lol academics
A few select quotes from the supplementary materials I had to read and summarize for my Understanding East Asia class, because WOW.
Exhibit one:
Another solution [to the problem of what to call East Asia] might be to interpret the whole region not as East Asia, but as China. Physically, it is quite difficult to distinguish Japanese, Filipinos, Thai, etc. from the Chinese, as in fact they have all migrated out from the present Chinese area during the past 20 millenia. They all have to a greater or lesser extent been influenced in history by a combination of Indian and Chinese cultures, and economically they increasingly orient themselves towards China nowadays.
Korhonen, Pekka. Monopolizing Asia: the politics of a metaphor. The Pacific Review vol. 10 no. 3, 1997: 347-365. (p. 361)
1) What the shit?
2) Of course all Asians look alike; that's not racist at all.
3) Why don't we use this logic to rename the whole of Western and/or Northern Europe America or Italy or the UK or whatever while we're at it? After all, we do share the same alphabet, an economic orientation towards the US, similar cultural and societal institutions (with similar historical roots), and hey, we all look alike anyway (according to this old Japanese lady I met at an onsen). Brilliant idea, right? Right?! Who's with me?!
Exhibit two: (Yes, this is a very old source.)
The Japanese national health insurance program does not offer high benefits by Western European standards. However, an observer in Japan is impressed that people seem lively and wear their age well, that obesity and debilitating illnesses seem uncommon.
Vogel, Ezra F. Japan as Number One - Lessons for America. Replica Books 2000 [1979]. (p. 20)
Oh hay, it doesn't matter if there are no widely available social security safety nets, 'cause, yanno, they LOOK happy. Also way to dismiss the whole tradition of the oldest son's family looking after the (son's) parents once they get old.
Exhibit three:
Although Japanese do make an effort to give all recognized groups a fair share, in fact Koreans and small numbers of Chinese and Westerners, even second and third generation, are not treated as full citizens. Burakumin, descendants of the outcasts from the Tokugawa period, are citizens, but most desirable employers and potential marital partners take great pains to avoid taking them in legally and socially.
[...]
Although opposition groups are given some shares, their shares are distinctly smaller. Opposition parties, labor unions, consumers' groups, and radicals are often ignored or given conspicuously less prestigious positions.
[...]
Foreigners are generally excluded from Japanese press clubs and from briefings of the press by Japanese officials, except at special press centers for foreigners, even if they are competent to speak Japanese.
(And a few pages later~)
America is committed to freedom of speech and freedom of the press, and so is Japan. America strives for a more equal society, and although the Japanese have higher requirements for performance before granting underprivileged groups equality, they have exerted themselves in reducing differentials of opportunity and have achieved income differentials smaller than America's.
ibid. (p. 239 & 243 & 255)
1) What is this I can't even.
2) "Higher requirements for performance before granting underprivileged groups equality"? What the everloving fuzz? It's always nice to know that it's not really racism/discrimination or even a bad thing that, y'know, certain groups of people (who, according to the earlier snip might be second or third generation immigrants or simply just descendants of a segment of the population that used to deal with leather and meat [unpure things according to Shinto beliefs] hundreds of years ago and still lack rights) might need to jump through a few extra hoops to get them sum recognition. It's all cool, man, as long as they still make more money than people in comparable situations in the US.
3) Wow, what a unique take on freedom of speech.
4) Freedom of the press? LOL KISHA CLUBS.
*brain explodes*
ETA: I always knew that there was some truth to the whole housewife!uke cliché that is so prevalent in BL. Hee~.
Exhibit one:
Another solution [to the problem of what to call East Asia] might be to interpret the whole region not as East Asia, but as China. Physically, it is quite difficult to distinguish Japanese, Filipinos, Thai, etc. from the Chinese, as in fact they have all migrated out from the present Chinese area during the past 20 millenia. They all have to a greater or lesser extent been influenced in history by a combination of Indian and Chinese cultures, and economically they increasingly orient themselves towards China nowadays.
Korhonen, Pekka. Monopolizing Asia: the politics of a metaphor. The Pacific Review vol. 10 no. 3, 1997: 347-365. (p. 361)
1) What the shit?
2) Of course all Asians look alike; that's not racist at all.
3) Why don't we use this logic to rename the whole of Western and/or Northern Europe America or Italy or the UK or whatever while we're at it? After all, we do share the same alphabet, an economic orientation towards the US, similar cultural and societal institutions (with similar historical roots), and hey, we all look alike anyway (according to this old Japanese lady I met at an onsen). Brilliant idea, right? Right?! Who's with me?!
Exhibit two: (Yes, this is a very old source.)
The Japanese national health insurance program does not offer high benefits by Western European standards. However, an observer in Japan is impressed that people seem lively and wear their age well, that obesity and debilitating illnesses seem uncommon.
Vogel, Ezra F. Japan as Number One - Lessons for America. Replica Books 2000 [1979]. (p. 20)
Oh hay, it doesn't matter if there are no widely available social security safety nets, 'cause, yanno, they LOOK happy. Also way to dismiss the whole tradition of the oldest son's family looking after the (son's) parents once they get old.
Exhibit three:
Although Japanese do make an effort to give all recognized groups a fair share, in fact Koreans and small numbers of Chinese and Westerners, even second and third generation, are not treated as full citizens. Burakumin, descendants of the outcasts from the Tokugawa period, are citizens, but most desirable employers and potential marital partners take great pains to avoid taking them in legally and socially.
[...]
Although opposition groups are given some shares, their shares are distinctly smaller. Opposition parties, labor unions, consumers' groups, and radicals are often ignored or given conspicuously less prestigious positions.
[...]
Foreigners are generally excluded from Japanese press clubs and from briefings of the press by Japanese officials, except at special press centers for foreigners, even if they are competent to speak Japanese.
(And a few pages later~)
America is committed to freedom of speech and freedom of the press, and so is Japan. America strives for a more equal society, and although the Japanese have higher requirements for performance before granting underprivileged groups equality, they have exerted themselves in reducing differentials of opportunity and have achieved income differentials smaller than America's.
ibid. (p. 239 & 243 & 255)
1) What is this I can't even.
2) "Higher requirements for performance before granting underprivileged groups equality"? What the everloving fuzz? It's always nice to know that it's not really racism/discrimination or even a bad thing that, y'know, certain groups of people (who, according to the earlier snip might be second or third generation immigrants or simply just descendants of a segment of the population that used to deal with leather and meat [unpure things according to Shinto beliefs] hundreds of years ago and still lack rights) might need to jump through a few extra hoops to get them sum recognition. It's all cool, man, as long as they still make more money than people in comparable situations in the US.
3) Wow, what a unique take on freedom of speech.
4) Freedom of the press? LOL KISHA CLUBS.
*brain explodes*
ETA: I always knew that there was some truth to the whole housewife!uke cliché that is so prevalent in BL. Hee~.