Yohan wrote: ↑March 2nd, 2023, 9:22 pm
Natural_Born_Cynic wrote: ↑March 2nd, 2023, 10:49 am
Well, everything is relative. If your not a native born Asian, you will never know. That's what I have experienced so far.
Asians maybe more lenient towards white foreigners but they are vicious towards each other and to the
race they deemed "inferior" to them.
I am sorry, that's the truth whether you like it or not.
This is true, but the word 'race' is misleading. The better word to use is ethnicity.
In countries like Japan and Korea, if you are of 'white race' like myself from Europe, there is no problem and no way to mistaken me for an Asian, I am simply said, totally different from them, even living in that region since more than 4 decades.
As I always had a good job and income and could also communicate with people living next to me, I very rarely (but cannot say 'never') noticed discrimination or rejection, not in Japan, not in Korea, not in Thailand or Philippines etc.
This feeling is quite different among Asians themselves, for example the relationship between Japanese and Koreans, or Malay and Chinese, Vietnamese and Cambodians and Thai etc.
The impression of Western visitors from abroad that 'all Asians are so nice etc.' is indeed wrong. Asian people can be very rude, intolerant and aggressive within their family and other people of their own ethnicity. They can become violent and hateful against other people of different ethnicity.
It is because they have nothing in common - we have to consider their history (wars among them), different languages (have to communicate in English) and different religion, minorities etc. also play a major role.
Japanese and Koreans are a good example, they look so similar to each other that it is impossible to say by looking at them who is a Japanese and who is a Korean, but if you look at their way of life (traditional housing, clothes, food etc) and hear them talking and see their behavior, you will quickly understand that these two groups are of different ethnicity.
It is true that Japanese and Korean language have much in common - but if a Japanese and a Korean meet without any knowledge of the other language, they cannot communicate to each other.
I notice that myself, too, my Japanese is quite good, but so far I failed to speak Korean, of course it is because I am not using the language frequently, no exercise at all and when I try to speak and read Korean, I mix up Japanese and Korean vocabulary - both languages are similar, but not so similar either...and using a different way how to write too.
Well I am glad your doing well in Japan.
Yes, I agree.. white people gets leniency and breaks from most of the cultural expectations in Japan and South Korea. I think because white people from a western country are automatically or unconsciously associated with power, status, fascination, and prestige(I am not really sure what constitutes prestige). White people are well treated in Korea and is considered honored guests. They get a spot light in Korean Media and more they proclaim they love South Korea, the more Korean audience literally gets some kind of emotional orgasm from it.
But it gets really "darker" when your from Africa or South East Asia. Both of them are treated really badly in South Korea.
I don't know about Japan's treatment towards both ethnicities.. but it's very brutal for them. That's why Africans have to lie that he is "African-American" so he doesn't get discriminated in Korea. South East Asians have to lie that he is from Taiwan or an American of Filipino descent just to get a private English tutoring job in Korea. Korean women won't hire Filipinos.
I don't know how Koreans treat middle easterners, Southern Europeans, Indians, Latin Americans, etc because most of them don't even come to Korea. Overall, if you have light skin, blond hair and blue eyes your fine. If you have black skin or look like South East Asian then your in trouble.
Generally Koreans doesn't like the Japanese and the Korean youtubers and media always plays on Korean Nationalism on Japan not doing well and suffering the "lost 3 decades". However, lots of Koreans tends to visit Japan as tourists and there are lot of Koreans moving to Japan to work in IT jobs and others...
Koreans have mixed feelings and general distaste towards the Chinese, always calling them "JJangGae" 짱깨 or "Chink" in English.
Chinese people are viewed as vermin and dirty bastards in Korea. However, many Koreans visit China for tourism and many of the Korean Conglomerates factories are in China..
I am not sure how Koreans think about Vietnamese, Malays, Cambodians, Thai, etc. But I have heard and read that Koreans hate and discriminate Filipinos very much for some reason.. I don't understand why..
I mean even Koreans discriminate each other.
Koreans discriminate Korean Americans , ethnic Koreans from China and even recently escaped North Koreans.
I can only give you a brief generalizations
Koreans think Korean Americans are not Korean enough and they are bunch of black haired foreigners who can't speak their language.
Korean Americans are sometimes treated badly in Korea for not speaking korean.
Now the ethnic Koreans from China are called Joseon-jok "조선족" meaning "Joseon Tribe". They are much more discriminated than the Korean Americans. They are considered shady, untrustworthy and not really Korean, but as a Chinese. The Joseon jok are always looked down upon and regarded as no good criminals.
The North Koreans from Korea are not as well treated because of their northern accent of Korean and their association in the North. They face
lot of loneliness, hardship and ridicule from Korean society. They have to work really hard to integrate themselves and get rid of everything they have learned in North Korea.
