Comments on: How it may have gone down http://www.durf.org/2009/05/01/how-it-may-have-gone-down/ Live from the world's largest Japantown Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:32:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: lunamania http://www.durf.org/2009/05/01/how-it-may-have-gone-down/comment-page-1/#comment-143 lunamania Fri, 01 May 2009 05:55:24 +0000 http://www.durf.org/?p=417#comment-143 Japan's approach is not one I agree with, but I understand in part that's because my notion of nationhood, nationalism and borders differ fundamentally from those making Japanese immigration policies. I can appreciate though that the policy is transparent in it's view that immigrants are labor to serve an economy rather than future beneficiaries of a grudging and disingenous promise of citizenship and acceptance, i.e. how the U.S. handles low-wage immigrant workers. That said, regardless of how Japan chooses to define its national identity, the reality is that it exists in and thrives in a global environment. So I find myself pretty consistently annoyed at the rhetoric of Japanese leaders and policymakers who perpetually fail to grasp both the historical and current context Japan occupies. Regardless of whether this particular policy is rooted in a history of xenophobic practices, the government should well know to anticipate and address concerns that this race-based policy raises. It's something akin to having basic table manners. I'd like to believe that the Nagatacho conversation you sketched took place, but policies are given life and meaning as they are implemented and experienced after enactment. So justifying this policy with racially inflammatory reasoning almost makes any purposed race-neutral rationale a hard sell. I'm looking forward to reading more of your posts. Japan’s approach is not one I agree with, but I understand in part that’s because my notion of nationhood, nationalism and borders differ fundamentally from those making Japanese immigration policies. I can appreciate though that the policy is transparent in it’s view that immigrants are labor to serve an economy rather than future beneficiaries of a grudging and disingenous promise of citizenship and acceptance, i.e. how the U.S. handles low-wage immigrant workers.

That said, regardless of how Japan chooses to define its national identity, the reality is that it exists in and thrives in a global environment. So I find myself pretty consistently annoyed at the rhetoric of Japanese leaders and policymakers who perpetually fail to grasp both the historical and current context Japan occupies. Regardless of whether this particular policy is rooted in a history of xenophobic practices, the government should well know to anticipate and address concerns that this race-based policy raises. It’s something akin to having basic table manners. I’d like to believe that the Nagatacho conversation you sketched took place, but policies are given life and meaning as they are implemented and experienced after enactment. So justifying this policy with racially inflammatory reasoning almost makes any purposed race-neutral rationale a hard sell.

I’m looking forward to reading more of your posts.

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