Monday, February 12, 2007

I am ashamed!!!

English school condemned for limiting teachers to blond, blue eyes
.....
According to people related to the school, several kindergartens in Kofu have asked it to send English instructors so their children can get accustomed to "foreigners," attaching such conditions as "blond hair" and "blue eyes."

The school "was aware that it was an old discriminatory idea, but couldn't resist customers' needs,"


one related person said, noting that the school now regrets it.Kyodou February 11


I am ashamed, and I doubt if there was really customer's need. Wasn't it just a preference of the school staff?
Why not employ a brilliant English teacher like Az?

Let's remember Kouf as an uneducated hick county.

Arudou, associate professor at Hokkaido Information University, who is working on human rights for foreign residents in Japan, also filed written requests with the school, kindergartens and the Kofu Regional Legal Affairs to promote human rights.

By the way, I don't like Debito's style, but this time, I must admit he has done a good job.

5 comments:

yellowpeep said...

I just don't know why he's keeping living in japan. His activities could develop japan in a way, though. He must be a missionary gaijin or something.

It could be said that it's just a rare case, but it may also be a tip of an iceberg. I can hardly tell that.

Anonymous said...

Sometimes I have a feeling he just wants to sell his name. But the minority need their voice heard, so in that respect, he is a good channel.

zero said...

I am not sure how I should evaluate Debito. In one sense, he is doing a good job. His message is simple and right;racism is wrong. But I am not entirely with
his tactics. But maybe I need more examination of his works to evaluate his project.

As for the attitude toward the white people. I think Japanese attitude is ambivalent. Bofore WWⅡ, roughly the white race was the target as enemy, at least for Japanese propagandists, but after WWⅡ, in the process of accepting American culture through films, TV drama etc, it might be some Japanese uncounciously assumed the attitude of American people. How african American people are depicted might have had an effect on some Japanese people. What else did they acquire the knowledge of ethnic african people?
Generally Japanese lack knowledge about them. And I have little knowledge about various ethnicity. Japanese are relatively familiar with Koreans and Chinese but i think Japanese are still close to Tabula rasa as to ethnic African etc.That is why, I think, we need careful treatment as to present issue of race . Note that I am not advocating the policy of free immigrations, but it is inevitable that Japan will have various ethnic groups. If so, I think the careful policy making and education about racial problems are desperately in need for this society. The earlier the better; for that prevent the possible issue from going serious.

zero said...

(Of course, there might be other reasons for Japanese attitude as they are)

yellowpeep said...

agreed.