Eli Aiko Tester | エリ愛子テスター
“Why are there worldwide networks for half Japanese people and not for our other half?”
日本人ハーフには広いネットワークがありますが、それ以外のハーフネットワークがないのには、どのような理由があると思いますか?
Please share your answer to Eli’s question in the comment area below.
About Eli:
Father | Swiss |
Mother | Japanese |
Age | 31 |
Born in | Switzerland |
Lived in | Singapore - Switzerland - Netherlands |
Speaks Japanese | ⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪ |
Reading and Writing | ⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪ |
Speaks | German - English - Dutch - Japanese |
It’s a very good question and I think it ties with the strong National Identity that all Japanese feel, combined with the fact that in Japan, National Identity (being Japanese national) has for a long time also meant being born in Japan, by Japanese parents, with Japanese roots (cultural and racial identity). So half stick out and face a different set of challenges.
At the same time, when living in a country with a longer history of integration and a more mixed population and somehow less of a single cultural identity, the Japanese side probably felt as a clearer identity than the one of the other side, helping giving a better idea of oneself.
It is probably different when the other half belongs to a country with a strong identity as well, and you are growing up there. In such a case I would expect that being half Japanese could be somewhat irrelevant.
I am not a half, but a foreigner living in Japan. The topic of haafu is something foreigners in Japan long term think about, I guess, when thinking about having family here. Thus as soon as it came up in Gaijinpot, I have been browsing this website and all your questions.
indeed I am also asking: why is mixed heritage such a big issues for XY+Japan, and not for other two nationalities?
Looking forward to further replies.