Re: Words

From: "Nik Taylor"

> DOUGLAS KOLLER wrote:
> > white/Europeans.
>
> Hmm, what about blacks or other non-Asians?  Are they also _gaijin_?
Technically, of course. I never met a real, live black in Japan so I can't
chronicle the experience, even as an outside observer. There was one
game/variety show that featured mixed marriages between one Japanese spouse
and a gaijin (oh, the zany hijinx) and in that context, the wide range of
foreign nationalities got lumped into together as "gaijin" (there were also
games to make the "gaijin" look like schmucks; foreigners were required to
prance about like chickens, pigs, ducks, and [the perennial favorite]
monkeys, [much hilarity ensued], while their Japanese spouses got to sit in
chairs and "guess" what they were doing). Still, I contend that the "gaijin"
prototype is white (preferably blond and blue-eyed), has an affinity for
walking into walls, and talks like Goofy.

Kou