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06-13-2007, 10:49 PM
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06-13-2007, 10:53 PM
I think the reason there is so much prejudice in the United States is because many foreigners here immigrate illegally. They don't try to register for citizenship as an alien first off (some don't, not saying all); I don't think Americans are fond of that because it's just unethical.
Second many foreigners here are unwilling to adapt to the American lifestyle. By this I mean, they won't try to learn English so that they can communicate with other people here. True, U.S. is a melting pot, but the official language in the United States is English. If they're going to live here, they can at least learn to communicate in our language. I don't mean they have to forsake traditions from their culture and the country they used to live in. If they speak another language besides English, then that would prove to be a great asset to them, so they shouldn't forsake their native tongue. That's why I'm trying to learn Japanese; when in Rome, do as the Romans do. However, if I speak to them in Japanese (their native tongue) and I ask them to speak in English (if they're able) I think that would be the respectful thing to do. I don't think it would be asking a huge request for them to speak in English if they're able because I was respectful enough to speak to them in their language, which made communication easier for them; it works both ways.
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06-13-2007, 10:59 PM
Because to an extent sexism is a problem in Japan. There is the glass ceiling issue. Yes there are some Japanese women who out of choice leave their careers/job because they want to have a husband and raise a family. However, I believe there are Japanese women who put their careers first and desire to go as far as is possible in the career field they chose. However simply because they're female, they can't go any farther; to an extent I believe Japanese men think Japanese women are somehow less capable of doing the job because they're female (they don't think they're smart enough or skilled enough, etc.; these are just examples I can think of, I could be wrong regarding this topic).
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06-14-2007, 06:01 AM
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It`s not "some" women choosing to quit and raise their family. It`s the overwhelming majority. Take, for example, my husband`s company. In the year he was hired, and the two following years, they hired a total of 42 women. (About the same number of men.) The company has a female manager, and there is no "glass ceiling" preventing them from rising up in the ranks. Now, five years later, only EIGHT of those women still work there. ALL the others quit of their own volition within those 5 years. The reasons? "Marriage" and "To raise a child" are the overwhelming choices. There were a couple of women who had medical reasons, and a few who just randomly quit, etc. None were fired. Of the eight remaining, one of them is on my husband`s team, and is getting married next month. The company is trying very very hard to convince her to stay, offering her big bonuses, and literally begging.... She`s an excellent programmer. But she has said that she will most likely be leaving within a couple months of the wedding. This is pretty much the case all over Japan. Women quit - whether the company wants them to or not - when they get married or have children. Because the women *plan* to do this, they don`t WANT a lot of responsibility on their heads to have to feel bad about when they leave. (Which is very responsible of them.) I don`t believe that "women`s rights" has to fit the mold of, say, the US in order to exist. (By the way, out of the 46 men hired during the same 3 year period - only 6 of them have quit.) It does indeed take longer for a company to trust a woman with high-responsiblity work... Because most of the time they only hang around for as long as a "termporary" worker. Temporary workers, regardless of their gender, also aren`t trusted with important long-term work. The company would be stupid to do so. Imagine giving an important project to someone who just decides to leave in the middle of it! But after the woman has married and expressed that she will not be leaving, or the temporary worker becomes a full fledged employee... They are treated the same as any other employee. "smart enough" or "skilled enough" isn`t an issue. It`s the normal rate at which women leave their jobs, regardless of their skill.
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06-14-2007, 07:23 AM
Why do you even care about the status of Japanese women? You're not Japanese. Even if women were treated like complete crap in Japan, you're a gaijin and you wouldn't be treated the same way as a Japanese woman, so you can relax.
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06-18-2007, 02:50 AM
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The problem happening in Japan now is women have become very skilled an independent, and their desire to give up their freedoms as self-sustaining, fun-loving people to raise a family is waning. Twenty years ago there was a term used for single women over 25: "Christmas Cake". No one wants to eat Christmas Cake (a Japanese "tradition") the day after Christmas. Meaning, if you weren't married by the age of 25, you were an old maid. Nowdays that term is completely outdated, and women are waiting until thier 30s to settle down... if they settle down at all. On top of that, the cost of living is so high families are having one child instead of multiple children, and schools are shutting down in droves. There has basically been a hiring-freeze of new public school teachers and kids today can't imagine having a teacher in their 20s. All are basically older men and women. I am not questioning your husband's company's situation. That is a common trend, and maybe the women who are waiting to "settle down" are in the "less-skilled" area. I know salary-men that get three weeks off a year and never use a day, but all the secretaries and office assistants (women) are allowed to use up every day, and with their wages they can go to Guam, Hawaii, Asia, etc... Heck, why would I want to give all that up to sit at home all day while my husband works 12 hours a day and I raise a kid alone?
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06-21-2007, 01:11 PM
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Nyororin, You may have been here for a long time and I only for a short time, but you are still just one gaijin lady living in Japan. There are lots of us out there and we may have different experiences. I personally have seen people in Japan that looked terrified of me and have been denied entry into places simply on being a gaijin. I have seen signs outside of businesses (mostly businesses that I don't want to patonize) that say "Japanese Only." I was also told by someone in my company that it is more difficult to place female ALTs than male ALTs. Less Boards of Education are interested in women. I don't think kawaiineko's fears are completely unfounded. gaijzilla.com
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06-21-2007, 02:09 PM
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However, the quoted bit is DEFINITELY without a doubt wrong. Schools WANT female teachers. They will almost always choose a female teacher over a male. It gets left out of English ads, but they`ll even say it in the original Japanese ones (which I have translated so many of I cannot even begin to count.) In the experience of every non-Japanese I have ever spoken to here... You have 5 times better a chance to be hired if your female - and double that if you`re blonde. Just out of curiosity - What sort of places have you been refused entry to? And under what circumstances?
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06-22-2007, 12:55 AM
[quote=Nyororin;158203]In the experience of every non-Japanese I have ever spoken to here... You have 5 times better a chance to be hired if your female - and double that if you`re blonde.
[quote] This probably is the case for ppl who are trying to be an english teacher in Japan. But for other types of Job especially in the I.T. , men are likely to be hired than female and that is a fact.
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06-22-2007, 03:38 AM
[quote=samokan;158787][quote=Nyororin;158203]In the experience of every non-Japanese I have ever spoken to here... You have 5 times better a chance to be hired if your female - and double that if you`re blonde.
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There are fewer women going into IT, which is part of it, along with their leaving work at the drop of a hat.
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