Black[ness],  Japan[ese]

Re: growing up and dealing with antiblackness in Japan [video]

queernigga:

!!!  So my friend sent me this video on growing up and dealing with antiblackness in Japan and it’s SO. REAL.

It’s only in Japanese (sorry non-Japanese speakers).  I encourage you to watch and share.

For students of Japanese language – the dialogue is super clear and you might be surprised at how much you understand!

人権啓発ビデオ 「わたしたちが伝えたい,大切なこと ~アニメで見る 全国中学生人権作文コンテスト入賞作品~」(1/4)【差別のない世界へ】(字幕あり)

i really like this up until the “you should make yourself vulnerable and explain yourself and your hurt feelings to your bully” and the subsequent, mildly offensive optimism of said bully responding with “oh geez, i never thought about or noticed your feelings. i’m sorry! i won’t do it again” bit– but eh. i’m a jaded as all fuck black gaijin living in Japan who has zero experience actually going through the Japanese school system as a student. i would say that.

that aside, i do like this video. it’s easily the best thing addressing this issue that i’ve seen to date. even better is the fact that this animation (titled “Towards A World Free Of Discrimination”, for the non-Japanese speakers out there) is based off of a winning submission by a junior high school student to a human rights themed essay contest titled

“Important Things We Want To Tell You”.

will share it with my black coworker and our biracial (African American & Japanese) student tomorrow to get their take on it. thanks for sharing.

YouTuber and Blogger, Vesper is an American expat currently living in Japan.

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