Jim wrote:

> Well, maybe rights of a Japanese only come to those who "look" and "act" Japanese?

As people like Debito, or even I have demonstrated, "look" in and of itself, is very
important. This is precisely the problem, particularly in Japan.

> I know that in the USA, your ethnic background doesn't matter one whit when
> determining citizenship...

Incorrect. Americans and others, as I have mentioned, have their own notions of what
"Americans" look or act like, or where they are born.

> it's all geographical "where were you born".  For native-
> born Americans, anyway.

I'm a native born American. And people, including Americans, still don't believe it. I
am almost invariably mistaken for a Japanese tourist when I return home, where people
greet me with "Irasshaimase!" when I walk into a business, then turn away when I tell
them I am not Japanese. Once when I took my sick daughter in to the local hospital, the
hospital I have been to since childhood, the woman even derisively referred to me as a
"Japanese tourist" without insurance, not a US citizen or Hawaii resident who was paying
cash.

> It seems Japan doesn't have such a concept of being "native-born" Japanese...

Because they are ignorant of their own origins despite research and hours long
television specials devoted to them. Even the Emperor publicly acknowledged that he is
descended from Koreans. Japanese genetic traits such as their physical proportions and
long life spans, also developed from people across the Asian continent.

> unless your parents are racially Japanese (whatever that means).

"Racially Japanese" actually means nothing.

> You think that Japanese culture should be changed to imitate the American model?

We are not talking about that. We are talking about how exclusionist or racist Japanese
are. Those are legal issues, particularly when one is a citizen like Debito, and Japan
has signed international agreements against discrimination. If Japanese want to
discriminate freely, they'd better change their Constitution and other laws, as well as
not join international agreements.

> I know that the world over people will tend to congregate in groups and exclude
> the outsiders, but I think you are more concerned with state-sponsored or sanctioned
> discrimination like in Japan, right?

Yes, because that is precisely what we are talking about in this part of the thread. If
you'd like to bash racism in the US or at the hands of caucasians, for example, or anti
white sentiments of some minorities, you are welcome to do that.

> > The more common examples of naturalized Japanese such as
> > ethnic Asians (who may have lived here since they were born and ONLY culturally
> > Japanese) or people who have deliberately assimilated themselves such as Rui Ramos,
> > Musashimaru, Akebono or KONISHIKI, should be respected and not considered "gaijin".
>
> So you *are* agreeing with most Japanese that if you look and talk like a native,
> you're not a gaigin but Japanese?

No, I clearly say things like ethnic Samoan people from Hawaii who come up in the strict
traditional sumo culture are more "Japanese" than most native born Japanese alive. Can
you read?

> And all those people who dont't look, act and
> speak like Japanese shouldn't be respected, either?

I said they SHOULD be respected as Japanese and NOT considered gaijin as clearly written
above.

So let's get back to you asking me if I am American. What did you mean by that?