being rented an apartment, because they are unemployed or because they look dishevelled or have long hair or tattoos, or because they look too young? The same thing with people not sitting next to them on the train. I've lived in Japan for 30 years and have never had that issue...that's my real photo on the left.
1
rub and tug?
1
@Dragon-Believer The "occupation" as you call it, is simply the US being a paid watchdog.
1