I WOULD LOVE TO MET YOU ONE DAY AND LEARN ABOUT THE JAPANESE CULTURE 🧡I LOVE YOUR CHANNEL BTW🧡IM FROM TULSA OKLAHOMA AND IM FASCINATED WITH THE JAPANESE CULTURE.
I'm also Japanese-American. Born and raised in California. (I'm Nisei) I lived in Japan for a time and the two things I remember the most is going into "singles cafes" and only being approached by white women. All the Japanese women completely ignored me. When I opened my mouth and started talking English with a slight posh UK accent everyone was shocked. Especially when I told them my name. (Stereotypical old school Japanese name.) Over and over again I had to explain how my parents were born in Hiroshima prefecture, grew up there and then immigrated to the USA and I was born in Norcal. That and being CONSTANTLY asked if I was "hafu". I mean when I look back I can completely understand why they would ask me. I stuck out like a sore thumb. I'm 6"2 and 175. My face and build looked pretty alien to them for an Japanese man. I speak semi-fluent Japanese, but with a heavy foreign accent and Japanese people pick up on it INSTANTLY.
I'll go out on a limb and generalize that what you described is a typical experience for Asian-Americans (i.e. American born-and-raised or grew up in America at a very young age) who travel to their parents' country of birth/origin. It's like the natives there have a hard time grasping the fact that you physically look like them, but the way you speak, the way you dress, and your personal mannerisms are totally foreign to them (i.e. American). They can't accept/believe that you are full-blooded ("insert Asian ethnicity here") and instead think you are mixed or half.
I’m Mexican-American and in my 20s, I worked at a local mall at a big department store in Southern California. Every time I ever worked as a salesclerk and being in California, the Hispanic customer automatically assume I speak Spanish. They start a conversation or ask questions and I have to tell them, sorry, I don’t speak Spanish. I even have a French first name! (Thanks mom and dad). Lol But some of the Hispanic customers can speak English or broken English, but right away they assume I’m fluent in Spanish. There have been non-Hispanic people who have asked me where I’m from or if I’m Catholic.. even told me to go back to my country! Lol I just stare at them and said, we were here first. 🤦🏻♀️ America is a huge melting pot but there’s still so many people who can’t accept it or just assume something not true about our ethnicity. My husband is Caucasian, Scottish/Irish-American, even a couple of my cousins criticized me for marrying a white guy. Luckily the rest of my family loves my hubby. 😁
Love the video Chika, its always nice to see your videos. It's been a little a while since I commented. Just wanted to say nice video and I hope you never stop posting :)
Gurl, I am a Japanese American, living in Osaka. I am look like a basic white girl AF and get the struggles you mentioned .Mostly, I get “在留カードはありますか? “Or “あなたの日本語はとても上手です。 なぜ? “Your videos are so relatable and hysterical. Thanks so much!
When I first went to Japan. I had to find one internet cafe to do some work. It was one elderly lady on bike that walked with me to it. Even it was one bit detour for her. I could not much japanese, still do not. And she could not english. On the JR-line I sat there and then some japanese startet to talk to me. I told about it to some Gaijin's and said that "that's impossible" and they had been there for years and not experience that.
I'm mixed and didn't think I could blend in but I did on my last trip. Almost every person that greeted me followed up with questions in Japanese. lol The only time I could recall the issue of racism was when me and a couple of friends were on our way to Kagoshima I saw in the distance a bus with megaphones on it repeating the phrase. I asked her what they were saying. She was like, "go home foreigners and stop taking our jobs." She told me that's pretty much it. It's not hostile like the States and not everyone is like that.
Thanks for the info! I'm heading off to Yokosuka in 2 days. I'll be stationed there for 2 years and started learning the language/history (Oda Nobunaga is an interesting chatacter). Hoping to make some friends out there and experience as much as i can.
Gosh you are so pretty. I subscribed only to gawk at you but you actually have really good info! I would only offer that people judging your level of Japanese based on looks is kinda unavoidable. I don't think its discriminatory or malicious per se. But annoying? Sure!
Wife's hometown is in Tohoku region and they definitely don't have as many foreign visitors so there is lots of Q&A, however not as much compared to your friends because I only visit Japan once per year. I do try and remind myself that natural curiosity is good and for a predominantly reserved/shy culture to reach out to a stranger (and different looking person) is impressive, and I don't want to be "that" person who discourages it. I imagine my patience would be tested more if I lived there and were bombarded with Q&A daily though. Most memorable relatable experience was an older local ojisan walking up to me in an onsen and chatting me up for half an hour. Have to say it's the first time I've engaged in convo buck naked with a stranger. 👍
Hope you’re staying safe! Is your company considering you working from home again due to the spike in cases? We effed here in ‘Merica. Thankfully I’m still working remote. 😖
I lived in Zaragoza, Spain (Northern Spain) for a 6-month study abroad and I enjoyed it but I felt more of an outsider since they are not like the Latinos but culturally the same but they are less open but not as nearly as much as the Japanese as I have been told. My Spanish is not good as a Latino and probably have an 8th grade or 9th-grade level of Spanish. While most of my group were ex-pats I did want to be immersed more and I did not get that. But my favorite part was my side gig teaching English as a 2nd language and traveling alone all over the country and to other countries like Morocco. Spain has such a fascinating landscape it is like California with warm water. They eat the most fish in Europe like Asia with Japan. In the south, they are a tad more open in my experience but they'll forget your name the next day type deal like a ditzy bubbly guy/girl. I met a nice Japanese man in Zaragoza there he lives in Osaka and is the first Japanese that actually said to me he had been to Europe before and lived in Canada for a month. He is still my good friend and I hope to see him again. Also, the most open Japanese person I have ever met especially since I met some ELI students at UCF from Japan that thought Europe was dangerous and filled with thieves (*eye roll*). Other Japanese in Orlando I have seen was from the Brazilian diaspora (cool history btw) or hapa ( I met a half Mexican/Japanese it was like a politically correct anime character cuz her name was Kasumi Perez for example).
I wrote a comment here b4, but deleted it cuz I thought it was a bit laborious/long. I do want to say that you are worthy of good things and clearly have a very beautiful spirit/heart. Know that. Toksha.
Lol I experienced those perks. Especially when they find out I'm from California they ask about the weather, beaches, the OG Disneyland, Hollywood, surfing, and my city of San Diego since its Yokohama's sister city. Also yeah everyone ask me if Taco Bell is better in USA lmao. It is.
Dude, you're from San Diego ...the California burrito and carne asada fries (or anything else from a local taco shop there) is infinitely better than Taco Bell. Just saying, lmao.
Hello Chika, how are you? I know I'm late to the party, I'm so sorry. I have been away with no internet. I can relate a bit to what it must be like being in another country and standing out, I have worked in a few places where 90% was from Mexico and I as one of few that stood out like a sore thumb. I can also honestly say I have never found my name in a souvenir shop either, at least not here in the states. Thank you for another wonderful video, I hope you are doing well. I wish for you a day as beautiful as you are. Please stay safe.
Assuming someone's native language is English isn't racist, just an honest mistake. Some people are just waiting to be offended. Sounds like you mixed this a bit loud. Had distortion in my headphones and my master volume was low. Not taking a dig at you, just an audiophile who used to DJ as well. You had no reason to worry about uploading this one (who were concerned about it on IG). Hope you're feeling better!
I don’t mind the “Hi’s” especially from students when they have a smile and look happy to use English. I only visit there so it may be different than living there. I don’t have great advanced vocabulary but I know basic Japanese with the correct accent for the most part., and my degree was in Japanese History so I surprise a lot of people and make many random 仲間😎
The broken closet is your running joke in your video. I'm not a fan of Taco Bell since last time I had it I became sick. I had a friend that used to work there and said the ground beef is questionable. When I visited Japan back in 2016, most locals figured I was a tourist and was speaking English to me. I think one sales clerk spoke Japanese to me and I replied that I did not speak any. I hope I did not piss off that clerk. Hope you are surviving the heat and humidity. The heat I can stand but not humidity in Asia.
Funny video. There was a guy named Ryan Boundless who had the same issue as your friend. Except for the fact that he would complain about the fact that no matter the level of his Japanese, he got treated like a new-comer to Japan, Or Gaijin. Funny dilemma American's have. Some don't accept foreigners in their own country as American's, but expect to be treated the same as a local In different countries. But yeah, seems like you have the best of both worlds there. You're at home, but not really. Lol. If YT didn't have copyrighted material banned Hannah Montana would've been a great add-in to your video. 😜 Appreciate the lesson in English to Japanese. Running joke from a comic that passed away, American's are so self-centered that they go to foreign countries and hear them speak their native language and tell them to speak English. But yeah, why is Christmas about couple's and not family? Might be a marketing strategy that took over.
I’m comings on colored Japan sometime soon. I’ve been been the before but would love to gonna gains I love japan :) I’m Nate it would be great to get to know your, I’m a filmmaker so I love your editing and the way you created a story! Would be great to chat with, PM. Plus then I can talk about how amazing japan is again, hah. 3)
