Newcomer Handbook: Speaking with Debito
From a phone interview, which took place on Thursday, February 21st over Skype.
I’m speaking tonight with Arudou Debito, formerly Dave Aldwinckle, naturalized Japanese citizen since 2000, human rights activist, and author of Japanese Only: The Otaru Hot Springs Case and Racial Discrimination in Japan and most recently the Handbook for Newcomers, Migrants, and Immigrants to Japan. Welcome, Arudou-san.
First of all, please tell us about your new book.
Would you recommend this book even to those who are just going to stay a year with the eikaiwa and then return home?
Is there anything in the book we can’t find on the "what to do if…" section of your website?
How would you respond to people who say you don’t do things "the Japanese way"? More to the point, do you think there is such a thing?
(Debito’s first experience in "thinking outside the box")
Recently, there was a case involving a Pakistani girl being refused admission to a ballet school in Tokyo on what appeared to be racial discrimination. However, and correct me if I’m wrong, it turned out to be just a simple misunderstanding…
Do you think you jumped the gun a little when you posted the story on your blog, without first contacting the school?
Has there ever been a time in your activism work that you thought you acted overzealously? Were there any consequences to such actions?
There seems to a pattern among Japanese to be proud of being a monoethnic culture – do you think Japan is gradually starting to get a sense of pride from the growing diversity, or is there still this old school "closed-off island nation" mentality?
Ok, let me rephrase that – as far as the government is concerned, do you think there is an unspoken policy of trying to discourage immigration?
The basis of that question was really along the lines of your theory surrounding the police and the Gaijin Ura Hanzai File
What’s your opinion about the new language requirement under consideration by the government – they haven’t really gone into specifics, but do you think a language requirement in general is a good idea for Japan?
(Followup: Debito’s definition of a "gaijin")
Do you think this policy is designed to – and I hate to put it this way – increase the "quality" of foreigners coming to Japan, the intelligence? In general, do you believe it’s intended to discourage or encourage immigration?
Anything else you’d like to get the word out about?
All right, talking to Arudou Debito. Thank you very much.
The book, "Handbook for Newcomers, Migrants, and Immigrants to Japan" is now available for order by fax through Debito’s website
