What Is It Like To Be Black In Japan? | SPECTRUM: Being Black in…Asia 

Yes thank you i loved it

Well, it's your opinion. She's entitled to hers. Not a fun or a fun of a curly hair is fine. Both answers are perfectly acceptable. It's you that needs some adjustments on your limited line of thoughts.

Nah he is a critical thinker, he was talking about how happy he is that his hair type is easy for HIM to manage without having to rely on people to do his hair

@@ellabrad3886 uhm no. It’s VERY common in the black community to treat black/curly hair (same in south Asian communities) as horrible. Not just “oh I prefer”. It’s making people feel bad, ugly and like they can’t succeed with curly hair. I don’t think the guy in the video meant it that way because they are in Japan where they specialize in East Asian hair types and Aisha is more “westernized” so she’d take it differently but in a video reaching numerous audiences, you should always be careful with your words. You’re trying to reach demographics so you should be respectful. Freedom of speech but that speech can have consequences

@@kiki13451 It's good to use the word #blessed. We all should be grateful for the good things God gives us.

Exactly

yeah i like Steven too

Steven is kind but he also didn't seem to understand that everyone ACTS a certain way as a result of societal expectations. He sees the 'American' societal norms as normal and thinks others need to be changed

he reminds me of Billy Porter so much! beautiful soul he has

Yes! I would love to see him perform when we finally visit Japan. He's so interesting and charming.

As a black Japanese person this video was insulting

@@10pmmemes88 The questions or the point of view of every one? or the point of the foreigners ?or the point of the hafus?

If you worry about yourself you will get where you want to be regardless of your color. But if you worry about a whole race of people and divide yourself to strictly think about all you will fail. Remember young people an employer don't hire a whole race. They are hiring you and your personality. And whether or not you dress appropriately . Be yourself quit following everyone around you. And be the best you can be .

​@Norma "be someone I can't attach stereotypes to because that's your job, not mine"

Well said

Especially considering those working outside of entertainment and social media are at the mercy of society and simply don’t have a choice to have their own values - less it get them fired from the only job they we able to get. These individuals are just as it was said in the video: “The exception, not the rule.”

@@jackson7922 it's ironic that the topic is about race, but the video excludes the reality of most black people in Japan. I really think they should of put more work into finding people that aren't influencers our in entertainment

probably hard to find you all lmao

@@Luv-dq5th I'm not black but I'll put them in touch with my friends. Some are in IT, science, teaching English, etc

Yes!

Which one is Aisha?

@@tyaler9805 the one in the cute black shirt and pink pants

In Naruto?? What do you mean?

@@marleymarsss She did a song for Naruto. Ending 22.

She was in Naruto?

Yeah lmao, the japanese are weirded out by white people, and even more weirded out by black people. I guess it's because it's pretty rare, they don't have many immigrants from the west and africa. Can draw a parallel to that, being from northen sweden; my ex gf is from a village out in the mountains, and vividly remembered the first time she saw a real live black man.

I mean, can’t fully blame them since they have a very surface level understanding of anyone outside of their race. I remember my trip to Japan, I saw this restaurant which specifically mentioned “no foreigners”. They really need to work on their xenophobia.

Exactly

what do you mean when you say"a bit well to do"

@@zingyburger Japan always seems like a country that likes you to come and spend a couple months or years but always wants to remind you that "you are not from here"

Love your music Aisha, keep it up ❤️

You all contradicted yallselves though. Racism definitely exist in Japan lol.

“heated”?? lol where??? If that’s heated for ya’ll then yes you are definitely Japanese and I strongly recommend you DO NOT come to America. You wouldn’t fit in American society lmao our version of heated is easily 20x what we seen displayed in this video

You was the most honest I believe

Still trying NOT to stand out.😢

Yeah she is doing that thing of going with the people and not stand out .

@@adeOLUWA Well she is japanese so obviously she gonna do that.

@@adeOLUWA 100%

Exactly

Or asians in south africa ... apparently theyre viewed as the lowest class

Contact them

I coming but as a special guest representative lol, cuz I would rep Taiwan!

​@@tee5705 how is it living it taiwan

I think what he was also missing was that sometimes that’s what Japanese people are comfortable doing there more comfortable making other people comfortable because that’s how they’ve grown up and asked her culture. That’s what they were trying to say.

It depends on the person. Some people are excessively selfish or self-centred, and need to learn to have consideration for others. For others it's the other way round. There needs to be an aspect of compromise especially if your basically a guest/visitor in another country. Otherwise, you may end up perpetuating the negative stereotypes that people have about you (i.e. foreigners are inconsiderate, selfish, lazy, ill-mannered, have no respect for Japanese culture, don't bother to learn the language and so on). It's much more complex than what Steve was saying. No offence, but particularly in the case of black people this is pronounced, due to the stereotypes perpetuated by media and society. Japanese people will probably attribute perceived negative characteristics such as higher levels of criminality and violence to their refusal to conform or abide. By only thinking about his own comfort and disregarding society, Steven reinforces a particular image of black people in their minds.

@@thecrimsondragon9744 This

Crazy thing is most people I know who are half Japanese are half black (African American) so I am surprised when people say Japanese hate others

​@@bdh711What you may not know is how much struggle the half-Black children face in Japan. They aren't treated the same as half-Asian and half-Europeans. It's actually too painful to hear their stories.

very well said

The animation on ethnicity was cool

We do that a lot. Especially us with tri-language speakers in Japan when we speak Malay-Japanese-English to express ourselves better among our peers but it’s annoying for those who only understood 1 or 2 languages 😂

Some times it’s the unspoken words that hurts the most, without telling you they hate you they silently show you and it hurts badly trust me.

A lot of the time when you don't have a very large community that share the same issues as you or more particularly one that you can really identify with you will often see people downplay or act numb to those bad encounters as a defense mechanism to cope with that kind of racism or prejudice as opposed to constantly calling it out. At the end of the day when you are outnumbered and overwhelmed by cultural notions/norms that cause the racism you experience its easier to be numb to it than essentially take it on alone.

In a comment below, Jasmin literally said kids would call her names when she taught at a school 😭 Like fam, they called you “bird poo” and you’re talking about your family getting mad that you say racism isn’t in Japan? Mixed messages, man….

@@chey6073 you know they are trying so hard to be liked by Japanese when the natives say they experienced racism from police and society whilst the expats haven't lol.

I think they’re not referring to a lack of racism but rather how racism doesn’t impede most of the opportunities they can get. There isn’t a structurally or universally legal realities that would prevent them from succeeding. They can succeed based off their individual realities than structural things that will keep them back. Nor do they have to worry about their safety to the degree they need to in say western countries.

Just be proud of who you are, because you are special.

u go girl!

@@MD-cv4gn Thank you :)

latina isn’t a race though. Being an afro-latina doesn’t automatically make you biracial. So do you mean you’re mixed with Indigenious Americans? White Europeans? East Asian? South Asian? Middle Eastern? African?

I totally understand that I’m biracial (white and black) and I am a hundred percent white passing and was bullied a lot as a kid Aswell. I’m still trying to learn to love the black side of me and I hope one day it will get easier for people like us. ❤

When you're keep emphasized the skin colour as your identity too much, you might fall into the rabbit hole of colourism & will not integrated into any societies that's were not rooted by genetically ancestors/world view forever.

This is so heartbreaking to read.

​@@shekinahp3508they do it to all foreigners.

​@joshuamoon9312 my guy that is not the point

A care* for others to be had*

Thank you for sharing your thoughtful insight! It gave me a great food for thought

A lot of cultures are like this

I was looking for this!!

Honestly

It’s not the same in Southern Africa, if someone calls you “boss” it’s definitely because your social status is assumed to be higher.

@@freelanceteaching1641 Pretty direct huh..

I'm Nigerian and what Paul said is right. We use boss with our friends as way of friendship.

Literally thought the same of Steven

@@missplainjane3905 You'll be surprised that "most of the time" what they show you aren't actually real. They're mostly fake. 1. The politeness 2. The innocent, shy, and kind voices they make when they talk to you. 3. That they are really friendly to you 4. Like they're very respectful and aren't racist towards other nationalities 5. That they are what they show you. So everything that people say and think about Japanese people aren't actually real until you lived long enough in their country. If I have to describe it, Japanese are so good at sugarcoating things, even themselves, like everything is nice, but the real truth behind those sugarcoating aren't as beautiful as they look like. Number 1. Japanese aren't really nice. They pretend to be nice. Let's be honest. They smile and talk so kindly and politely like they can't break a glass, but damn, when you turn your back and when they're all alone, their true colors come out. They're pretty much like those anime characters. In other countries there are people like these too but Japan is on another level. I'd rather want a rude person at least I know what I'm dealing with. These fakeness are dangerous and can't be trusted. Number 2. That Japanese aren't racist. Whenever I hear this, all I can do is smile. Oh boy. You people have no idea how incredibly racist and xenophobic these people are. Those who have lived long enough in Japan, like these people in this video, can testify to this. They're good at hiding this now adays because they know it's not widely accepted and tolerated, and they're always aware of the image they present. But damn, when you get to know them, their true colors, they won't be able to hide it. You'll most likely hear them say, "Go back to you country!!" or "Gaijin!! (Degrading term for foreign people)" or comment about your skin or anything rude about your country and many more. They are so biased and only love and respect Caucasians that's why most Caucasians doesn't have any negative experiences here. Japanese also feel like they're superior than other asians. You'll see their biased treatment towards other Asians and Caucasians. Just look at their magazines, their TV ads, and how they treat tourists in general. They'll put special treatments towards the whites than other nationalities. You'll never see a brown Asian looking models or celebrities. Japanese won't always verbally attack or say anything to you, but at the back of their head, they really don't like foreigners in their country especially when you're coming from a third world country. So for those of you who have only lived in Japan recently or have only come here for vacation, especially if you're white, don't tell me that Japanese aren't racist because I and like the people in this video have lived long enough in Japan to testify this that Japanese are Racists and Xenophobic.✋🏼

@@missplainjane3905 Also, Anime and Japan's real world is a very good example of this Sugar coating I'm telling you. Many people think Japan's real world is like anime full of colors, happiness, and perfection. But the truth is, it's not. There are so many people who are depressed, sad, and lonely in Japan. Just look at the suicide rates. In addition to the fake kindeness and politeness I mentioned earlier, another reason why I'm saying this is because Japanese are also a Major bully. Yes they're Bullies!!! You have no idea what I'm talking about but if you live long enough, man, you'll be surprised. Which will also make sense why many people commit suicide in this country especially in elementary and high school. Their country are okay with Bullying and never do anything to prevent this. And what does bully people do to people who are not their own kind?? Most adults won't show it especially when they first meet you, but it's there. It's only a matter of time and circumstances where you'll see this part of them. Try getting on the train and observe the atmosphere. It's mostly gloomy. Japan is only fun when you first visit this place or stay here for several weeks. But the longer you live, the more you'll discover things and the truth. Which is why I smirked/laughed when Jubillee asked their contestants if they'll live in Japan forever and they responded no and give different allibies/reasons. lol. Like other newcomers in Japan, I was also one of those who speak good things about this country, I'll also go out of my way to defend them. But that already changed. Japan and Japanese are not what other people in other countries think of.

@@gfam5304 OML for your 3rd paragraph, you just reminded me how the popular genre in Japanese music where they make a fun cute happy song and the lyrics are horrid, suicidal, and just not good. That quite literally symbolizes that statement you said.

@@dongsicheng170 Thanks Dong. I'm glad you noticed that. It's very sad unfortunately. I don't mean to spread hate or anything towards Japan or Japanese, but I just hope people see and know this reality especially for those who want to move and live here someday so they won't be disappointed and shocked. At the same time, just know that not everyone who show you kindness and politeness here in Japan can be trusted.

​@@gfam5304why are you mentioning anime characters? they act american if anything.

Normal body size in the eyes of westerner maybe consider as overweight in Japan (unless you are sumo/heavy lifting athletes).. different standard in different societies, it is normal phenomenon

lol saw a video where there was a plus size black woman with rainbow braids in Japan and a Japanese woman walked up to her and started to try to pick her up multiple times (without her consent btw)

@@azrael0842 lies

@@CorntwallLipstickQueen I saw it too. She was smiling the whole time but I knew it looked super uncomfortable

I'd argue that Steven didn't looked at things in depth about Japanese culture though and are forcing his Americanism towards others. There's a saying in Japan that says "The nail that sticks out gets hammered down"

Righttt he thought he was special 😂

Exactly, They do that here in the states as well.

Exactly😂😂

it seems very American to me.

Exactly, i think if you are the one who moved somewhere, you should adjust to their culture. Thats just the public persona, doesnt mean you change on the inside.

I agree with this! Sometimes it feels cringe bringing up my "Blackness" in Japan with Japanese people just because it isn't usually a factor so it's almost like I'm separating myself form the "foreigner" group for no reason. Of course there are cases where things happen to me maybe because I'm Black here, but overall, just in my personal experience it's usually just because I'm not Japanese.

Wow you're lucky in Japan😮👍

Honestly this is a good one,but everyone wouldn't have same experience though. Hope to be in a foreign land someday .

ok good for you...but that doesn't mean everyone has or had the same experience,I kind of feel like you are trying to invalidate some of their feelings/experiences which is wrong

@@zeesroyalty7053 she isn’t trying to invalidate anyone. She just had an overall positive experience, with a few negative things here and there. If she was trying to invalidate she would have tried to pick apart the experiences of those in the video, which she didn’t

What about your family

@@johnindigo5477 They don’t mind either

♥ this is such a lovely comment !

@@augustusgloopfangirl8751 Thank you!! c:

でも外人ってなんか自分の思想や意見を日本人に押し付けて日本を自分の都合に合わさせようとする傾向があるからうざいんだよな。俺も普通にハーフだけど外人って「都にいれば都に従え」って概念がないんだよな。日本の社会とか嫌なら帰ればいいと思う。何で日本人が自分の国でよその者に合わせなきゃいけないん？って俺は思う。

僕は外国人と日本に行きたい。中国で生まれた So I'm used to people looking at me different. すいません日本語下手。僕は勉強している！Do you think that 外国人 can be accepted in Japanese society if they 日本語を話せるか？

It's so sad how damaged Africa has become because of European colonialism. I wish 'the scramble for africa' never existed:(

He made a generalization but he's not far from the truth.

@@DA-js7xz Yes it has. I'm a 14 yr old girl in South Africa and let me tell you about how I felt so bad about having dark skin I would cry and search for videos on how to get whiter and I was lutterally 12YRS OLD AT THE TIME.

@@justjoanneofficial Other African countries don’t care about skin colour that much btw. I’m black and I’ve always been praised for my skin tone. Just love your skin no matter what.

💯

I think what most people mean by "changing who you are" they are not talking about changing your attitude based on "read the air" situations like when you're at a concert or restaurant. They are talking about changing a part of you or your personality just to conform, moreso due to societal pressure, even if your personality isn't harming or disrupting anybody else. For example, you said when you are in America you are more talkative than when you're in Japan. Unless being talkative has always been a part of your personality/character that is not really changing who you are. It would be a different story if being talkative isn't originally a part of your personality and for some reason feel like you have to be talkative and friendly because you are in America.

That’s not how you use “sending me”. The production quality is humorous? Is that what you’re trying to say?

She used aave wrong

THAT IS DO DOPE I HAD NO IDEA!!!

I wouldn't call it a conflict, but rather a disagreement.

😅 I think this part got cut out of the video, but I have had the same experience. The majority of my "racist" experiences came from other foreigners here in Japan.

I really agree with this. I'm from the video. Like Arthell and I said though, we have to be mindful when speaking to our friends and family back at home and try to think back to our experiences of when we lived in the US in order to relate with them.

Totally true, a USA newspaper try to apply the cultural lens judging the history of my country explaining why we dont have much black people and they dont bother in research properly .

That would be cool

they are there now!