My Answers to Columbine

(C=Columbine, Y=Yuri)




C : ユリさんの質問に関しては、ちょっと複雑と思います。






Y : I didn’t know the issue was controversial or complicated.


この問題が物議を醸しているとも複雑だとも知りません でした。


Thank you for answering.


答えてくださってありがとうございます。










C : 外国人は日本について学び始めると、必ず『日本人は外 国の事をよく分からない』や　『日本人に取って、外国 人が宇宙人みたいん』の意見を聞いています。それはや っぱり正しくないですが、何か普通になりました。






Y : Yes, the comments are right. Most Japanese people don’t know or understand foreign countries well. Let me say this, though, many people in foreign countries don’t understand Japan.


その通りです。ほとんどの日本人は外国のことを知らな いし、理解していません。でも言わせていただければ、 外国にいる外国人の方たちは、日本を理解していません 。










C : もちろん、その意見は大学で、日本人の友達で、直して いますが、日本の社会をよく分からないの人の中で、そ のような意見に信じている人はいっぱいんです。






Y : Those comments about Japanese people are correct, I’d say.


Most Japanese people have never met people from foreign countries. When those people first meet a person from a foreign country, the Japanese people would be so impressed and overreact.


私としては、そういうコメントは正しいと思います。


外国人の方に会ったことがない日本人はたくさんいます 。そういう人たち初めて外国の方にお会いしたら、もの すごく驚いて過剰反応するでしょう。


And I think you would say you don’t understand why those Japanese people are surprised meeting foreigners.


でも多分あなたは、どうして日本人が外国人と会ったか らといって驚くのか、わからないでしょうね。


Have you imagined that you have never met people who are not your race?


人種の違う人と会ったことがなかったらと、想像してみ たことはありますか？










C : それにも、日本の社会に着いて勉強し始めるの人でも、 他の外人から変な意見と聞いています。「日本人があな たの事を『外人』と呼ぶ、悪口だ。人種差別的な響きが ある.」だから、日本人は「外人」を付けると、外国人達、「実は、日本人さんは私の事がすきじゃないの？ばか


にするの？」と心配します。






Y : I see. I didn’t know the word was such infamous. I got it.


そうだったんですか。そんなに評判の悪い言葉だとは知 りませんでした。










C : 多分、この考え違いの理由は:


1)英語で、人を国籍で呼ぶのは人種差別的な響きがあります。たとえば『ジャップ』『パッキ (パキスタン人）』






Y : I know that “Jap” is a derogatory term, but how about “Japanese”?


If I call you English, is that a discrimination?










C : ２）ある子どもは外国人を見ると「あ、外人！外人だ！ 」道の中に呼ぶので、日本人の大人も「外人」を付ける 、何か子どもぽいです。みて、みて、僕のペット外人の 感じがあります。






Y : If there are many people from Western countries in Japan, those children wouldn’t say like that.


もし西洋の方が大勢日本にいたしたら、そういう子供た ちもそんなことは言わないと思いますよ。


However, when you are called gaijin loudly on the street, you would hate it. I understand it.


でも、道で大声で外人と呼ばれたら、嫌ですよね。わか ります。










C : ３）有名な人は「外人」は悪事と言います。たとえば、 デビト。






Y : Columbine, sorry; I don’t see what this sentence means.


Who is デビト?


(This man was ; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debito_Arudou)










C : 4)自分の国にいるでも、日本語に取ってまだ『外人』です。そして、それが好きじゃないんです。






Y : I know that! I have heard it many times.


I’d like to write a bit about this issue later.










C : and various other reasons.






For me, I don't mind being called 'gaijin' by someone I don't know, unless it's people openly pointing and bawling it, or kids making a fuss, then I might tell them (in japanese) that they're being rude.






Y : In the city in Japan, I think such things would not happen, while in rural places, it’s likely.










C : I don't mind if a friend uses it now and then as a joke, or ironically, but I don't like it when people use it all the time. Even if ~you~ don't think it's got a bad meaning, the foreign community generally does, so if I let everyone call me 'gaijin' all the time, I'll have to deal with my foreign friends asking me why I allow it, don't I find it demeaning, don't I realize it's a bad thing, and so on.






Y : I see. I will never say “gaijin” anymore.










C : Also it lumps us all together, like it doesn't matter who or where we come from, the thing is we're Not-Japanese.






Y : Yes, the Japanese people like to lumps people all together.


We often lump ourselves all together. It may be difficult to understand why you don’t like to be lumped together to most Japanese people.










C : I've also had conversations like "gaijin cause a lot of crime in Japan; these days loads of drug dealers and prostitutes are gaijin....






Y : I agree with you!


I’m sure that there are more Japanese criminals than foreign criminals, but the Japanese people like to say so.










C : Oh, Hi Columbine! Everyone, this is my friend Columbine, she's gaijin." I think you can see why sometimes it's really frustrating!






Y : I must say here there are differences.


In Japan, if one of my friends come to with someone, and said “this is my friend, and she is gaijin”, other friends and I would be really interested in the person, and try to be friends with the person.


And I would say “I have a foreign friend!” to many other friends.


I believe that many Japanese people want to be friends with foreign people, but they can’t because of the language.






If I was in England and my friend said “this is my friend, and she is gaijin”, I would feel nothing, and say “Hi, I’m Japanese.”






I’m sorry; I don’t understand what you feel.










C : Also if you're white, a lot of Japanese people seem to think 'gaijin' means 'american', so it can be annoying for Europeans to be introduced as 'gaijin' and then get asked about America.






Y : OK, this is understandable.


It must be frustrating.


I am really sorry to hear that.










C : So for me, if you have to refer to me by something other than my name, please use my actual nationality, イギリス人、or I'd rather be called 外国人 than がいじん、even if it's more formal. The formality actually means that both the japanese people using it and all the foreigners KNOW for sure there's no bad meaning.






Y : I will say外国人 or イギリス人.


Your comments are really instructive and helpful. (^_^)/~~


勉強になりました。どうもありがとう。