Embedded Racism: Japan's Visible Minorities and Racial Discrimination

by Arudou Debito

Despite domestic constitutional provisions and international treaty promises, Japan has no law against racial discrimination. Consequently, businesses around Japan display “Japanese Only” signs, denying entry to all 'foreigners' on sight. Employers and landlords routinely refuse jobs and apartments to foreign applicants. Japanese police racially profile 'foreign-looking' bystanders for invasive questioning on the street. Legislators, administrators, and pundits portray foreigners as a national security threat and call for their segregation and expulsion. Nevertheless, Japan’s government and media claim there is no discrimination by race in Japan, therefore no laws are necessary.

How does Japan resolve the cognitive dissonance of racial discrimination being unconstitutional yet not illegal? Embedded Racism carefully untangles Japanese society’s complex narrative on race by analyzing two mutually-supportive levels of national identity maintenance. Starting with case studies of hundreds of individual “Japanese Only” businesses, it carefully analyzes the construction of Japanese identity through legal structures, statute enforcement, public policy, and media messages. It reveals how the concept of a “Japanese” has been racialized to the point where one must look “Japanese” to be treated as one.

The product of a quarter-century of research and fieldwork by a scholar living in Japan as a naturalized Japanese citizen, Embedded Racism offers an unprecedented perspective on Japan’s deeply-entrenched, poorly-understood, and strenuously-unacknowledged discrimination as it affects people by physical appearance.

Genres: Japan, Nonfiction, Japanese Literature

378 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 16, 2015

Reviews

[Ryuta Fukuya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting topic, I can understand how "a few" Westerners could observe the Japanese society.
But the author is Japanese citizen who was born in U.S.. Maybe it is uncomfortable for most Japanese to read this book, I am also, I would like to accept some parts of author's criticism against Japanese society (About ethnic Korean,etc.) and to criticize the author's opinion through my background.
To begin with, this book pretend to be an academic thesis, I think it should be just author's experience. It is not fair to make a just personal experience jump to the academic conclusion.
O.K. please allow me to tell my background a while.
My grand mother was American citizen, white woman married my grand father pure Asian race in 1920's , I have mixed blood but appearance is completely Asian, nobody believe I have mixed blood.
And I am Christian, yes I am also minority in Japan.
The author seems to be frustrated that he cannot be treated as Japanese due to his appearance, and he said this is racism, I wish to say please don't reach the radical conclusion easily.
Because still Japanese society consist of Asian race, most Japanese can hardly imagine White person is Japanese. My grand mother had not been thought as Japanese in spite of her citizenship for her life. And I guess the author can enjoy the status as elite minority in Japan by his caucasian appearance. My grand mother did so. For me absolutely no, I was discriminated from my grandmother like this " Why is your eye typical Asian's I am disappointed you cannot be inherited from White blood." at the same time I was bullied my face as 凸凹( my forehead seems to be too protruded as Japanese, I don't think so) Yes I agree this is one of faults of Japanese society.
The author decided Japan is racist country quoting the article of a Japanese intellectual in 19th centuries. It is unfair attitude as scholar. No body can change our history and also at that time it was the era of Imperialism and our ancestor dreamed to be like Westerners. As born American the author need to study the history of the persecution for Asian people in U.S. (The half of my father's siblings were American citizen.) Moreover my grandfather was not able to obtain the U.S. citizenship despite he getting Ph.D from University of Chicago just due to his Asian race.
I agree his opinion if this book is the criticism comparing Japanese society with ideal society like the song of John Lennon, but it is just uncomfortable if it was written comparing with U.S., U.K. societies. Sometimes I wonder why White people can believe they are right unconditionally . I never say please respect our society, but please do not reach the conclusion easily through the limited experience. And also please recognize we Asian people are injured by microaggression (mockery for our strange English accent, our foods ) and upset against discrimination in our deep mind. Yes, we are in different culture, but it is nonsense to discuss which is excellent , which can have justice. Our government has the right to take our own policy according to the situation.
Sorry too long, but I cannot consider the author criticize Japan through Japanese eye, I couldn't help recognizing he did it through White people eye and look down us.

[Alek Sigley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comprehensive, well argued and daring book. Quite funny at times too, such as the anecdote about the establishment that wouldn't accept "foreigners" because of older people's experiences of the War. "Then what about Germans?"... (No response.)

[Benny Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good examination of culture without overstepping opinions. Reads a lot like a college textbook but I found it to be rather palatable despite such a heavy subject matter. I learned a lot from this book, though I had a hard time staying focused by the end. The information started to feel exhausting by the middle-end section and it was hard to stay focused, but other than that it was a compelling read.

[Marija S.]

I will refrain from grading the book, having in mind complexity of the issue.

[Sarah Laurence]

Interesting topic, but the personal perspective/methodology didn't match the academic/legal style. I was hoping for more info about discrimination toward ethnic minorities, like Okinawans and Koreans, but this was more focused on white expats who are residents or became citizens, like the author. Still, I found some useful information for my research, especially on visas.