Things I Learned in Japan / Blasting Away Stereotypes

I'm going to be doing a webcomic, (hopefully soon) that will touch on a lot of the experiences I had in Japan. My college years were one of those hard / needed experiences that left me burnt out for a long time. I went to Cooper Union. For those that don't know, it specializes in Art, Architecture and the mother of hard, engineering. It's a full scholarship school but in exchange, they kind of take your soul. But I took it back.

It wasn't just hard classes, it was things at home going wrong, realizing as I look back now that the wolf pack mentality my godbro talked about existed strongly in my family. I was always a lone wolf. I didn't fit in anywhere, especially in my family. But my family needed an omega and they couldn't stand that I refused to be. But people who get bullied often go in to the submissive omega role to avoid pain. My godbro always talked about pain as a very effective tool. All that's another story.

But I got out because that was my goal, and as far away as possible. I got accepted in to the JET program and then the Fulbright scholarship -- and there was no way I was turning down a Fulbright scholarship! So I did it. I was going on an all expense paid trip to Japan.

I didn't get to pick my town but I made it to Tokyo a little later. I ended up in Sendai first 'cause the scholarship said so. A major city but still in the boonies. Now with the background finished, I'm just going to go over some quick things that I learned in Japan and how these stereotypes seriously needed to be shattered.

A) America is filled with many different people. Yes. You are American? You don't look American. (I get this even in New York, which I'll never understand. Japan has ignorance as an excuse, Sendai city was pretty much mono-ethnic, but NYC of all places is not).

Japan: America has white, black and nikkeijin (American born Japanese)

Me: You just said America's pretty much a melting pot yet you don't think other Asians are born and raised there?
Japan: ummm..... (thinks about this)

B) Suburbia

Me: I live in Queens.
Japan: That is in New York?
Me: yeah, by subway about an hour to downtown Manhattan.
Japan: Oh, so you live in the countryside
Me: Um, noooo ... see, there are many parts of New York. To us, countryside means corn stalks and fields and farms. Queens is one of the 5 boroughs that make up New York City. We also have Upstate New York and Long Island. Upstate has some country (but I've never seen it, can't stand people staring at me cause they've never seen an Asian) and Long Island's like suburbia where there are private houses and lawns and ...
Japan: Oh! countryside
Me: .....

C) America is largely viewed as mainly white. After I dyed my hair red. I was going for auburn but it turned a cool copper color. I started getting passed as mixed.

Japan: How come your eyes are brown?
Me: I'm Chinese.
Japan: But you are American.
Me: Ye-es ...
Japan: Shouldn't you have blue eyes?
Me: Oh, you see, all Americans are born white but we decide to change around our teenage years. I decided to be a mixed breed of Asian and Caucasian. (As Steve Byrne says, 'Cauc-asian')
Japan: Oh! (nods head in understanding)
Me: I was joking.
Japan: (pause) Really?!

D) America has no racism

Japan: You have so many different people, why do you say there is racism.
Me: Because we have so many different people, cultures, upbringing, there is a lot of conflict. People judge harshly on something as trivial as the color of someone's skin and then everything else is subject to it.
Japan: But why?
Me: Asians have very similar cultures but this half of the world still can't get along. America has all these people from all over, there's bound to be misunderstanding and miscommunication.

Racism in Japan and America. I tried to become an actress in Japan because I pass as Japanese and I didn't want to play a prostitute or something stereotypical, (which is pretty much what Asians are relegated to in American cinema). I figured, I look like everyone else, why not? But then I was deemed 'not white enough' to be American. Being Chinese and proud of it didn't help either. Still lots of Japanese who really hate other Asians.

Japan: Everyone has an equal chance in America. How come you don't go to Hollywood?
Me: Cause they really don't like Asians there.
Japan: Really?
Me: Take a look at our movies. How many Asians are in American cinema?
Japan: Jackie Chan
Me: Made it first in Asia
Japan: Jet Li
Me: Made it first in Asia. Now what do they play?
Japan: uh...
Me: the kung fu master or the yellow peril enemy
Japan: I never thought about that
Me: And everything that's exported, African Americans are all gangsters, Asian men are the ones they fight in wars and Asian women are the ones they hump and everywhere it's violent, that's not America. Those are just stereotypes. That doesn't represent all of America.

Good thing things are changing. Slowly. RAAAAIIIN! woohoo! He did well in Speed Racer, I thought.

E) Woa! Look at them titties!

Okay, this was one of the things that I loved about Japan. In China, Taiwan, maybe even Korea, I'd be a big fat cow. I grew up around a lot of racism and I was made to feel very unpretty. Not just by people outside my race but by the guys within my race. But I grew a pair (I'm not talking just bravery here), must be the milk but I developed early.

And Japan likes jelly (as Beyonce would say) on women. I got a lot of attention. For the first time I felt what it was like to be desirable and it was very flattering. When I came back stateside, it's because of Lucy Liu, Kelly Hu and Michelle Yeoh, and, well, things were changing. But those years in Japan helped a lot. I got a lot more confident and I began to become more comfortable in my own skin.

It really hit home after someone emailed me about my resume. I had dropped it off at this company and the guy that was looking at it happened to have come from my college (small world!). He said that everyone was talking about me, the 'bijin' (beautiful woman) that stopped in. He wasn't there at the time so he asked if I wanted to meet up.

But it is upsetting when a country becomes more obsessed with breasts and thighs than Kentucky Fried Chicken. Okay, an 11 year old with boobs that's paraded out there? They say, don't judge a culture, but a kid is just a kid!

F) Your name isn't American. You must not be native.

Me: So what's an American name?
Japan: Mary
Me: European
Japan: Um, Jane.
Me: European again.
Japan: Um .. Nina!
Me: Russian.
Japan: Oh.
Me: There is really no such thing as a pure American name. Americans come from all over the world. European names are accepted. Why not Asian? I'd love to see a non Asian dude called Fei Hung, that would just be cool! Can you imagine that? You're named after the great Wong Fei Hung? That's right! My parents loved him! Incredible historical figure.

Asian guy: My name's Samuel L. Jackson Lee.
World: Woa!
Asian guy: That's right. Hand me my sword, it's the one that says, 'badass motherfucker' on it.

G) To a lot of Americans, all Asians look alike.

Japan: What?! But we're all different. That's ridiculous!
Other Japan: Well, all white people look alike to me.
Japan: That's true! hahahaha!

H) I speak better English than the French guy.

Japan: But he's white. You're Chinese, how come your English is better?
Me: He's French and I was born and raised in America. And despite being a product of the New York City public school system, I ended up getting a great education.
Japan: (long pause) But he's white! You're not.
Me:

I) He's a dick ... but he's sooo cute -- um, no he's not (I was debating about titling this one, 'Looks Are Everything' or 'If you can't get laid anywhere else ...')

Japan: Check out my boyfriend! (Shows a cellphone pic) Isn't he so good looking?
Me (and my friend from Sydney): .... (no comment)
Japan: His eyes are green! (phone rings. A very angry and rude guy at the other end. Hangs up.) That was my boyfriend.
Friend from Sydney: And you let him talk that way to you?
Japan: But he has blond hair and green eyes!
Me: So that excuses him from being an asshole?
Japan: But he has blond hair and green eyes!
Friend from Sydney: Honey, he's fucking butt ugly and a jerk. Back at home, he would be drop kicked and labeled as a warning for other women.

J) I Teach You English, You Love Me Long Time (Jerks that come to Japan just to lay anybody)

Foreigner guy: Hi! (talks very slow because he's either full of himself or thinks all girls he hits on are retards). My. Name. Is. John. How. Are. You?
Me (playing along with a fake accent): Oh! I am fine. And you?
Foreigner guy: I'm great! Your English is really good. Did you study in the states?
Me: Oh, little bit.
Foreigner guy: We should have a language exchange (hint hint wink wink). I know a place that's open all night.
Me (back to my New York flair): No thanks asshole. I don't like little dicks.

To be continued ...