Eric Takabayashi wrote:
> Jim wrote:
> 
> 
>>On a separate topic, does Debito include his marriage as "international"?
>>After all, he *is* Japanese, right?  Isn't his kid therefore 100% Japanese
>>and not one of those "international" kids he says will be invading the
>>home islands in 10 years' time?
> 
> 
> He probably does, but that is not really relevant, because narrow minded people
> who do not know him will probably never accept him on sight as a Japanese, and
> consider or treat him as a foreigner, the way Samoan blooded KONISHIKI from
> Hawaii after years of citizenship and fame, is nevertheless classified as a
> "gaijin tarento", or sumo fans griped there were no "Japanese" yokozuna despite
> the presence of Hawaiian blooded Musashimaru, also a citizen. Bigots who
> discriminate against "foreign looking" people will continue to discriminate
> against people them, regardless of actual legal status or acclimation into
> Japanese society.
> 

Eric, when you look at Konishiki, and someone asks you "what is he? he's
not Japanese, right?"  what do you answer?

Is he Japanese?  American? Hawaiian? Somoan?

Or how about yourself?  Are you American?  Hawaiian?  Japanese?  You were
born in Hawaii, right?  Doesn't that mean you can call yourself Hawaiian?
Would the "native" Hawaiians agree with you?

-Jim