Marie gives the lowdown on being 'half'

sure she gets by despite being "half".

Mittsu, is that the most intelligent thing you can think of when you see this kind of article ?

i think the worst is when the teachers line-up alongside the bullies and put in their bigoted 2 cents. the poor bi-racial kids in japanese school systems (public, private, etc.) really have nowhere to hide. the best thing their parents can do for them is to teach them a second language and have them educated overseas. children should have to fight the battle for diversity/equality.

correction: children should NOT have to fight the battle for diversity/equality.

They shouldn't HAVE to, but the do.

My mother is from Wales, and my father from Denmark, so I guess I would be classed as 'half', although only by parental nationality. The race of both of my parents falls under the Caucasian umbrella. Being born in England, I never had any issues with this (I mean, why the hell would I!) If I was born in Japan, I would definitely prefer to be of dual racial heritage. Operating on the edge of this society appeals so much more than having to play the game 100%. She is lucky.

I am a "gaijin" and my wife is Japanese, so my son is a "half". Oh, how I hate the use of that word.Better to refer to these children as "of mixed parents" or "bi-racial". My son had quite a few problems with bullies at primary school, but the teaching staff were very supportive. Now he is at a private junior highschool which is very strict and has a zero tolerance for bullying. So, in some ways I guess it depends on the school that you put your children into and the attitudes of the teachers.

It's funny how in Japan everything has a label, even kids of mixed marriages, hence "half". In America, that doesn't really exist, your just an American, funny how that works. Where i come from in NYC and the High School i went to, no one really cared or noticed that you were a "half", that was never an issue.

Its tough and good. Here in Japan, halfs are seen as somewhat unique or exotic (well when they are older anyway) but in other Asian countries it is viewed with some aprehension. A good mate of mine was half oriental and half white and he had a bit of a tough time at school. Kids are cruel in any country so its just not Japan. I think Marie has had it quite easy here but she is definitely not the best looking of the lot.

Oh, ハーフ not ニューハーフ. With a movie with a name like "Crossing Over" I thought she was half something else.. (until I read the second two paragraphs)

My kids aren't half, they're double and if I choose to move and raise them in a third culture, they'll be triple. Definitely won't school them in Japan because, apart from the racism, the education system is so bad (I know it ranks highly in the world, but I wonder how much of that is down to self-assessment).

This is why my kids are in private school, which sounds so ritzy but it's just a better alternative to public. I was not going to put my kids through Junior High here. It's a positive as well as a negative, and if your kids realize that they'll be okay. Push the positives, teach them to respect and love both countries, and ignore anyone who says, "You smell like an American!" (as my daughter was told once).

I got the same crap when I went to live in New Zealand (from America) as a child, so it's not really a racial thing but more of a linguistic/identity thing.

definitely not the best looking of the lot.

No kidding. Why couldn't Marie turn out to be as hot as Maia Ozawa (another French Canadian hafu).

texashog, never beard the terms Chinese-American, Italian-American. etc?? Japan is the only country in the world with bullying. You guys rip on there with the Japan bashing and sweeping generalisations. Plenty of articles out there in space about "half" kids that got bullied in the USA.

In America, that doesn't really exist, your just an American

If that's true, where do all those African-American/Hispanic/Irish American etc etc labels come from? Why all the fuss about your president if he's 'just an American'?

My kids have never had any problems with their ethnicity. They, and the people around them, just get on with it.

My kids are not "half", they are "double"...

The term 'half' is a racist expression implying that someone is only half Japanese and half of something else and then you get idiotic news sites like this splashing the expression around as a news headline.

That boils my chicken when i am with my daughter walking through the malls and people say in japanese...oh look there is a half!! What a pathetic term to describe someone of mixed nationality. Maybe if she was half human and half animal the term would fit.....but holy cow when will japan come up with a new phrase. Look into the future and the term 'half' will be seen as a racist remark. Pretty much like the words we aren't allowed to use today to describe people of various ethnic backgrounds. As for bullying.....my daughter is a aikido black belt so that should be fun for the person doing the bullying.

Plenty of people refer to themselves as "half-French" or "a quarter-British" in English. But wait this is about Japan, so let GET JAPAN BASHING!!!!!!!!!!!

My daughter went to public junior/senior high school private university; son did the opposite, private junior/senior high, public university. There was the same amount of racism (or rather, lack of it) in both systems.

interesting how schools never tell the parents of bullies: "stop being such a racist. and while your at it, tell your kid that he/she is a racist and they should stop too". racism isn't grounds for expulsion but, it should be. even better, not only expulsion from the school but, the entire school board.

what gives people like that the right to deny other's an education/friendship/athletic activities. maybe they could create a separate school system for racists/bullies only. that way the little rats could tear each other to bits.

No kidding. Why couldn't Marie turn out to be as hot as Maia Ozawa (another French Canadian hafu).

I thought it was Maria Ozawa and she is hot.

@texashog-that is awesome you did not have to put up with that. In FL, there was all types of racism if you did not look full white or black. Racism everywhere, no point saying it is just in one place.

What is funny is how most of you all posting are not even "half". You only think you know what your child might be experiencing, but I tell you, they are not telling you everything and "half, mixed or double" whatever the hell you want to call us, go through a great deal more. If your kids got lucky, more power to em, but do not dismiss the other kids who were not so lucky and can not help their situation.

These kids like Marie who grew up with a silver spoon did not even experience close to what me and some of my friends grew up with.

Well it might sucks to be "half" but some people have made a whole career out of being half. I saw a TV program the other day had Marie and some other girl (Maria? but not Ozawa unfortunately!) and they are both models are were basically selected for the program due to their "halfness". A couple of the news announcers as well getting good benefit from their uniqueness so its not that bad for some people I guess.

As a whole, why is everyone so against being recognized as a "half" (or "a green man" or "alien") when it doesnt benefit them but not when they get some special benefit or opportunity from it? Rather than redoing the whole "half" vs. "double" argument again, why dont people have a uniqueness focus on how they can use that to their advantage? As always you are what you are inside, not what someone calls you.

P.S. Maria Ozawa isnt HALF anything...she is ALL a lot of things :-)

P.S. Maria Ozawa isnt HALF anything...she is ALL a lot of things :-)

So very true...

@Blacklabel-I never said it sucked to be half, just got treated bad and I know other people who have been too. Now, as an adult, no problems. Got to take the good with the bad, though I rather wish I had not experienced the bad.

Yeah I didnt word that right, I meant to say it might suck AT TIMES to be half. But it also has its positive aspects as well, allows people to fit into more than one culture and comes with additional opportunities that some people (even Maria Ozawa) have found a way to capitalize on.

I sympathize about anyone getting treated bad for any characteristic not directly related to who they are as a person. But if it isnt being "half" its going to be your clothes or your economic status or your height or weight, always something to be bullied about, few people can say they have been immune to that social problem as children or even as adults.

Plenty of people refer to themselves as "half-French" or "a quarter-British" in English. But wait this is about Japan, so let GET JAPAN BASHING!!!!!!!!!!!

You just answered your own point. The Japanese don't bother finding out whether someones child is half-French or half-British. They just label a child as half. There lies the huge difference in attitude.

Japan doesn't teach racism in school because they don't believe it to exist in Japan.

@Blacklabel-totally agree. I would also love to capitalize on Maria Ozawa.

No kidding. Why couldn't Marie turn out to be as hot as Maria Ozawa (another French Canadian hafu).

Because the parents aren't always cute. Being half doesn't make you attractive. Blame the parents for their selection of the ones they love.

Because the parents aren't always cute. Being half doesn't make you attractive. Blame the parents for their selection of the ones they love.

I have seen some pretty people with ugly kids and vice versa...but then all we are talking about is hate. We have to love them for what they do, like Maria Ozawa. lol.

I enjoy being different, not only in Japan. It has nothing to do with what others think.

Haffu's rock! Mt daughter is a haffu and she's the most gorgeous kid in town at the moment.

I had a big argument with my mates last year about the usage of this term.

My conclusion were:

1/ The term 'haffu' - as in 'half' is used because it is likely the most accurate description of a child in this country who is obviously not fully Japanese and for which is it difficult or impossible to ascertain just what the other half (or quarter) is.

2/ 'S/he is half-[fill in the name of the nationality]' would most likely be used IF the speaker knew what the other half was, which is not likely to be the case if a mixed child is observed from afar.

Northlondon - "The term 'half' is a racist expression implying that someone is only half Japanese and half of something else and then you get idiotic news sites like this splashing the expression around as a news headline."

That's rubbish. I'm half-British and that's an accurate reflection of my heritage. And as I hinted in my above post, I can use the term 'British' because I, as the speaker, am aware of what that half is.

If I was not aware of a subject's other half, what do you say without risking being wrong?

See my point?

If the speaker does not know what the other half of a person's nationality is, they can't say it. They have to know it before they can say it.

IMHO 'Haffu' is the most convenient expression to use in this case.

The term 'half' is a racist expression implying that someone is only half Japanese and half of something else

It's not a racist term... the word 'half' isn't generally used in a derogatory way at all

It's not different from people back in England saying that someone is 'mixed race'

Northlondon - "The Japanese don't bother finding out whether someones child is half-French or half-British. They just label a child as half. There lies the huge difference in attitude."

Good grief, talk about paranoid.

"The Japanese don't bother finding out whether someones child is half-French or half-British."

That is a huge and gross generalization. Japanese will find out if they can. If there is a mixed kid living next door to a Japanese family, that family will soon find out that the kid is 'half African' or 'half Canadian' or whatever and refer to it as such if asked.

Otherwise, as I stressed in my above post, how can you label something when you don't know what the label is?

You can't say s/he is 'half-French' if you don't know s/he is half-French.

I'm glad you do not refer to yourself as a double there SushiSake3. In fact, I have never even heard of that until I got on this site. I do not refer to myself as double, I refer to myself as mixed or half. Who came up with double? We may be half one nationality, but we still have one blood type, one heart and one mind. (Is that a song, lol.) Really, where did double come from?

IchyaWarFare, the term 'double' refers to children of mixed heritage being of 2 worlds or 2 cultures.

I think 'half' is more accurate as a kid can't live in 2 countries and be raised in 2 cultures simultaneously - they get bits of both cultures, certainly not all of both.

And, calling your kid a 'double' is a feel-good tactic, too, but it's not exactly accurate IMHO.

Yeah and plus if your kid is now a "double" then that makes ME a half then because I am only a single compared to their double. So now I feel the way that they say they are trying to avoid by calling themselves double in the first place? .... Ahhhhhh my brain is about to explode- help me Maria Ozawa :-)

White people who cry racism when a local calls their kid something they perceive as racist or go around complaining about a racist language they don't speak/understand that well. Much worse words to be called in English and Japanese for sure.

My kids are human beings, aw, love and peace for us all...........

@sushisake3

You may not think being haafu is racist but is can be seeing as politically incorrect. Do you think it is appropriate to call anyone haafu because they looked mixed and you don't know the other heritage? What if the person is a 1/4, 3/8 or 1/16. You can't always tell percentages by appearance. It depends on the dominance of physical traits. President Obama is half and even though people within the African American community would probably be able to identify he is of mixed heritage. Most Caucasians didn't know his mother was Caucasian until his book. They just assumed his was only African American. If you look at Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, he is half because his mother is Polynesian and his father is Black. Alot of people including his fans don't know that.

Three years ago I met a Japanese family at a shopping center in Chiba. I met the husband with daughter first and she looked like a normal ehtnic Japanese girl. Then her mom came and she was quite exotic. Her physical features were all Japanese. The difference was she was almost 5'11 with natural dark red hair and emerald green eyes. All natural! If you see her you would say wow then haafu. Problem is she is only a 1/4 Caucasian. See the problem here?

@Sushisake,

Don't forget about the couples who are multi-racial on both sides of the family. Once you start getting into the percentages other than 50%, then the expression is definitely not appropriate.

biglittleman- you keep judging Japan by Western standards there pal, as that makes perfect sense. Most mixed Japanese are "haafu" not 23% or 1% anything- when their society becomes more ethnically diverse their language will develop to reflect that.

Back in the USA I'm certain mixed kids were called by politically correct/neutral terms in the early days. People complex idea here stop judging Japan by your own ideas of "culture" and "race." haafu isn't a racist or negative word here, stop imagining that it is, to suit your own ideas of being persecuted/discriminated against here.

Woooo, wait a minute. Why did "white people" have to be dragged into this? Why don't you just refer to them/us as "anglos." And I don't agree. Half to me sounds predjudice. I've been here since before the term was used and when it was introduced, I didn't like the sound. But the recent fiasco of the African female runner who wins the race and is questioned as to really being a female or not, gives another possible meaning to the word "half." What do you think?

Do you think it is appropriate to call anyone haafu because they looked mixed and you don't know the other heritage? ..... It depends on the dominance of physical traits. President Obama is half....

Yet people quite happily call him African-American, and they don't get called racist for doing so. And Tiger Woods is the world's first successful Black golfer. Ditto.

biglittleman - "What if the person is a 1/4, 3/8 or 1/16. You can't always tell percentages by appearance."

It works both ways. I know a Californian who looks Caucasian, sounds Californian, was born in Californa but if you called him (fully) American, you would be wrong as he is actually part Italian.

There's no way to know on observation.

I stick with my point - you cannot state a nationality if you do not know that nationality.

'Haffu' is the most convenient expression and if some want to cry 'racism' that's their decision. Not everyone will agree with them.

Being haffu myself and had been raised in Japan..the term "ainu-ko" was used alot. Being half Japanese in Japan IS NOT enough with others who are full bred japanese - .^ - BUT Marie should realize that she( and others like us) has a special feature that gives Half Japanese/ half caucasian that makes us all EXOTIC and UNIQUE amongst the Full Japanese population that try to be like a caucasian person ( Blonde hair, white color facial makeup, etc. ) Stand up Marie... whne we are young, we are different B UT that s because we have something they want to be or share. We are unique.

Blacklabel - "Yeah and plus if your kid is now a "double" then that makes ME a half then because I am only a single compared to their double."

That logic actually flies. :-)

Hang on, I'm already a 'double', so does that make my haffu daughter a 'triple'? :-)

bgaudry,

You seem to be doing the same thing too. I just gave you an example of Japanese woman who isn't haafu but a quarter. There are a good percentage of Japanese who are multi-racial (not 50%)whether it is African, Ainu, Korean, Chinese, European or Filipino. Most of them have chose to hide it, or not discuss because during there time being multi-racial in Japan was a lot harder than now. You may not have noticed it.

I look forward to the day when the rest of the world catches up with nations like America and Brazil.These two societies are probably the closest to being post-racial.

"haafu" is as racial as you can get. It signifies something less than full blooded Japanese. The old term in the US was "half-breed" in reference to a person who has mixed heritage. The problem in Japan is that this racial term has become accepted as the norm, which is even worse. It means that racism has become the norm rather than the exception.

bgaudry,

I never said it was racists but I do feel there is a better word to reflect the situation. There shouldn't be any excuses. If anything, a country that is becoming heterogeneous now should be better prepared and make fewer mistakes than countries before them. It is like you being better off than your parents and grandparents because you make fewer mistakes.

Until parent adopts Japanese nationality (like spouse) then surely the child is half Japanese? Logical, no?

tokyochris, why label someone like Marie a 'half' in the first place ? Why not call her Marie ? By calling someone a half you are separating them from the rest. Do you think Japanese TV labels Ken Watanabe as 'Japanese Ken Watanabe' ? Or Namie Amuro as 'Japanese Namie Amuro' ?

Americana and Brazilians have one nationality in general. Apples and oranges here friends.

@sushisake3

It works both ways. I know a Californian who looks Caucasian, sounds Californian, was born in Californa but if you called him (fully) American, you would be wrong as he is actually part Italian.

You are talking about location when I am discussing Ethnicity. Californian isn't an ethnicity.

She is hot! I love you MARIE!! Go half chicks go!

biglittleman - sorry, but if you read my post againm you will see I mention 'American.'

I read this everyday and get tired of comments about "the Japanese." But then this issue comes up and people start extolling the diversity of Japan and how haafu doesn't reflect Japan and it's citizens. Your little mixed race kids are as part of "the Japanese" as they are of your own nationality-isn't this the crux of this issue, having two nationalities- these kids are not fully Japanese as one parent usually has another nationality.

Brazilians/Americans maybe have parents from other countries, but their nationality if usually Brazilian or American. race is mixed in there for sure, but it is different from the situation in immigrant based countries and thus can't be judged by the same standards.

My kids aren't "half" They aren't "double"

They are "better"

cleo at 04:43 PM JST - 25th August

Do you think it is appropriate to call anyone haafu because they looked mixed and you don't know the other heritage? ..... It depends on the dominance of physical traits. President Obama is half....

Yet people quite happily call him African-American, and they don't get called racist for doing so. And Tiger Woods is the world's first successful Black golfer. Ditto.

@Cleo,

The way you edited my text it has a totally different meaning than what I said above. If someone mixed race but would prefer to be acknowledged as only one of their heritages that is fine. If they choose to be called mixed race that is cool too. those description wouldn't be wrong. If someone is called haafu simply because they look mixed when they don't know the heritages or the percentages isn't politically correct. It is like me calling all Asian people Japanese because I don't know for sure where they are from.

Better to refer to these children as "of mixed parents" or "bi-racial".

Careful wot you wish for, as it might be abbreviated to "bi".

biglittleman - "It is like me calling all Asian people Japanese because I don't know for sure where they are from."

That's the exact opposite of the way Japanese use the term 'haffu.'

So before I talk to anyone I have to make sure I know their complete family history. Got it.

"So Uncle Jakob was a Jew from Jordan when it was a British mandate, so that makes you......................." Isn't this the whole point? Idiots who bandy haafu around are behind the rest of us, give them time to catch up. They really don't mean any offence by it, so don't stress it.

bgaudry - "So before I talk to anyone I have to make sure I know their complete family history."

No.

tokyochris, why label someone like Marie a 'half' in the first place ? Why not call her Marie ?

The Japanese people don't call her 'haafu Marie'... I have no idea where you get that notion from? In the article, it's Marie that refers to herself by that term

If someone is called haafu simply because they look mixed when they don't know the heritages or the percentages isn't politically correct.

Isn't that exactly what you said happened with Obama?

Do you think Japanese TV labels Ken Watanabe as 'Japanese Ken Watanabe' ? Or Namie Amuro as 'Japanese Namie Amuro' ?

Amuro is a quarter, for what it's worth.

-isn't this the crux of this issue, having two nationalities

My kids have Japanese nationality, only (you have to choose when you gain your majority). They're both still gloriously and beautifully haaf, though.

@SushiSake3

It works both ways. I know a Californian who looks Caucasian, sounds Californian, was born in Californa but if you called him (fully) American, you would be wrong as he is actually part Italian.

Once again, American isn't an Ethnicity it is a location. What exactly is an American? Native, Anglo, Mexican or Asian etc... Your example doesn't work because Italians for the most part are still considered Caucasian despite their dark features.

Is it Ok, for me to call all Asian people I come across in the US or throughout Asia Japanese just because I'm not sure where they are from? That is the same as your logic behind using the term haafu.

I could see the problem if we were talking about cases where there is a lack of opportunities because of someone not being 100% Japanese, that is a racial type problem. But in the specific case we are discussing and the case of many others who pop up on my TV daily, people are getting MORE opportunities than "a regular foreigner" simply because they have a non-Japanese name and Mommy or Daddy isnt Japanese.

Marie said it in the interview, she got bullied "because she looked different and had a non-Japanese name". Well NOW she is a model and on TV constantly because.......she looks different and has a non-Japanese name.

:-)

@cleo

Isn't that exactly what you said happened with Obama?

There may have been an error in my typing thus you might be confused with my meaning. My point was you can't always tell who is mixed or not. Just like you can't tell the percentages (50/50) so the term haafu isn't appropriate as a general term because there is so much room for error and the potential to offend. That is when I gave the examples of President Obama, The Rock and my Japanese friend.

The term 'haffu' - as in 'half' is used because it is likely the most accurate description of a child in this country who is obviously not fully Japanese and for which is it difficult or impossible to ascertain just what the other half (or quarter) is.

SushiSake, I don't see what your great fascination is with needing to label a person and ascertain where they are from ? When you meet people in life why can't you just ask them what their name is ? "For which it is difficult or impossible to ascertain just what the other half (or quarter) is" ? What, is this a biology experiment or something ?

For all you uneducated people and parents here who accept the word 'haafu' in Japanese society as if it is a cute little pet name that you give to your poodle or something, you need to know that this expression was created by sad Japanese TV producers looking for an angle to sell their announcers and talents and models with mixed-race heritage. If you accept it, then you are just dropping your trousers in acceptance of some fat, rich TV producer.

I realize it's part of our natural, biological makeup to judge based on appearances, but it surely is a sad indictment that after how many years of alleged 'evolution', we're still so hung up on these sorts of divisive, unproductive arguments.

In the end, it should always be about the character and heart of a person, shouldn't it?

P.S. For those who either have encountered discriminatory or prejudicial bias based on their ethnicity, or have children currently experiencing it, I feel for you. Hopefully at some point, we can all learn to look beyond this. It doesn't appear that things will change for a very long time yet, however.

Being haffu myself and had been raised in Japan..the term "ainu-ko" was used alot.

Ichiroll, the word you're thinking of is "ai-no-ko" (mixed child). It has nothing to do with the Ainu, though there are many mixed Ainu-Yamato people who also struggle with bullying.

Or are you part-Ainu yourself?

I don't see how the term 'half' is offensive, moreso it's just another English word poorly adopted into Japanese use. You also have to remember that any foreign expression longer than four syllables is going to be cut down for ease of use. Rihabiri, remokon etc. Half-Japanese, Half-French aint going to cut it here.

Anyway surely the issue with 'haafu' isn't the expression used, but the exclusivity of it.

@bgaudry

Until parent adopts Japanese nationality (like spouse) then surely the child is half Japanese? Logical, no?

That logic doesn't make sense.

1)If I get married and become a national then that means I'm full Japanese. So my child is now full Japanese?

2) There are Brazilian-Japanese who are not 50/50 (haafu) they do look Japanese. Why would you call them haafu when they are only 1/4 Japanese. Even less than 1/4 when add the African, Native, Latin with the Japanese.

There are Brazilian-Japanese who are not 50/50 (haafu) they do look Japanese. Why would you call them haafu when they are only 1/4 Japanese. Even less than 1/4 when add the African, Native, Latin with the Japanese.

(not a pop at your reply biglittleman, wanted to use this to reply in general)

I think people need to realise that 'haafu' doesn't actually mean 50% in this case.... it's just a word that's been taken from English to mean "of mixed heritage"

tokyochris -- please clarify your last sentence? Respectfully, I can agree with you that getting angry about a word, like haafu or gaijin, may not be a good use of someone's time. However, the fact that such words are often times used as rationale here among many Japanese to justify prejudice and bad behavior is worth getting angry about. So long as that kind of structural bigotry exists, Japan will never take its rightful place among the world's great countries.

Why not just say "part-" like "Are you part-Italian?"

@Tokyochris,

I'm not taking it personal. For country, that is suppose to be meticulous when it comes to detail. I would assume they wouldn't use an inaccurate term for people of mixed heritage. I mean half only means 1/2 not 3/8 or 1/16.

Lostrune2,

I like part!

kind of feel for her... my mother is Chinese and my father is Japanese and since their divorce 20 years ago, I have been living in Indonesia. I disagree with the people who says "bullying a half" is only in Japan. I was bullied pretty hard during my elementary and junior high here in Jakarta, either as a Chinese or a Japanese and sadly my teachers sided with them. Every mistake I did they would say "How come you're so stupid? are you really Japanese?" and every time I scored an A they would cynically say "Of course you got an A, you're Japanese". <br>As a guy once said in an episode of Criminal Minds "Wouldn't it be great if IT didn't matter?"

Why not just say "part-" like "Are you part-Italian?"

Yes, yes, yes.

Northlondon- "For all you uneducated people and parents here who accept the word 'haafu' in Japanese society as if it is a cute little pet name that you give to your poodle or something, you need to know that this expression was created by sad Japanese TV producers looking for an angle to sell their announcers and talents and models with mixed-race heritage. If you accept it, then you are just dropping your trousers in acceptance of some fat, rich TV producer."

That's really funny. :-)

Why not 'Mikusu' (mix)?

TokyoChris - "I think people need to realise that 'haafu' doesn't actually mean 50% in this case.... it's just a word that's been taken from English to mean "of mixed heritage"

Thank you! That's exactly what my (Japanese) wife said earlier.

Northlondon - "SushiSake, I don't see what your great fascination is with needing to label a person and ascertain where they are from ?"

Sometimes ethnic labelling is necessary.

I have a different take about foreigners who cry racism and have issues with certain words used in Japanese culture - I think that in some cases, foreigners' outcry over usage of words like this is a symptom of the foreigner's frustration at not being able to fit into Japanese society, and their outcry is an expression of that frustration.

Two cents worth; 1/2 is always less than 2/2. 1/2 plus 1/2 is 2/2, so calling the sum "half" is incorrect. It can be understood how so many come to see the use of 1/2 when directed at a child (the sum: 2/2) of two parents of two different races (but the equals fractions 1/2 plus 1/2) as wrong and racist.

The child is a whole person, not 1/2 anything and there in lies the problem. 1/2 is always less than 2/2 and can never be equal to or more than it.

Japanese use the term "half" purposely as an expression of being "less than whole" or "not entirely" Japanese, therefore less.

Japanese may see "being 1/2" as exotic or intriguing but it is still racist. The point is that　they don't (and most can't) see it as such.

OK it was a little more than 2 cents worth.

tokyochris -- please clarify your last sentence?

What I meant is that there isn't really any other way that Japanese people CAN explain these kinds of people... The whole 'mixed race' concept is still a relatively new concept here in Japan in comparison to other nations so they possible don't have a term for it (please correct me if I'm wrong - I won't pretend to be a master of Japanese!)

Although it CAN be used in a derogatory way, it isn't defined (nor generally used) in that way... it's the same as saying 'half-caste' in English - it CAN be offensive, but it doesn't actually mean anything bad by itself

bigwave - "Japanese use the term "half" purposely as an expression of being "less than whole" or "not entirely" Japanese, therefore less."

Be careful - "not entirely" Japanese" is correct in terms of haffu.

I do not buy that automatic-sounding assumption that haffu are "therefore less."

TokyoChris has a very mature understanding of the term haffu. It is not a derogatory term as some like to spin it, it does not mean the haffu is 'less than whole'; it is a term used to specify a person who is not entirely Japanese when the non-Japanese blood is not known.

Would people who dislike the term 'haffu' be Ok with 'Mikusu' (mix)?

The H word would set my wife off (Japanese) when used in front of her to describe our son. The propsect of school bulllying and knowledge of what the staff would not do, was one large reaosn why our son has spent the last 12 of his 18 years on this planet in the United States.

By labling these children and not accepting then as an asset, Japan is squandering a valuable resource.

Stepping back a bit, I think it's great we are splitting hairs over what a particular word means in Japanese society.

It really shows just how lucky most of us are living in this country.

We are not discussing whose house got torched last night or who was carjacked in the weekend as we might be if we were living in South Africa, for example...no, some people on this thread are getting upset over the use of what is essentially....a collection of letters.

Really, some people just have no idea how good they've got it......... :-)

@TokyoChris,

What I meant is that there isn't really any other way that Japanese people CAN explain these kinds of people...

That sounds like a very weak excuse. Japanese people aren't children despite behaving like one sometimes. There are quite a few katakana words they can be used just like haafu.

I bet there are people in other ethnic minorities in this country who are pointing at their screens, incredulous that there is a bunch of white people living in Japan who are getting emotional about ....a word.

As I said, some people just have no idea how good they've got it......... :-)

@Sushisake3

TokyoChris - "I think people need to realise that 'haafu' doesn't actually mean 50% in this case.... it's just a word that's been taken from English to mean "of mixed heritage"

Thank you! That's exactly what my (Japanese) wife said earlier.

I just asked my Japanese friends what Haafu means. They said for example when one parent is Japanese and the other is Gaijin. I asked what about if one grandparent is Gaijin? They paused and thought about it and said mixed! That just shows haafu isn't a good choice.

Ask your wife what would she call Namie Amuro because they are 1/4. Would she call them haafu? My friends said mixed.

biglittleman - thanks for your question.

She thinks 'mixusu' (mix) would be more appropriate.

'mikusu' is the new polite term used to describe a mongrel dog. I prefer haaf for people.

By labling these children and not accepting then as an asset, Japan is squandering a valuable resource

Who says Japanese children of mixed (Japanese + something else) parentage are 'not accepted as an asset'?

SushiSake is right - some people have no idea how good they've got it.

@cleo

Why not bi-racial? Or "part" like someone said earlier? Your kids might be haafu but other multi-racial people are not half anything.

Cleo - "'mikusu' is the new polite term used to describe a mongrel dog. I prefer haaf for people."

Thanks for that. I wasn't aware of that definition.

Really, life must be getting tough in Japan for certain segments of the foreign population.

Honestly, this thread is getting embarrassing. :-)

Part of the problem here (as explained by my Japanese wife) is that English-speaking foreigners are directly translating the borrowed term 'haffu' to think it actually means 'half', as in hanbun, 50:50, 2 ethnic backgrounds and no more than 2.

It actually means mixed blood. Japanese do not make such a direct translation.

As someone who lived the same sort of childhood as Marie let me say that the "problems" will stop when this becomes more common. Just as in the states it wasn't all that common to be bi racial at one time; now it is becoming more and more common and accepted. Give the people of Japan who don't like it time, they will get over it. I will say though, I didn't have too many problems growing up...I was made fun of more because I was clumsy and wore glasses; two things that could have happened even if I were full Japanese.

Growing up in Japan when your half Japanese and half something else can be very tough. I know it was for Anza Oyama, she was really famous for a while as the star of the Sailor Moon musicals, which were very popular.

Her Dad is Japanese and her mother is South African, and she also went through a lot of bullying. She told me that the other kids absolutely hated her because she could speak English fairly well at the time. I also read an interview she did where she said that the other kids tried to burn down her house. That goes way beyond bullying.

Hopefully, nothing that bad ever happened to that Marie girl.

Wouldn't the Japanese just be better off using their own language instead of borrowing touchy words that they then pretend to say aren't offensive ( FACT:words that are offensive to the listener are offensive, despite intent). try 混血児 【こんけつじ】which is a mixed race person. That way the only people who get pissed off are people who consider it rude to talk about personal characteristics if you aren't that intimate. Then again if you can't take the fact that certain 混血児 do stand out and will be made aware of it, maybe you should take yourself and your kids away.

FACT:words that are offensive to the listener are offensive, despite intent

Everything is offensive to someone; where do you draw the line? Easy, what reasonable people would find offensive.

I think people get too hung up on words. I come from a very mongrelized family and a goodly proportion of my friends are also of mixed blood. We don't really spend much time on what to call each other, because it's just not that important in the end. Intent is, though.

Everything is offensive to someone; where do you draw the line?

simple: use neutral words until you know someone well enough so they know your intent, otherwise you are putting yourself at risk at being misunderstood. Kinda like most social situations really.

pawatan - very good post.

I'm also wondering about the foreigners who are getting so worked up about it.

It's just a word - get over it.

In discussing the term "haffu" as a way to describe someone of mixed heritage, I think we have to take into account the Japanese tendency to shorten Western words or phrases when mixing them into everyday language. "Ice cream" is shortened to "cream" (which still screws me up to this day). "Email" is shortened to "mail." "Haffu" is simply a way of saying "half-japanese," with the Japanese part implied rather than spoken. If you find it offensive, I would suggest you tell whoever you're talking to that you find it to be an offensive label, then suggest a term you find more appropriate. "I'm sorry, I'd rather not be called a half. It makes me uncomfortable. My mother was Brazilian, my father was Japanese, and I'm me." Educate the people you interact with, get them thinking about how they perceive the people around them, and you've laid the groundwork for understanding.

If you worry about your children being bullied in school, I would recommend you speak to the school principal and your child's teacher and express your concerns. Join the PTA; get to know the parents of the children who will be going to school with your son or daughter. Teach your child that having a diverse racial and ethnic lineage is something to be proud of, and send them off to school with confidence in themselves. Nothing deflates a bully faster than when the target of their teasing doesn't give a flying fig about their opinion. :) And remember, while children can be very cruel to anyone they perceive as "different," they can also be incredibly open to new thoughts, experiences, and ideas. Teach the younger generation that there's nothing wrong with "Marie," or "Manuel," or "Anna," and that's half the battle won.

As time passes and more people from other countries begin to settle in Japan, you'll see the attitude of "half = strange" start to fade. Japan was incredibly insular for thousands of years, and it's only in the last century or so that it's started to open up. The more multi-cultural residents get active in their communities, the easier that acceptance will become. You can't expect attitudes to change overnight, but you CAN expect them to change. Living through the growing pains is a hassle, and sometimes very painful, but you can look forward to a much better future as a result. :)

I come from L.A. California. Land of mixed races. Growing up when talking about somebody that was mixed or half. We just said that guy/girl is mixed or half white or black or whatever race they were.

I don't think it's that big of a deal. There are more important issues out there.

SushiSake3: You don't see the contradiction of your own words?

"bigwave - "Japanese use the term "half" purposely as an expression of being "less than whole" or "not entirely" Japanese, therefore less."

Be careful - "not entirely" Japanese" is correct in terms of haffu."

"It actually means mixed blood. Japanese do not make such a direct translation."

OK, so half doesn't mean not whole but half still isn't equal to whole?

Right....got it...I think...not.

Japanese do understand the meaning of "mixed" "pure" and "half" and they know what they mean when they use such words.

Just like they understand when they say "You are not a Japanese so you would not understand."

It is interesting that biglittleman wrote: "Ask your wife what would she call Namie Amuro because they are 1/4. Would she call them haafu? My friends said mixed."

Every Japanese I know one would say she is an "Okinawan".

BTW, you do know how the average "Japanese" views an "Okinawan".

ABTW, I didn't know there is more than one Nami-chan!

haafu is haafu, my kids are and I don't find that a loaded term really. If you are that oversensitive or your children are than they will certainly be targets for bullying. She defintely looks more caucasian to my eye although I'm guessing her hair is bleached. Anyway good for her that she came out of the bullying and had the chance to live abroad.

I can't believe the people on this thread complaining on the term Half. 1) The terms been around for ages. 2) Half is a compliment. Japanese people only wished they were half white.

I was born and raised in Japan as a half. I only got beat up twice in elementary for being half white. Once when I was walking down the street someone came up and punched me. Another time someone came up to me and kicked me. Besides that everything was good for me. I was always the center of attention, had a lot of friends, etc. etc. It's not the half people who get's it hard in Japan. It's the half people with no self-confidence, no pride, halfs who are self conscious who have it hard in Japan.

My parents didn't treat me differently than the rest. They never told me about me being half. They never stressed that life is going to be hard, because it wasn't. Like any other Japanese I went to Obon, went to the temples and shrines, spent new years with my japanese family, and to me this was all natural. I ate oshinko, nukazuke, nattou, fish in the morning. I also did all the american stuff too. My dad put Santa Clause on the roof of my small Japanese house, he collected sodaigomi so my house was always full of garbage, 4th of July fireworks, etc. etc. I experienced being Half Japanese Half white just by practicing the culture of both countries.

Anyways, I'm getting really off topic here, its early in the morning, got a lot of work to do, so for any of you complaining about what Japanese people say, get outta Japan, or else learn to accept.

To Thontaddeo: Oba chan was originally from northern Hokkaido. Yes i know the term ai no ko, but I heard it said ai nu ko. This was a term used for those that married a US military personnel way back then in the late 40 -50s. It was a derogatory term . BUt I do know I was thought I was cute and had been borrowed alot by MOM's friends while she worked at the Base NCO Clubs. So being Half has its merits and we are unique. Now, you really cant see if I "look" half (hehehe). Now I have a daughter who is a Quarter-Japanese. We are cute 4ever.

Plenty of people refer to themselves as "half-French" or "a quarter->British" in English. But wait this is about Japan, so let GET JAPAN >BASHING!!!!!!!!!!! You just answered your own point. The Japanese don't bother finding out >whether someones child is half-French or half-British. They just label a >child as half. There lies the huge difference in attitude.

That's obviously because of the racial difference. Big difference between being half-J/half-caucasian and half-J/half-non-J asian. Are the latter even called "haafu"?

Here's an idea, from a person much more intelligent the I:

"Judge people by content of character, not skin color." - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Literally,there are millions of women in America and Japan who wished they looked like Marie and had this predicament. Cry me a river.

Man, I leave for a little bit and there is this much fuss. I was just trying to bring up Maria Ozawa, but meh. Some of you all are just too sensitive.

@bigwave-thank you for pointing out that she is Okinawan. I was gonna post it, but I had to read over the crap to make sure no one else did and thank you for it.

Wow, this topic always brings out everyone! Someone mentioned a few weeks ago on a similar topic that we are actually all "half", aren't we? Half Mum and half Dad. No matter where they came from. My daughter is officially "haafu" but hearing the term doesn't really bother me. I don't think the term is going to go away so get over it. It's a bit like those who think the term "gaijin" is derogatory. Maybe it is, but that's how it is. There are many more important things to fester about!

gogogo

I reckon "mixed" sounds even worse! It definitely sounds like it describes some doggies. "Mixed" has a kind of "mixed up" feel to it... e.g. the results got mixed. It almost implies a mistake of some sort!

Can you name a country that doesn't think it is better than every other country?

Like I said before Japanese don't know what racism is, they just think >they are better than everyone else naturally and are not talking down to >the "half" race or gaijin...

What a remarkably racist comment. LOL

Good_Jorb: They are not ignorant, they are not taught it in school or anywhere else, there is no real political correctness in Japan because Japan is homogeneous.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan

"Japanese society is linguistically and culturally homogeneous with small populations of foreign workers"

You might also want to check this out for an interesting read:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_issues_in_Japan

They are not ignorant, they are not taught it in school or anywhere else, there is no real political correctness in Japan because Japan is homogeneous.

Really, so you are saying that no where in Japan is there a Japanese person who has the ability to understand the concept of racism because it wasn't taught to them. The concept of racism is common sense, I would say that there are definitely some if not a lot(notice the use of the qualifier) of people in Japan, who may not understand what they are saying in racist but I difinitely wouldn't say that of all Japanese. Some know that they are being racist and others aren't racist at all.

Saying Japanese are X is as the same as saying Gaijin or mixed race people are X, both ignorant.

haafu is as haafu does

I'm haafu, or so my J-mother would always tell me. What bothers me is that after having arrived in Japan, they keep you asking 'are you Nikkei' then I tell myself, I suppose so, since nikkei means something to do with Japan and the Japanese. Then it goes further, are you Nissei? What the heck, I'm not 2nd generation of Japanese, I reply. I'm half/or both of Japanese and Latin ethnicities. Then they say they are not sure and will shiraberu. Give me a break. The Japanese are the last people you would want to ask about their race and its ramifications. It amazes me their ignorance about this and their language, among many other things of importance. Some can be quite rude too, as many know. I think I will put a tattoo on my forehead 'NOT NISSEI'.

In Japan people put too much emphasis and judgement on what you look from the outside. Half is fine, but the bottom line is what you are on the inside. Your character, ethics, respect, values, family, etc. If you have good traits and upbringings, these will shine beyond the outside visual package. Life is a long haul and your behavior determines how friendships will survive. No matter how attractive you look, outside gets ugly and old after while if you have bad manners and habits.

The term is useless technically. All Japanese people are mixed blood. Do we call some people 3/4s or .8. Its ridiculous. There are no pure races as DNA testing has shown now. Japanese are mixed Korean and Chinese. The Japanese government wants to promote the purity of the race, especially during the bad old days before WW2, but now even the emperor admits he has Korean ancestry.

So again the term is useless. And it is used in a derogatory manner as if the half Japanese were not the same as the pure Japanese, which does not exist.

The comparisons to the USA are also useless. No American would say he is a half American no matter what his ethnicity. You are an American by law, by citizenship. Ethic background is only part of a casual conversation about where your folks came from because all Americans came from somewhere else. The Japanese conflate ethnicity and national identity and therefore deny a hafu full Japanese status socially. Although legally now as with the USA it makes no difference in Japan as hafu kids have a passport and are full citizens of Japan.

A whole person cannot be a hafu. Calling anyone a hafu is insulting. Even if being hafu has some positive aspects the root of those benefits comes from racism. Those that have lived in Japan long enough see that as well, if they are aware enough.

zurcronium: an American would however say half about someone who is half white and half something else: African American, Hispanic, Asain etc. I also don't think that necessarily implies any sort of malicious racism any more than haafu does. What the hell would you prefer we do break down people's ethnicities by percentage or fractions? Let's see, I'm 1/2 German and about another 1/8 german 1/8 Russian and 1/8 Native Amercan. I could call myself mixed race or I could simply think of myself as caucasion because that's mostly what I am. My kids are half, half caucasian and half asian in this case Japanese. That isn't racist it's merely there ethnic make up. You can't be so sensitive as to see racisim in everything. Most Japanese are not malicious racists they just haven't experienced the mix of races that we have in the states and for the most part don't get it.

Alot of people here are ranting about the "racist" nature of the world "haafu" and expanding it to the racist nature of all of Japan and everyone Japanese. When I first went to Japan as a little kid, not by my choice obviously, on TV I saw Linda Yamamoto. Later I saw Ann Lewis. I always thought they stood out being "ainoko" a term from that time period. In the last few years when I am in Japan and watch TV, the shows are literally riddled with half-Japanese "tarento". And I don't recall ever seeing any of them being treated as anything other than Japanese like the rest of the people on these shows. What I am saying, and perhaps it may not mean much to the younger people, but from what I can tell, Japanese entertainment, and the audience has gone very far in the last several decades in accepting what used to be called "ainoko". That I believe should be considered progress, be it by choice or necessity. Sure there are many aspects of Japan which one can complain about, but I think it's wrong not to recognize the advances. Japanese today are being taught to say "gaikokujin" instead of "gaijin", which frankly to me is unnecessary since I frequently use "alien", albeit mostly in combination with "illegal" in my vocabulary as an American. Considering how insular Japan has been for so long I really don't think it's anywhere as bad as some folks like to make it out to be. My kids are half-Japanese, as they like to call themselves, so I'm not going to complain about "haafu".

The term is useless technically. All Japanese people are mixed blood. Do >we call some people 3/4s or .8. Its ridiculous. There are no pure races >as DNA testing has shown now. Japanese are mixed Korean and Chinese. The >Japanese government wants to promote the purity of the race, especially >during the bad old days before WW2, but now even the emperor admits he >has Korean ancestry.

I think the above is somewhat outdated in the sense that today, DNA testing can distinguish between Japanese, Korean and Chinese. Korean and Chinese genetics entered mainly in the Yaoi Period, whereas the Jomon genes existed much longer before and can still be found in modern Japanese, the highest being found in Okinawans and Ainu. In other words, modern Japanese are more than just "mixed Korean and Chinese".

I've gotten used to being called a "half" although at first it did seem a bit derogatory. I did like it when I went to Thailand though and they said I was "Eurasian".

What is really funny is that the Japanese think they are a pure race.

They are very much a mixed race, differing from Koreans and Chinese. But they are of the same "mongoloid" racial calassificaton.

All the kids in Japan are born with purlple butts because of the >Mongolian blood that was put into the populace during the frequent >invasions. NOT the few failed invasions on in the 1200's on Japan >directly but the invasions on Korea, because guess what, Japanese and >Koreans are the same race. If you want to start a fight at an Izakaiya >bring that little historical fact tidbit up as a topic of conversation. >Ha-fu my purple Japanese a$$.

Nonsense, The Mongolian spot can be found in Turks, American Indians, East Africans, Hungarians, people of the Middle East, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh.

The comparisons to the USA are also useless. No American would say he is a half American no matter what his ethnicity.

In U.S., many people are asked all the time about your nationality, especially in a multi-cultural states like California, people would saids "I am half white and half Japanese", or "half white and part Hawaiian & Portugese" or any half all the time. Half is not derogatory or not taken in a negative way in the U.S. This is very common to your cultural or ethnic identification and a sense of pride.

Usually half-girls are attractive ? Nasty mug there.

OK, I will say it again. Sure Americans and Japanese, even though most do not know it or admit it, are mixed. In the US we accept that as its so obvious, in Japan, since the myth is that the people are homogeneous, those that clearly have non-Japanese parents are consider half Japanese. Confusing this with what mixture you are ethnically is silly as many posters have tried to do. Again, no one says you are a partial American no matter what race or mix you are. Hope that is clear now. Legally in Japan you a full Japanese despite the hafu term, at least now that is true. I am sure many years ago hafu were not granted citizenship as well.

No American says he is a half American. No Japanese, whatever his racial make up, should be called half Japanese. That is racist. Whites use to called mixed black/white people like Obama half-breed. That was racist. In Japan the term is the same and the motive behind it is the same as well even if many Japanese use the term without thinking.

Think about this. Most Japanese when then see a mixed Korean and Japanese kid would not call him half, but would call him Korean. And those people do not get citizenship easily in Japan. Why, racism against Koreans. No benefits for the Koreans who are half Japanese are there?

Japan has many wonderful attributes, but no reasonable person can dispute its cultural and social rigidity. The hafu term clearly exposes a very old fashion way of thinking that is rooted in racism.

For those that want to find out about the dna groupings of the mixed Japanese people its easy to find on the web. Here is a sample quote:

Rather, the Japanese are a very diverse people made up of Ainu, Okinawan, Chinese, Korean, and various other genetic sequences.

The Modern Japanese were thought to be a mixture of ancient Jomon and Yayoi Peoples. Recent Genetic Research has proven that the Jomon and Yayoi People themselves were a mixed ethnicity even when they first reached the Japanese Islands.

To me the issue is that in Japan a person's racial background is even an issue at all. Regardless of which label is used, the fact that many Japanese people still find it necessary to attach a label to someone who looks different to them does reflect their racist attitude. It's usually not intended as a mere descriptive term but as an exclusivist label used to bolster their own fragile sense of identity based on their concept of being "pure Japanese". In other words "I am in the club but you are NOT (and that makes me feel a whole lot better)" .

I use the word "Eurasian" for my kids and anyone who calls them half gets a facts explained to them and they usually begin using the term eurasian instead. Educate the heathens is my philosyphy. Half is what? Half a person? Half true race? Half human? Half gaijin? Yes don't use that phrase around the buggerlugs family we will laugh at you and ask you to explain it then we will educate you. Don't degrade yourself by accepting half from ignorant people, educate them. The true races name is Eurasian (European+Asian) afroasian (African desent+Asian) etc Eurasian is what my kids are.

I am sure many years ago hafu were not granted citizenship as well.

Sure enough to provide a link? How many years ago are we talking about? A mere 27 years ago my daughter was denied automatic British nationality because her Mum happened to be abroad at the time of her birth and her Dad didn't have British nationality. In both Japan and the UK the emphasis was on giving priority to the male line, rather than keeping the line 'pure'.

an exclusivist label used to bolster their own fragile sense of identity based on their concept of being "pure Japanese". In other words "I am in the club but you are NOT (and that makes me feel a whole lot better)" .

In my experience, it's the opposite of that. In other words, 'You are taller than me, look better than me, know more of the outside world than me and have a head start in English class, and that makes me feel envious. Will you be my friend, then a bit of your exoticism can rub off on me?'

the issue is that in Japan a person's racial background is even an issue at all

Officially, it isn't an issue at all. There is no box on official forms, like the national census or police report forms or scholarship application forms, to note the race of an individual, like in some other countries. In all their dealings with Japanese officialdom, my kids have never, not once, been asked about their ethnicity in terms of whatever it is officialdom is trying to give them/take from them, though it's obvious to anyone with half an eye that they're not full-blood Japanese.

buggerlugs, surely what word you choose to use in English has little bearing on the Japanese vocabulary? I put 'Eurasian' in my EJ dictionary and it came up with 欧亜混血の人. Kinds shuts out all the Americans and Canadians, doesn't it? I put ハーフin and it gave me (混血児)a person of mixed parentage.

Cleo,

surprising to me you ask for a link as you seem to keep up on news. This is from late last year, mixed kids by Japanese fathers out of wedlock were finally granted rights to citizenship after years of being rejected as not being Japanese by the government.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/05/japan-extends-citizenship_n_148673.html courts.

Since kids born to Japanese women had become citizens for decades the former policy of denying citizenship to hafu fillipino kids was both racist and sexist.

Really, so you are saying that no where in Japan is there a Japanese person who has the ability to understand the concept of racism because it wasn't taught to them. The concept of racism is common sens

You can't put western values onto Japanese people, they have a totally different outlook on life, different goals and different priorities. What you think is common in the west is not common in Japan and vise versa. It's not a bad thing (for the most part), it is just different, it is a totally 100% different mind set that people can't even start understand unless you interact with Japanese people in Japan for an extended period.

I use the word "Eurasian"

Why is the European first? That is rascism. Try Asiapean.

spudman thanks to you I have a headache now trying to pronounce that.Shall we just call her Marie whoever and leave it at that.

zurc - I think the 'out of wedlock' bit had at least as much to do with that as the ethnicity of the children. There have also been rows about the illegitimate children of Japanese-on-both-sides parents being discriminated against in terms of inheritance, how they are listed in the koseki, etc. While the mother/father thing is certainly sexist (and existed in the UK until recently, even for legally married couples) I think you're pushing things to claim that the problem was one of ethnicity, since haafs born in wedlock face no such obstacles.

although Japan tries to force such children to relinquish their non-Japanese passport/citizenship they cannot actually do it by law.

True the government can't force them to relinquish their non-Japanese citizenship, but it can deny them a Japanese passport if they hang on to it. The application form for the Japanese passport has a box to tick declaring that the applicant is not a citizen of any other country. Don't tick the box, you don't get your Japanese passport; tick the box and you put yourself foul of the law.

spudman-I like that, Asiapean...I think Maria Ozawa would like that.

Still can't believe some people are in here complaining about being named, classified or whatever as a half, double or mixed. Go enjoy some Maria Ozawa.

I forgot to mention, my father said I'm Eurasian, along with my brother and sister (and we are)and I like that term, and my J-mother said we are haafu's.

XXXXX-Eurasian, nah man, try the Asiapean, it is hard core. lol.

Nay, don't like it. Sounds like there's an ape in there.

lol. Really, I thought it sounded like an AV title name...but then it could get weirder.

what are you smoking? never mind. JT has some cleanup to do I think. But then they always surprise by doing the opposite. sigh

And when the Eurasians marry someone from back home their kids will be Yurayura-asians.

Haafu kawaii!

XXXXX-I think you are a little pent up. You probably still have a cherry that needs a pop'n. Don't need to smoke man, just got to be chill.

cleo-lol. I think that is what XXXXX would prefer.

halfu, pure blood, westerner

whatever

she still looks like a nu-half to me

So what is a nu-half?

I suppose some would consider "hybrid" out of the question...

Actually the term "Kokusai no ko" is also being used. since we are from all different ethcnicity and half japanese. - the "heinz 57 mix.

There was also Minami Saori too. But before Linda Yamamoto and Ann Lewis, Caroline Yoko was another Half young girl photograhed for food and many advertisements back then..early 70s. I lived in Kanto Mura in Chofu. NOw it houses a J-league stadium and the Chofu Airport these days. Kanto Mura was a military housing facility for the USAF families..before that, Grant Heights in Nerima.I ve not forgotten about Yokota AB and Camp Zama either. There were some ppl I knew back then that went Yo-High ( Ann Lewis' alma mater) in Yokohama.. Navy brats. International Christian Academy and ST Mary's was among the private high schools attended. Golden Half group,- Luna, Maria and Eva were popular too. They lived around Tachikawa area, I believe. I was born at Tachikawa AB ,w hich was the Major medical facilities for the US military until the abse closures started. Tachikawa was split into two -- East and West

"Part-" only works for you in Japan if you're part-Caucasian. ;-)

Terrible movie, too.

buggerlugs

love how you use the plus sign to try to explain Eurasian (European plus Asian) etc.!

1 and 1 = 2 or

1/2 and 1/2 = 1?

i.e. half European plus half Asian = Eurasian?

Or are the percentages different perhaps? Couldn't be 60/40 could it?

No?

50/50 maybe?

Oh....half.

Get over it!

Cleo,

the out of wedlock issue was a diversion. When Japanese kids are registered by their Japanese mothers, what the maritial status is of her at the time is irrelevant. If the kids were hafu or not, if she was married or not, the kids became Japanese legally. But before this supreme court ruling if only the father of the hafu was Japanese, the kids were not granted citizenship.

And again, as far as I know, half Japanese/Koreans have a similar hard time to get citizenship in Japan to the long term Koreans who have lived here. Their hafu status does not help them.

I think you are apologizing for Japan when its crystal clear than even as of last year the myth of pure Japanese blood, that is usually how it is expressed, fosters racism. And in my view that is primarily what is behind the hafu usage, even though I know most Japanese do not give it a thought. The racism is built into the Japanese society just like so many other cultures including the USA.

"Hafu" is like the old term "mulatto". It's inherently racist as a term.

The point people constantly miss when discussing racism in Japan is that the issue is not the existence of racism in a particular culture or country. All people and countries are racist. The point is the culture's and government's response to that racism and the policies put in place to stop people from acting on that racism. In the U.S., the policies are to do whatever possible to prohibit people from acting on their racism. In Japan, you get rationalizations and the continuation of the status quo.

zurc -

before this supreme court ruling if only the father of the hafu was Japanese, the kids were not granted citizenship

Only if the couple were not married, which means that the out of wedlock issue is not a mere diversion. Call it sexist if you like, but for it to be a racial issue you would have to have all haaf children routinely denied nationality, which is not the case.

Kids have been born out of wedlock for years now in Japan, about 2%, they became citizens if the mother is Japanese. Except when the kids were hafu and the mother fillipina.

You asked for a case where hafus were discriminated against and I gave you a very recent case. You also have no reply for korean hafu kids who, along with the rest of Japanese born Koreans, are not granted citizenship without great hardship. Its nearly impossible. You, since you are white, may have become a Japanese citizen since you have been in Japan forever. Can the racism here be any clearer?

zurc -

The case you gave was of illegitimate children being discriminated against. Insofar as the children have no control over the circumstances of their birth, it's discrimination that should not occur; but it's not racism. Clearly not all haaf children are denied nationality, so it's pushing things a bit to claim that the Filipino children were discriminated against on account of their ethnicity; they were discriminated against on account of their fathers not being married to their mothers.

I won't address the question of Korean haafs because I know nothing about it. Are you saying that the children born to a zainichi / Japanese couple are not entitled to Japanese nationality, in the way that my Anglo-Japanese kids are? If so, that's news to me.

You, since you are white, may have become a Japanese citizen

Never, not once, have I or my kids ever been asked to fill in an application form, be it for the immigration people, education, finance, you name it, that asked for our ethnic status.

Good observation orchid64.

The Japanese term "hafu" which is considered to be quite a cute word or word of endearment, actually comes from the totally racist and repugnant word "half - caste". I hate it every time some one I meet refers to my son with that word.

Rugby, in Hawaii it's 'hapa' because early Chinese immigrants pronounced the word 'half' like that.

And it's not racist. In Hawaii, hapa children are often said to be the most beautiful... a mixture of Asian and white.

And it's not racist. In Hawaii, hapa children are often said to be the most beautiful... a mixture of Asian and white

Is "white" a race? I always thought it was more of a race-based ideology than a race.

I dunno... Is 'Asian' a race?

Yet people quite happily call him African-American, and they don't get called racist for doing so.

Because that's how Obama identifies himself.

Moderator: Back on topic please.

Oh my God Oh my God!

A cute girl waaaaaahhhhhhhhhh. She is half!!

I have to say something ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....

Marie oh Marie you are way too rich

ummmmmmmmm,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Half

ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

I give up.

No wait......

ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Nup.

Is a person of Asian mixed heritage called 'half' only when he/she is born in Japan, I'm curious b/c all this is confusing to me. I'm a citizen of my homecountry and when asked, I reply saying my nationality and that's it. Having more terms to describe 'haafus' or what have you is redundant. And this is getting old, Marie is not from another planet or any of us like some would like to see us and we're all different in heritage and traits and more importantly, personality.

@USRonin

In Hawaii, hapa children are often said to be the most beautiful... a mixture of Asian and white.

Your description sounds racist and is incorrect.

Hapa is a Hawaiian term used to describe a person of mixed Asian or Pacific Islander racial/ethnic heritage.

hapa haole (part Caucasian/white) hapa kanaka (part Hawaiian) hapa popolo (part African/black) hapa kepani (part Japanese); the term hapanese is also encountered hapa pilipino (part Filipino hapa pake (part Chinese) hapa kolea (part Korean) hapa kamoa (part Samoan) hapa pukiki (part Portuguese/white

Cleo,

last effort as either you are purposely being obtuse or simply do not get it. Japanese kids born out of wedlock, about 2 percent of all births, became citizens unless they are hafu and the mother is non-japanese. That was the case till last year. If both parents were Japanese no problem, even if not married. 100,000 mixed Japinos kids were not granted rights as citizens until the court case I read. Even today only a few have become citizens as the system is being used to keep the numbers becoming Japanese very low. Why, racism.

Regarding Japanese born Koreans, this is a huge case of outright racism. Look it up if you are interested in moving beyond the rose colored glasses stage of gaijindom. I am sure many on this board are living that sad experience now.

For example Japan, if you talk about and haafus, most people think of Caucasian and Japanese. Most haafus are of Korean/Japanese and Filipino/Japanese descent than Caucasian. They just get noticed more not necessarily for the beauty but because they are more noticeably different.

Marie isn't beautiful at all. She had a better chance of being attractive as a full-blooded Japanese or Caucasian.

Is a person of Asian mixed heritage called 'half' only when he/she is born in Japan, I'm curious b/c all this is confusing to me.

If you read the other posts, you would see the answer to your question.

On Marie's 'beauty'...

She would look more attractive if she left her hair to its natural color.

@USARonin,

I didn't say that most hapa are Asian mixed with Hawaiian. I said most Hapa are Asian-mixed heritages not including European. I separated Hawaiian and Asian because Hawaiian is considered Polynesian. My statements are not incorrect.

Also most full Hawaiians live on the island. The fact of the matter is the major of full-blooded Hawaiians are dying out because most are Hapa.

One more thing, I am aware about the swimming stats. It is something that is happening throughout the country because there are fewer pools at schools. For Hawaii, it is because most residents come from landlocked countries or didn't have access to swimming facilites before coming there.

What is she "half" of? Half human? Half robot? Half a person? Half-wit?

Only someone living in the past, where one could use terms freely such as "half-caste", "full-blood", would use these terms in 2009. Or...the Japanese!

No-one in the world is 100 percent of any "race", so "half"/"haafu" is a completely stupid term.

BTW, she is Japanese (incidentally of a mixed ancestry), not "haafu". Beautiful, too.

What happens after haaf? Quarters? How far does this joke go on? Japan has to stop defining everything. This is a Japanese person and her name is Marie. Accepting a non-Japanese looking person as Japanese would be a major step (stop-the-presses-miracle) for Japan to recognize the people who live there and are citizens of that country. English separates one's heritage and one's country. Japan might learn to do the same as others have done decades before, but clearly not yet.

last effort as either you are purposely being obtuse or simply do not get it. Japanese kids born out of wedlock, about 2 percent of all births, became citizens unless they are hafu and the mother is non-japanese

But if the mother is Japanese and the father is non-Japanese, the child gets the Koseki and the citizenship. So it's not a "race" issue is it? You ought to carefully read Cleo's posts again before spewing out your opinions there zurc.

Regarding Japanese born Koreans, this is a huge case of outright racism

I think it's worthwhile to state these obstacles for I believe both Cleo and I are confused since it appears you aren't referring to second/third/fourth generation Koreans in Japan, right?

What is she "half" of? Half human? Half robot? Half a person? Half-wit? Only someone living in the past, where one could use terms freely such as "half-caste", "full-blood", would use these terms in 2009. Or...the Japanese!No-one in the world is 100 percent of any "race", so "half"/"haafu" is a completely stupid term.BTW, she is Japanese (incidentally of a mixed ancestry), not "haafu"

I agree. She's Japanese. Half should be out, nothing new or different in. Just the person's nationality. The rest is to be figured out by who really cares.

wot nigelboy sed.

her sitting post is such pretty~

Just for my tuppence worth: I really couldn`t care less what my kids are called - haafu, mikusu, daburu or anything else. (Most people enquiring ask me if they are "haafu?" or "Papa wa nihonjin desu ka?") What I care about is the intention behind it. I have never to date felt any racial prejudice against my kids. HAVE felt a lot of envy though! I hope that continues, but even if they do have problems in the future, at the end of the day they have the golden ticket outta here that they can choose to cash in any time they want. So if a kid laughs at them for being half, I tell them to laugh back twice as hard for being only one nationality. Kawaiso!

I can`t honestly say I like "daburu" though - getting a little too close to schizophrenia for my taste!

But she said that being “half” wasn’t all fun and games when she was a child in Japan.

This use of 'half' really gets me going. It is no different to any other derogatory racist name given to peoples of different ethnic backgrounds. However, I do enjoy the envy of having kids with straight legs and teeth, light brown hair and more common sense than the mullets that have no other comment than, "Kowaii!"

My kids are half and like my grandmother told me I tell them, "if someone asks you if your half tell them yes the better half".

That said my kids are treated the same and in some cases even special, but then it might be by their own doing as they seem to be really popular.

Marie wouldn't even earn a lookback if she lived in Europe. She is such a "plain Jane".

what does being half to do with a movie about US immigration issues?

This 'double' crap really annoys the hell out of me.

You get half of your genetics from your father and half of your genetics from your mother. Genetically speaking we're all 2 halves running around... so really is the term 'half' all that 'incorrect'? I'd say it's actually more politically correct than some PC bull-caca term 'double.'

Double clearly implies you feel you or or your kid is superior to all the other double-halves.

How dare you?!

For the record I'm married to a white guy and when we have kids they will be half me and half him, therefore half Mexican, half white, and completely American... but if you really want to get into it I guess you could say they'll be partially Irish, English, German, Spanish, Aztec, Mayan, Persian, French.... shall I go on?

I also agree with others stating that kids will get bullied at school for many, many reasons... not just racial background. I'd say she still had it easier than a lot of other people out there that aren't even 'half.'

Stop whining about your race or your kids' race, it's so old. Tell them to be proud of who they are and tell them to f-ing gaman.

I actually had Japanese srtudents who went ot the USA and stayed for longer than a year tell me that all of their "friends" later called them "gaijin"...and these girls were Japanese! Two of these students were bullied when they returned to their respective high schools herei n Japan to finish....

I was not inspired by DENTSHOP, but have a look at that comment.

Eventually it will all be sufficiently confusing that people will just give up. Even racists will have to split hairs, which will make them impotent.

I know kids who get ridiculed by others because they are half or gaijin or whatever. It makes it very easy to identify those kids who will live their lives in a little tiny cube much much smaller than Japan, and probably even smaller than their brain capacity. In contrast, the kids being ridiculed quickly come to understand that Japan is much too small a country, no matter what its size or wealth imply.

It all comes around. Would Obama be president if he were NOT discriminated against? Haahaha. Wrap your brain around that one.

But in response to other comments, DOUBLE applies quite well. Children of US citizens are entitled to two passports until majority, they are bilingual, with full access to two cultures. They are also genetically WILD TYPE rather than japonica cultivars, so they are genetically stronger. I think double is a great statement and fits so much better than HALF. But you know why DOUBLE is better? Because it does not DEMEAN other people, it merely emphasizes extra features. Calling someone HALF is another message entirely.

Because of their short legs and meek ways, it has been suggested that Japanese people be called HALFLINGS. How does THAT grab you? Remember that in Lord of the Rings, there were HALFLINGS, AS DISTINCT FROM "The Race of Men." ooops... See how easily this HALF stuff gets turned around to an ugly implication? See how ICKY the HALF word is, even with the best of intentions? I resist its use strongly.

Think about it - Japanese who married a foreigner - are they consider being racist - I think not. Only those who are so insulated who had never been able to live overseas for an extended period of time who will call children of mixed marriage names.

I had gathered that most of posters here are living in Japan for a length of time that you should get used to Japanese characteristics of making snide remarks - but why do you still care?

Those Japanese who made those remarks are either "appearance-challenged" people or they are low self-esteemed people or they just got nothing better to do with their time.

Also if they are truly racist, what of those pure bred Japanese guys and gals coloring their hair blonder than the real blondes themselves. I think the Japanese wished they are Caucasian, too not other Asians if they have a choice.

But I think the Japanese are good-looking people as they are so they don't have be challenged by the so-called "ha-fus."

The Japanese people should accept that seeing more mixed ethnicities in their country is the manifestation of the globalization thing of which they also embraced that's why they opened up to the world some thirty years ago.

This is just my opinion and not challenging anyone else's in this thread.

Let's just have a happy time amidst the real issues - the influenza, the typhoons, the tremors etc...

Oh let's not call anyone halfs, mixed, gaijin etc. I prefer to call my own son - a Third Cultural Kid. Actually, most of us are.

My daughter already looks a lot like Marie here, blondish hair, slim build, fair complexion. And it annoys me to no end the Japanese school girls that prattle on in broken English with their "Harros" and "whatzu yuru namu" garbage. The kid was born and raised here in Japan, she's just a toddler, and already she's being treated differently by almost every Japanese person she comes in contact with. Fortunately we have no plans to stay here long term, I can't imagine going through the teen years having to shoulder the burden of different colored hair, skin, eye shape in todays Japan, talk about out of touch with the times.

I suppose some would consider "hybrid" out of the question...

Kiwis would mistake it for "high bred."

Also if they are truly racist, what of those pure bred Japanese guys and gals coloring their hair blonder than the real blondes themselves. I think the Japanese wished they are Caucasian, too not other Asians if they have a choice.

that's because of the awesome ambivalence that a lot of japan feels towards the west (or even countries other than its direct asian neighbours); they are fascinated by it, seduced by it, but also uncomfortable/incapable of admitting this fairly harmless fact to themselves or those around them. as a result they end up painting themselves into corners. wake up. if resting on ones laurels was human nature then we'd all still be living in caves

Yes, I agree with Marie.

I disagree with the comment that Marie is a Plain Jane. She may look normal when you see her on TV as a talento, but when she's really dolled up she can be super hot.

As for the topic of discrimination against kids who are "half" I have seen it all the time in schools here in Japan. For outgoing kids I think it can be easier to get over and get used to, but kids who are more shy and of a mixed racial background get bullied to the point of social isolation at times.

Oh, and the backhanded praise IMO hurts more than outright insults. Comments about how a kid can run faster because their legs are longer, or how they must be better at English because of their foreign blood can make a kid feel as bad as any obvious abuse.