Japan Times
Readers in Council
January 5, 2000
It's unfortunate that Rob Underwood had to see a display of racism in Akasaka ("Guess who's coming to dinner?" Dec. 12).
The fact of the matter is, racial insensitivity exists everywhere. I knew about it growing up in the United States, where I often received racial taunts from white and black Americans calling me a "Jap," "slant," "Chinaman," "little Nip," and "Chink." (White and black Americans have a hard time distinguishing a Jap from a Chink!). At least the businessmen Underwood encountered made insensitive remarks on the assumption that Underwood did not understand Japanese. In contrast, I always received such blatantly racial slurs directly to my face. I don't recall any brave American coming to my rescue in such instances and I had to hold back my smoldering anger from erupting against such scum of the earth.
The only difference I find among racists in Japan or America is that of directness or indirectness of approach when confronting their targets. Underwood should not forget that he should not generalize about the Japanese people from such incidents and understand as I have, that there are scum and good people everywhere.
KO UNOKI
Fujisawa, Kanagawa
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