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Daikons in the Rough: Making Friends in Japan
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On Stereotypes and Trust
Anthony Palmer takes a look at stereotypes in Japan on both sides of the looking glass. Read about his thoughts on the subject in our Writer's section!
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On Stereotypes and Trust
By Anthony Palmer
2006.11.13
Imagine. You are getting on the train after a busy day at work. Luckily, the train is not too crowded, as there are a few empty seats still available, though not many. Because you worked hard today, you are quite tired and would really like to sit down. As you look around the train for the nearest available seat, you see that it is next to a foreigner. But itfs not just any foreigner; itfs a Black foreigner. A Black man. You also see another available seat next to a Japanese person, but itfs very far away from you and therefs a chance that someone else may take that seat before you do.
What do you do?
Do you sit next to the Black man? Do you try and take the other seat far away from where you are now and sit next to the Japanese person? Or do you just decide to stand for the rest of your 40-minute train ride home, even though youfre really tired and want to sit down?
Why?
Do you want to sit next to the Black man because you think he is kind or funny? Do you avoid the Black man because you think he is scary or violent? Would you rather sit next to the Japanese person because you think he is more trustworthy or less intimidating? Do you think sitting next to the Black man will give you the opportunity to practice your English or ask him about dancing, basketball, or hip hop? Do you decide to stand up because you have a bad feeling about being near Black men or Japanese men? Or do you sit next to the Black man simply because that seat is the closest one to you?
A stereotype is a preconceived notion regarding how you expect a member of a certain group to behave. Stereotypes can be either positive or negative, with varying degrees of validity. Common stereotypes include the belief that athletes are not intelligent, people who donft go to dance clubs are boring, intelligent women are not beautiful, and strong people are good at sports.
Common stereotypes Americans have of Japanese include 1) being hard workers, 2) loving sushi, 3) knowing karate or judo, and 4) not being particularly masculine. These stereotypes may be true for some Japanese people, but they also arenft true for many more. Japan has a large population of freeters, for example. And most of my Japanese friends donft really care much for sushi. One of my good Black friends is studying karate now, but I know of no Japanese people who are doing the same thing. And Ifve seen many Japanese men flirt with Japanese women far more confidently than I ever could.
The point is that everyone is different and that it is both inaccurate and unfair to judge someone we donft know. Stereotypes are dangerous because they may affect our behavior in adverse ways. If you sit next to the Black man but appear tense and worried (because you think Black men are scary since thatfs what your friends always say), he may notice and you will both become uncomfortable. (And maybe he will develop a stereotype of Japanese people as being gunfriendlyh or grude.h) Or maybe you both have a lot in common and could potentially become good friends, but you never get a chance to pursue this friendship because you are too afraid of him.
Where do stereotypes come from? How do we learn them? Stereotypes come from a variety of sources and experiences. One common method is through the media. The media, for example, often portray Blacks, particularly Black men, as funny entertainers, athletes, poor people, gangsters, rappers, or criminals. It is much less common to see a news story or a magazine article about a Black doctor, a Black volunteer group, or a successful Black businessman.
Secondly, although nobody ever wants to admit to stereotyping, sometimes stereotypes may be reinforced by our own personal experiences. If you have one bad experience with a Black person, for example, it may be easy for you to say that gall Black people are scary.h While that one Black guy you had the negative experience with in America-mura may not have been a good person, how can you say that about the other hundreds and hundreds of Blacks living in Japan? Or the millions and millions of Blacks around the world?
A third way we learn stereotypes is from our parents who teach us their values as we grow up. If your parents did not like foreigners, for example, they may tell you not to like them as well and look for selective examples to validate their points. Seeing that theyfre your parents, itfs easy to accept their teachings as wisdom gained through their life experiences or, at the very least, not question their beliefs simply because theyfre your parents. But we all make mistakes and everybodyfs experience is different.
A final way people develop stereotypes is through a lack of contact with other groups of people. Many Americans think the Japanese love Pokemon, for example. But these are Americans who live in Los Angeles, or Chicago, or Atlanta and have few or no Japanese friends. But if any of them ever came to Osaka or Gifu or Kumamoto, they would soon realize that Pokemon is generally only popular with Japanese children, rather than Japanese people as a whole. Having more knowledge of and more contact with different types of people help deconstruct stereotypes while broadening your own understanding of the world and its people.
Surely we all know someone who is good at both soccer and mathematics. Ifm sure many of us also know that terribly boring guy who goes to your favorite dance club in Shinsaibashi every Friday night. Similarly, not all Black men are violent, nor do all Black men in Japan speak Ebonics or play sports. I, for one, like jazz much more than rap and am much better at bowling than basketball.
So the next time you see that empty seat next to that gscaryh Black guy on the train, confidently walk over there and sit down! You might make a new friend or learn something new. But you have to have an open mind first. And even if nothing happens, at the very least, wouldnft it feel great being able to sit down on that long train ride home after work?