Re: Words

From: "John Cowan"

> Such, indeed, is the term "gaijin": there are Japanese and there are
gaijin,
> period.
I beg to differ. Perhaps in the grand scheme of things this is true, but no
one would point at a Chinese, even if it were obvious he was non-Japanese,
and scream "gaijin!".

> Which is not to say that there is no discrimination *within*
> Japanese society: there is one group, though outwardly indistinguishable
> (its members can "pass" if they are careful) who are treated as
second-class
> (or 47th-class) socially.
The "burakumin". Ethnically Japanese, but an inferior caste of occupations
like tanners and butchers. It's a verboten topic in Japan, but I've heard
it's tough to "pass" during the background checks required to broker a
marriage.

Koreans were _low_ man on the totem pole. When I was there, even 2nd
generation Japan-born ethnic Koreans had to be fingerprinted, just like the
rest of us "gaijin". I don't know if that's still around. There was a great
deal of outcry; foreigners didn't appreciate being made to feel like
criminals and Korean Japanese were none too thrilled either. Perhaps this
has now changed.

Kou