An Open Letter to Japanese People from Black men
Dear Japanese people, during our times in Japan we respect the warmth and hospitality many of you give to us. We understand it’s within Japanese culture to be polite and reserve any ill thoughts you may have. For that you have our respect.
I understand many of us like all foreign men in general have our own flaws; some of us may act foolish, ignorant, narcissistic and just plain dicks. However, we too have our fare share of grievances we want to get off our chests. We may choose not to speak up to these microaggressions because we understand many of you are ignorant of their impacts, we may want to maintain peace with you and not sour our friendships with you.
Here is an extensive list of annoyances and grievances we experience and while we understand some of these are not done out of ill thoughts, I stress that you acknowledge them and avoid them at all costs.
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1. Don’t befriend or date us in an attempt to be different or unique compared to your peers. We are people not accessories
2. Don’t befriend or date us expecting to be taught English. There’s a place called “school” and many of us get paid to do this.
3. Don’t tell me I look like Obama, Bobby or any other black celebrities you can only count on one hand. Most of the time we don’t resemble them.
4. Stop singing about how much you love black people. Yes, yes…we get it, you love WHAT WE DO and HOW WE LOOK not WHO WE ARE. However, it gets uncomfortable and we’d prefer if you focus on the person standing in front of you and their qualities. We are not all the same.
5. Don’t tell me I’m fit or strong because I am black. No. I worked hard or this body, I practiced endlessly in this sport. Do not belittle my efforts. Perhaps if you put in the effort yourself you’d be singing a different song
6. Don’t compliment me followed by "because you’re black/a foreigner". Should I even have to explain this?
7. Do not ask me if i like or possess any weed or any other illegal drug. Stereotyping black people as having illegal drugs or partake in any other illegal activity is racist. Being constantly asked the same thing by people in our own countries by white kids, police and security guards is extremely degrading and frustrating at the same time. Thousands of miles east and we still get the same shit!?
8. Please don't tell me you want to be black. This is not a compliment. You aren’t black, you will never be black and your reasons are always stupid or childish. We are not a magical subset of humans born with innate rhythm or spiritual nature. Love yourself please.
9. Please stop praising black people by while putting down your own.
10. Please don’t touch my hair without asking. We are not animals.
11. Stop worshiping black men or women's bodies while shaming your own. It’s very cringe. Love yourself or do something about it.
12. Stop trying to imitate black women in an attempt to impress us. If we wanted one, we wouldn’t come to you.
13. Don’t assume we can rap. We don’t all share the same talents.
14. Don’t assume we can play basketball. See above
15. Don’t assume we can dance. See above
16. Please do not fetishize us and our bodies. It’s dehumanising and racist. We are people not objects
17. What you call ブラックカルチャーand B系 are only a very small fraction of what we do. I suggest you find better names for these trends. The majority of black people in the world are disconnected from these things.
18. Don’t say nigga even if your friend allows you to. Just don’t. You will say it to the wrong person and it will not be pretty.
19. Don’t make assumptions of our nationality based on our looks or colour of our skin ( America, Jamaica or Africa is all you ever think of). You will find us almost anywhere in the world.
20. Dont assume we are all attracted to the same type of woman
21. Don't assume black people are poor. You have no idea. Turn off the television.
22. Don’t assume all Africans are starving and need saving. You have no idea.
23. Don't assume all black people are heterosexual.
24. Don’t assume we are hyper sexual. Turn off the television
25. Don't assume black men rape. Please turn off the television
26. Don't assume black bodies more than others; somehow carry HIV or other STIs/diseases. For the love of God please turn off the television!
27. Don't stare at black peoples dicks in public bathhouse. There’s nothing to see here.
28. Don't assume all black people have big dicks. Do not set yourself up for disappointed.
29. Don't date blacks because you wanna "try" or "know what it's like". Only to grow tired of us, throw us away and try something new like a fashion trend.
30. Don't make it sound like Africa is a country or make a comparison between African continent and a country (ex. Africa vs. Japan). There are 54 countries and well over 2000 different ethnic groups and languages in the continent. You have no idea.
31. Don’t use words like dope, swag, gangsta in an attempt to connect with us. We don’t all understand them and we don’t all speak the same.
32. Do not assume what music we listen to. We do not all like hip-hop, rnb and reggae.
33. There is not one specific way to look “black”. We come in all shades and different features.
34. Getting braids, perming your hair kinky/curly or wearing urban styled clothes or any other styles emulating black people does not make you closer to us in our eyes.
35. Do not poke fun at our features, lips, skin colour or hair. It’s disrespectful and extremely childish. Furthermore, it only shows how ignorant you are of the wider world
36. Do not liken our skin to chocolate or any other coloured substances
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Please understand this is not an attack, just an informative body of information that you can use to better understand and get along with us. This is not oversensitivity, this is about respecting something black people in general have constantly been denied. Many of us must endure and cringe at these things and just accept them as the norm. Most of these things (and many other harsher ones) are experienced in countries where we are also minorities; where racism persists.
Please Japanese people take this information and share it to any others who have black acquaintances, the friends of yours that obsess over “black culture”. Please know the difference between appreciation and appropriation, Love and fetishisation.
Peace, love and respect
milesstar
