ぼくはイエローでホワイトで、ちょっとブルー

by ブレイディ みかこ

優等生の「ぼく」が通い始めたのは、人種も貧富もごちゃまぜのイカした「元・底辺中学校」だった。世界の縮図のような日常を、思春期真っ只中の息子とパンクな母ちゃんの著者は、ともに考え悩み乗り越えていく。

Genres: Japanese Literature, Nonfiction, Japan

256 pages, 単行本

First published June 21, 2019

Reviews

[Ariane Dokusho · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Japanese mother talks about her life in the UK and about the experiences of her half-Japanese son at a former lower class secondary school. In doing so, she reflects on social issues and highlights racism and income discriminatory structures.

The author's reflections are all very thoughtful and interesting to read. Given the title, however, I would have liked to know more about her son's experiences beyond what was mentioned in between other subjects. Only the third to last chapter deals with how her son thinks about his own identity as a half-Japanese child.

The book introduced me to a lot of new vocabulary for talking about political issues and social problems. As my first non-fiction book at this high level, I am almost a little proud to have read it in "only" 4 weeks.

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoughtful book about the author's son's experience as the child of parents of different races growing up in England, and occasionally "returning" to Japan. Treats issues not only of race but especially of classism, and leaves the reader feeling hopeful about the upcoming generation of kids. However, possibly due to the book's intended audience (i.e. Japanese readers "unfamiliar with" (read: uncritical of) racism and classism in their own society), some of it comes off as a bit obvious.

[myk · Rating 3 out of 5]

why is this boy SO PRECIOUS

[Smilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was definitely an interesting read, well written etc. but there were some things that appeared very strange to me as a Japanese white mixed person myself. First of all the father telling his racially mixed son that he isn't white. He might be feeling white inside be he isn't because he doesn't look white. That's a very strange logic to say that you are what you look like. If this father would have another son who looks more white would he tell him "You are not Japanese because you don't look it"? At least from your own parents you want to be accepted for what you really are: in the main character's case white (Irish) and Japanese.
Then there is a scene where the author gets asked by her son why diversity is something good when it's often bothersome and complicated. Her answer is "Because when we always choose the easy way we become stupid". For me this is not the point. It's not about if diversity itself is good or not. There is more or less diversity in every society. It's about creating a diversity friendly environment (and diversity friendly minds) because if we don't do it minorities are the ones who suffer.

I saw many Japanese book reviews saying how shocking it is that there still exists racism against Asians in England. That is shocking but if this is the only thing that sticks to Japanese readers after reading this book then this would be very sad.

[Aina]

This book has a protagonist who has similar characteristics as me, a half Irish and half Japanese teenage boy who lives in England, which was also the book I chose to use for the book trailer project in my Japanese class last school year. This book sends a message from multitudes of perspectives about the worldwide issue of racism, gender identity, and poverty as the mother of the protagonist narrates throughout the story. Reading a Japanese book is not the preferred language that I would for reading, however, because this book is set in England, some English was incorporated into the story which made it interesting for me, as a bilingual, to read. The protagonist would talk about his experiences from his school and private life as he and the mom discusses difficult issues. Through reading this book, I was able to not only be educated but I became more aware of the environment and the people I surround myself with as I am also a half American and half Japanese teenage girl living in Japan, one of the safest but also the most racially undiversified society.

[Jenn Odd · Rating 3 out of 5]

イギリス人として当たり前ことだけど、やっぱり日本人は経験しないことが多いでしょうね。

I think this book is great for Japanese people, but probably not for me.

I was expecting a story centerd around identity, and although there are stories that touch on identity we don't really get to explore them in depth.

Each chapter more describes events rather than an overarching story of a son's identity shift as an Irish/Japanese child living in the UK. Conversations between the mother narrator and son are surprisingly short. (The dad is honestly useless.)

My take away was it was more about the mother than the son. And although interesting, I think I would have liked it more if it had been presented that way.

[Nonno Kato · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is about a story of a mother and her son's experience of racial segregation at England that does not convey or show in Japan, which shows a significant change in perspective to the Japanese readers.

This novel is written by the mother who mention the importance of "Empathy" and being inside the shoes of others after realizing her half blooded son has been discriminated at school.

She also mentions that people should not hurt others, before even thinking about discrimination.

By reading this book, it shows the bond between the son and the mother through glancing at the boy's growth and what she has learned and overcome from this.

As you may be curious about the Japanese title translated to "I am yellow and also white, and a little bit of blue", you will be able to discover the meaning of this by reading it!!

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a story that deals with themes of multiracial identity and classism, I really thought I'd like this book more than I did, but it was just an okay read. I was initially thrown off by the fact that the book kind of positions itself as a memoir of a half-Japanese, half-Irish boy growing up in post-Brexit England, but in actuality it's a series of vignettes the boy's mother has written about his school experience. Don't get me wrong, she has interesting ideas and interpretations, and it was refreshing reading the account of a Japanese person who is simultaneously tuned into social inequities but nevertheless hopeful. But, I don't know, I feel like I would have liked it more if I could have had the boy's unfiltered views of his own experience rather than reading about his mother's interpretations of it.

[BaiLing · Rating 3 out of 5]

本書是以日本母親的眼光，紀錄上中學的英日混血兒子的一些事情。除了討論到一般進入青春期時的「通用」問題，例如交友、性、同儕相處…等等，還有因為身處白人國家的亞裔混血身分，種族歧視的霸凌就成了急需面對的課題。此外，曾是合格保育員的作者，和大卡車駕駛的丈夫所組成的藍領家庭，對英國社會階級的觀察格外有感，以小學時念的私立天主教學校，和中學時家附近的地區公立學校，比較出家長、校舍、教育方針等等明顯差異。

散文是寫作人深思和深慮後的結晶，異國生活增添了讀者的好奇心，但也可能分散讀者觀察作者身為母親和青春期兒子間的互動方式的注意力。或許是作者的兒子特別溫馴、善良，隨著敏感話題的一一出現，身為細膩心思的母親，作者與兒子的對話，往往都是值得學習的親子溝通之道。

曾在報紙上看到英國家長在學期未結束前提前帶子女度假而遭罰，在這本書上更清楚看到地方政府公布在網站上的規定：

School Absence Fine
‧家長於學期間，帶孩子出遊度假。
‧孩子，依個人意志，拒絕上學，稱為「曠課」。
‧六週內超過六次（上午的課堂以及下午的課堂，合計缺課六次），調查孩子出缺席情況後，孩子才到校上課。
‧孩子每學期超過三天缺席（上午的課堂以及下午的課堂，合計缺課六次）。

這樣對家長的罰則，清楚說明了讓孩子上學，是身為家長的責任和義務。是不是就是沒有這些法律條文的關係，造成現在臺灣恐龍家長的日益增多呢？唉！現在開始著手制定這類條款，想想，絕對是不可能的吧？

[Momoe Ueno · Rating 5 out of 5]

イギリスの社会問題が日常的な生活物語から感じることができる。日本とは違う多民族が暮らすイギリスだからこその問題や、多様性を感じられて面白いだけでなく、ヒューマンドラマ的な感動もあった。
日本人の私が興味深かったのは、イギリスの授業スタイルである。私が通っていた中学ではアカデミックな授業にフォーカスしていて、ドラマやシティズンエデュケーションの授業は行われなかった。知識をひたすら詰め込まれる授業が多かったが、イギリスのように幼少期から自己表現の訓練をしたり、社会問題を自分の立場や目線から考え想像する授業はとても重要だと思う。受動的な人が多いという日本人は幼少期からの教育が要因であるとつくづく思う。島国だからこそ海外における日本の立場や社会問題にもっと幼少期から触れるべき。
日本に暮らしていると、日本人か外国人と二種類で区別する人が多いように感じるが、多民族が暮らす場所では民族的な区別が多様だからこそ偏見が強まるのかもしれないと感じた。日本であれば外国人はその他大勢、イギリスでは中国人と呼ばれて不快に思う日本人。日本で暮らす外国人は知識の足りない悪気ない日本人にどれだけ傷付けられているのだろうか。

[Percy Yue · Rating 5 out of 5]

所以中學的公民教育課程讓孩子們暸解公民活動的意義與種類、歷史等，也會安排實際研習課程。因此，英國的互助合作機動力，不單是出於個人的善心，也可說是紮根於教育體制的成果。

英國的國家教育就是寧可引發事端，也要保護少數可能受害少女。或許習慣這般風波不斷的日常生活，也是讓自己能在這種族多樣化國家生存下去的一種訓練。

All these will never be allowed or happened in some alleged superpower aka totalitarian state. They can never produce and/or create new creative caring citizens with civic spirit.

[aku · Rating 3 out of 5]

面白かったと思うけど私の期待がちょっと違ったので3星の本だと思う。一番面白いことは彼ら日本に行く時。理由は日本でも差別的な状況がたくさんある。残念だけどこの世界でどこでもいつも偏見があって人間の間に格差が多く。この本のメリトは世界の不正そのまま見させるのです。

It was interesting to see how a Japanese mother saw the English society through his son's experiences with discrimination as a half Japanese-Irish boy.

[KENICHI YAMANOBE · Rating 4 out of 5]

20/7/28 感想21 ★★★★☆ ”多様性”とは何かをみんなで考えるきっかけをつくってくれる本◾️すすめるなら/多様性や差別の問題をライトに知りたい方/エッセイを読んでしみじみしたい方/外国文化やイギリス教育制度に関心がある方◾️感想/ テーマはディープだが、親子関係で生まれる会話により、小説のようなライトな読み口。ノンフィクションなりのおさえのきいた文章で好感がもてる。章ごとのストーリーのつながりがないのでとまらなくなるというより、エピソードごとに考えさせられるという本(特に水泳大会と日本での差別)

[Emi · Rating 5 out of 5]

大切なことがいっぱいつまった素敵な本だった。

[Miho · Rating 3 out of 5]

アメリカも似たような感じだから面白かった。でも、これ読んだmixed cultureに住んだことのない日本人が、人種差別の大きな図式を理解せずに、変な被害者意識持つんじゃないかってのが心配。実際、日本に住む友人のこの本への感想聞いて、「え」ってなった。まぁ、そういう趣旨の本ではないんだろうけど、人気が出てしまったから余計そう思ってしまう。

[Levi · Rating 4 out of 5]

in reality 4,5/5. talks about a lot of things that can stay in your mind, especially the racial problems included in the book. Recommend it!

[Yuriko · Rating 5 out of 5]

めっちゃ面白かった！思った以上に最近の本で、Brexit/school strike, etcのめっちゃ大規模の問題をreally specific viewpoint で書いてあるの面白かった。私はイギリスに住んでた時小さすぎて何も差別とかアイデンティティとか考えてなかったけど、色々考えながら生活してる人がいるんだな〜て思わせられた。普通にめっちゃよかった！！

[mana sasaki · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[疏狂 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute little pleasant read. I am green 🧩

[Hana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Japan. One of the most safest countries in the world. But Japan is not an exception to the worldly issues of racism, classism, poverty, climate change and sexism. The author Mikako Brady narrates and navigates the society of England through the eyes of her mixed-race son. While I don’t read Japanese books as often as I wish too, this one really stuck with me. As a half white and Japanese girl growing up in Japan, I was interested in widening my perspective on societal issues and this book did just that. I really enjoyed the in-depth conversations that the author had with her son. Many times I was impressed by her son’s wisdom which made me hopeful that my generation could be the one that paves way for change.

[Toshi]

I read this book in Japanese, but I thought that this mother/author was a great author, as there was a clear description and her personal thoughts written in this book. This book taught me about the reality of living in a low-income place in Brighton (England). Differently from his old catholic school, her son decides to go to a local secondary school. There, daily fistfights and all sorts of crime are normal. However, please remember that this is the reality. For people living in a nice place and going to a nice school, I would recommend this book to you as you will witness the reality of the world.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

An utterly fantastic book. Its so interesting to read about a Japanese mother and how she observes her half-Japanese son go through 1st year of middle school in England. At the same time her experiences and observations are exactly what i wish i could recount to my Japanese coworkers and friends. It's hard to understand a minority point of view when you are (and if you never leave your country) and always will be the majority. This books gives a different perspective, as well as one of being treated like a "foreigner" even your own country.
Highly recommend!