Cherry Tiger wrote:

On Fri, 22 Jan 1999, Jamie and Bridget Wilde wrote:

In protest of the racist remarks made by the list owner (under the name
"Cherry Tiger" in the "Fiancee Talk" thread), I'm leaving the list for a
week.

Off hand, I'd say those 'racist remarks' were taken entirely out of
context, Mr Kleppe. It seemed to me that "Cherry Tiger" was referring to
the racist attitudes predominant in Japan regarding foreigners of every
stripe, rather than any personal viewpoint. It could have been couched
in clearer terms, but that's what I got out of the thread, in any event.

That *was* what was intended.  (A sarcastic comment on predominant
Japanese attitudes.)  If I offended, too bad. Racism exists, pretending it
doesn't is not a solution.

Okay I'll join this thread... While I did (after reading the email in question)
get the point of the message (and I am sending this to Gary as well... ) I do
argee that miscommication could have happened... (First reading, the EMAIL does
seem like a racist slur from the author of the email, then I figured out how he
was doing it.)
But, I don't disagree with the actions of the people who are leaving the list
for a while over this, for (I agree with CT. The rasicm in Nippon... and I lived
there... is VERY bad {It's pretty okay if you try to speak Nihon-go, and live by
thier rules.. but you will still be slammed {worse than southern treatment of
"blacks" before the 50/60's...} and this treatment does apply to all "gaijin")
Side note, since this was a Ranma thread.
Ranma, Kasumi, Nabiki, AND Kuno (the "Nippionese" that I can recall not having
the black hair AND (black/dark) eyes of "normal" Nippionese) would be considered
not full Nipponese and treated somewhat better than the true Gaijin (Somehow, I
got lumped into this group when living there... I am NOT sure how.)  However
this attudue is dying (and the racism is dying {slowly, slowly...}) as more and
more Japanese leave, or marry overseas.
I find the Japanese contemt for "gaijin" amsuing.... (Sad note... They treat
Chinese and Koreans (when they KNOW that the person in question is one.) WORSE
than anything.... So CT's comment that started this thread is VERRRRRYYYY true.
{In fact I am amused at the fact that Colonge was even ABLE to get a permit to
open a business in Japan.  I would have better luck.. .or at least the bribes
would have been way cheaper.}Since the Japan has IMPORTED everything from
somewhere... I do find thier attudues amsuimg {Lang. culture, writing, all from
korea or china. Current imports... well THis is not a term paper...})
Still... this thread HAS gone on long eng. and it is time to say one thing.
If you don't like the comments, stay out of the ring..
CT. you should (to be safe... *sigh*) have posted a note saying "The above
statement was not my view, but is the view in Japan." That way people would have
twigged to the fact that you were writing "in cultre" for the thread, not a
personal view (I had no problem, and others didn't ethier... but it is easy to
take things in the wrong context, even if we all are smart, and good readers...
{It took me over five years to cacth a clue what RAH was talking about in
Stranger {read it when I was 6})
Andrew norris
I know this is going to tick a few people off.
All the information That i posted in this letter is the way THAT I saw the
Japanese react to in the mid 80's while I was over there (Dad is AF, and got
stationed in Japan for three years.) Things could have changed, and I do have
friends over there... who I like and respect.