Something serious for a change...
There is one thing about American culture I realized.
American people tend to enjoy being categorized in several groups; school, hometown, community etc. That's why people proudly wear silly (oops, excuse me.) sweat shirts which has a college name or some kind of name of group on. I can never do that in Japan. Going out with a sweat shirt with my school's name on? Hella no! (First of all, I can never wear sweat shirt to go out in Japan.)
It is ridiculous, however, understandable. Because it is such a big country and there are so many people from different cultural and geographical background, there isn't one common trait they all share. They don't say "We, Americans..." but "I'm half Irish and German", "I'm Italian", or "I'm quater Japanese, French and German and blah blah blah (even though doesn't look like any of them)..." while in other countries, people proudly and naturally say "We, Japanese...", or "We, Australians...". Someone said that America is not "melting pot", but "mixed salad" which each one of them still keeps their shapes in one bowl. Make sense. People need something they can stick on so that they can feel safe and comfortable in this largely diversed country. They say they respect individualism, but in fact, they are the most afraid to be individual because it equals to loneliness for them. I feel like individualism is more respected in Japan, the most unlikely country people might think. Hard to explain, but it is. This is probably one of the reasons I feel uncomfortable being here...
posted by sheeep at 11:34 PM
3 Comments:
i wear Canterbury's (2nd HS) because I'm pround of the school. something very special to me.
i wear Rye's (1st HS) because i bought them! team spirit! lol
あとデザインも何もないんで飽きるとかなく楽だから。無難。これもかなり大きい。
日本語出てるかな。
agree & disagree.
but i think i know what u just wanna say.
I think you are starting to understand the fundamental difference between America (or Canada, or even Australia) and nation-states like Japan, France, Germany, etc.
American nation has been built artificially, pieced together (for good or bad) by immigrants of all origins. Same goes for Canada and a lesser degree for Australia, which was formed by forced by mother-nation Britain. So naturally, people take huge pride of being Americans while at the same time stressing their origins even though, like you said, they look nothing like the origin or speak the original language.
Japan, on the other hand, is one of the most mono-ethnic countries in the entire world. I can't name another country where 99% of population are of the nation's ethnic origin. Because of that, Japan has always been a closed society, inward, xenophobic and until recently, isolated. Aren't you glad that in the last decades Japan has become more outwardly oriented, even if unfortunately it sometimes means "Americanized"?
do you feel uncomfortable in japan because individualism is more respected? i feel uncomfortable in america because, in some sense, to be unique isn't just to express your unique identity, but to oppose something (to be counterculture) ... but maybe that's just my feeling. :) maybe individualism is respected, but difference is not ...
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