Quote:
Originally Posted by kennooo
And to respond to an earlier post I am offended sometimes by being called a foreigner. I cant imagine back in my county calling every one who had immigrated to their faces “foreigner.” At least gaijin is offensive in a different language.  |
I'm not sure where you're from, but if you're from the US, it'd be screwed to say that anyway, since the US is literally an immigrant country. Everyone in the US is descended from immigrants of multiple countries and backgrounds. The US is a hodgepodge of different cultures, which is why referring to someone as a foreigner or "outsider of the country" would be kind of odd, when that's this country's (somewhat) function. Japan technically isn't (it is a homogenus society, after all), which is why it's
easier to quickly identify someone who is more than likely not from the country or those who more than likely don't have roots there as a foreigner.
As a foreigner to the country, if I ever manage to go, it doesn't really offend me much at all. It's just a way of saying foreigner. I've even joked about it in front of my Japanese teacher, and she never once seemed offended by it. Usually, if we say something, she would correct us by saying, "The Japanese wouldn't say that." or "The Japanese wouldn't usually do that." With our talking about Gaijin openly, she's never once said that it was meant to be offensive towards those not from the country. The only way I would feel offended, is if I were over there, and coworkers or those I associate with, as opposed to calling me by name, would call me "Gaijin" all the time. To me, that would come across as condescending. To me, that's like someone constantly calling you, "That lady." or "Hey you.". People I don't know (like someone mentioned with the kids who see him/her on the street walking or whatever), or who don't know me, I know I wouldn't (that's just my personality). I would also be offended if I'm denied a right due to my being a foreigner, but that goes without saying, regardless of the country of residence.