When I'm upset, I tend to write things out since it's a much more effective way (for me anyways) to take a look at the way I feel and think about it critically.
This is something that I've kind of been upset about for a while; probably since 2007. Or well, I don't know if upset is the right word for it. It's part frustration, part feeling helpless, part feeling really annoyed, part unhappy, a small dash of sadness and disappointment and a huge heap of worry.
Today, I overheard a conversation between my JTE and a student about a cultural exchange of sorts. My JTE explained to me later as well (since I only understood some things) that this student, last year, had been interested in going abroad to Australia, which I think is awesome. This year, however, she became uninterested in going. The reason, she was telling my JTE, was because she had a pocket wifi device that allowed her to talk to foreigners and stuff via games on the DS (specifically - pokemon). She said that while Europeans were kind, Americans tended to be really like... unlikable. She used a word that I forget, but basically it was like inconsiderate and mean. My JTE, bless her, pointed out that *I* was American and really kind, but I think they took this as the exception to the rule, rather than as an indicator that there are kind Americans in addition to there being douchey Americans.
And for some reason, she associated this with Australians (I am so so sorry Aussies). Or well, it would be more accurate to say she associated this with foreigners in general, which makes me feel really sad, frustrated, and slightly upset. Part of me wants to go "seriously Japan?" but it's not just Japan that does that. Everyone kind of does this, basing impressions of entire nations, ethnicities, races, off first impressions. I noticed on my study abroad that people had a set attitude towards me once they found out I was an American; it felt like I was always defending my country because people were unable to separate the actions and official policies of the state with the individuals from that country (nevermind that our country seems to be evenly split between polar opposites of many many issues). It got tiring, which is why I was so frustrated and unhappy about this impression the world had of Americans (or to be super politically correct, "citizens of the United States of America") because people would automatically associate that with me. Yes, I'm American. No, I'm not white. No, I don't wear my shoes in the house. Yes, I can eat with chopsticks. No, I don't consider myself rude and inconsiderate. Yes, I think I'm friendly. I hope I'm friendly. No, I'm not really that religious. Yes, I speak English only. Yes, we have lots of people from different countries who live and study in America.
If you meet enough people who act the same way, since our brains automatically search out patterns (which is why optical illusions work so well), our brains link the next time we see something that fits the pattern of the type of person we saw before with the behavior and attitudes associated with that person. And thus stereotypes and racism are born.
Avenue Q, a musical off of broadway, expresses this quite well when they said, "Ethnic jokes might be uncouth but ya laugh because they're based on truth..." Based on the truth of what we have observed before, whether it's from one person, two people, or a whole group of people. Admittedly, there are trends and tendencies for ethnic or cultural groups to behave in certain ways, but personally, I think that's almost like saying the same thing except for you acknowledge that there are some people - in the minority - who behave differently.
Honestly, that's why I feel like programs like the JET program are so important. They set the expectation (or try to anyways) that being accepted into the program isn't just another job where you teach English in another country. It's more than a full time job. It's a job you must do 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, no holiday, because it's an incredibly important job. As JETs, we are not only ambassadors for whatever nation we come from to Japan, but also for our cultures, our race, and for foreigners as a whole since Japan - despite actually having a bunch of foreigners from Asian countries (oh my god, I've met so many Chinese people) - considers itself to be homogenous and basically one race.
I don't think this is a load of BS. I do think it's important, and I think (I hope) JET tries to pick people who are willing to do this kind of promotion and to basically watch the way they act. Japanese people - and people in general - pick up impressions about foreigners (or anyone not belonging to their particular in-group) that influence the way they think about and interact with other foreigners in the future. Granted, there are probably people for whom firsts impressions matter little, but I do think that it's much easier for a bad impression, or rude behavior, to make a larger and more memorable impression than a favorable one. So I think it's really important that as foreigners over here, especially ones who are at schools where we interact daily with kids -- who in my mind are slightly more impressionable. So living here, interacting with them, they might not come to associate our behaviors and attitudes with all foreigners - but there's a chance that they will.
I know there are times when I do really dumb things, or rude things (I have a small tendency to be a few minutes late - though arguably, these kind of things, and whether or not they are "rude" vary depending on one's culture) so I'm not saying I'm perfect as someone on the program. But I do try. And I do believe in the JET program. This reason - the fact that there is an emphasis on it since we're associated with and directly employed by the government rather than a private company - is why personally, I think the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program is more valuable than that of private dispatch companies. Yeah, we get paid more than them, but a) our application process is usually more vigorous and b) we're basically asked to be "on the job" 24/7 without overtime pay. This is communicated to us at the start of the program. Community/School/etc event that your supervisor asks you to go to? You're *encouraged* to go, which means, if you don't have anything else to do, you're kind of expected to be there.
I expect people from other companies kind of get the same kind of general talk as well, but the impression I've gotten - and everyone I've met has been lovely - and they've gone to local stuff too, but the kind of attitude I've seen has been kind of... flippant? Some people anyways. Though that can certainly be said about some JETs as well. I suppose basically it just comes down to us being aware of our status as global citizens and doing what we can to help leave positive impressions rather than be be the exception to negative ones.
EDIT: lols, well, after that, I walked out into the hallway and the student happened to be sitting outside. She saw me and immediately was like, "JESSICA. I LOVE AMERICA!" and then she kept telling me that she loved America (bless her) and we got into a nice discussion about Nintendo and Playstation. Hooray my work here is done!
Turns out the people who made a poor impression on her were 30 and 40 years old - holy crap. There is a part of me that does NOT want to be that kind of 30 or 40 year old, talking via pokemon to 16, 17 year olds and younger. Another part of me is like "who cares" and thinks that would still be a little fun haha. But the moral of the story? Don't use people from the internet/games as examples of good behavior. It's kind of sad that we kind of expect that now.
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