So I cross-posted this on r/languagelearning but I feel like I should ask this here.
Okay to make the story short i’ve been learning Japanese on again off again for the past 11 years. It was the second language I fell in love with and genuinely enjoyed learning and the first language that I was old enough to actually start practicing and learning properly (rip to the German that I learnt at one school when I was 7 – I do plan to eventually learn it).
I love the characters and the grammar and have never found it ridiculously difficult to understand (although I have put a lot of work into learning it). I am interested in the Japanese culture and their literature, politics, and history. I also was super into anime and manga when I was a kid which is where my problem starts to arise.
See I’m currently working through a teaching degree and decided to pick up a language diploma on the side so I could teach both English as a second language and possibly Japanese in primary school. And one kid who is half Japanese himself called me out when I was chatting with my friends in class and said that I should stick with teaching English or Spanish (since I speak that with my dads side of the family). He said that I was fetishising Japan and his culture and essentially that I should stay in my own lane. And I know that I was definitely really cringe when I was like 11-13ish when I was super into anime and manga but I know I’ve moved past that and matured (I’m 21 now) but I keep thinking back to what he said and I’m now wondering if I should change my major to one of the other romantic languages and focus on learning and teaching them instead since culturally it’s my background. I wouldn’t be taking opportunities from Asian teachers or teaching through a white Austrian lease.
It wouldn’t be a problem since I do really love learning languages and it’s not like I’m gonna stop learning and using Japanese. I’ll just not take it as a teaching career pathways. Idk. I’m just really worried cause honestly Japan and Japanese culture has faced a lot of fetishisation from the West and I don’t want to reinforce that I guess.
Not sure if this all really made sense but
TLDR: I’m white and want to become a primary school foreign language teacher. I’m worried that by teaching Japanese I may be either culturally appropriating or fetishising the Japanese culture and people. Should I stick with my Japanese major or swap to French, Italian or Spanish instead since that’s where my family’s originally from.
Thanks xxx
18 comments
This [article](https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-cultural-appropriation-5070458) helped me understand the concept of cultural appropriation. As long as you’re not reinforcing stereotypes or anything then you’re good. Go get that Japanese degree!
That person is dumb.
Should we tell the Japanese stop learning English because they’re fetishizing the culture?
No.
The idea that a foreigner is appropriating the modern Japanese language is kinda funny given the amount of foreign words in the language. As long as you aren’t just repeating anime phrases or whatever I wouldn’t see why there would be a problem.
I feel like the whole fetishizing thing is more in your intentions and how you deliver things. It is one thing to just teach the language to kids show them age appropriate media and it is another to only focus on anime or whatever got you into Japanese. If you enjoy the language and want to teach it, do it kind of like how any else would teach a language. Show people Japan and other places where the language is spoken and don’t be so set on one aspect.
My two cents: Short answer, life is too short. Learn what you want, do what you want.
Longer answer: I’m Chinese-American. When I was a kid I was a Germanophile, I learned German, minored in it in college. Anything from Deutschland was cool. Considered moving to Germany. I don’t think anyone would accuse me of cultural appropriation and say I am only allowed to learn an East Asian language, that would be pretty ridiculous right? And what’s the limit? Am allowed to learn any East Asian language like Japanese, or am I limited only to Chinese? The more you push this analogy the more absurd it becomes.
Of course as with anything, if you go too far in any extreme, it can be cringe. Are you one of those white guys with “yellow fever” who are learning Japanese and moving to Japan because “I only want to date Asian women because they are so exotic and submissive”? Are you that meme “Ken-sama” who walks around in a kimono and spends all day training with his katana of thousand folds of Nippon steel? If not, then I think you are good.
Nah, don’t worry about it.
My first Japanese teacher was a white dude, and my second was a Korean woman. Both were good teachers, neither fetishized the language. And when I eventually got to advanced Japanese with a native-speaking teacher, she had nothing but good things to say about the others.
That kid is probably struggling with his identity. Very common, especially in mixed race teens. He’s trying to assert his Japanese by undermining yours. Not a good thing, but definitely a common adolescent thing. Don’t take it personally.
Nobody from japan would actually give af. It’s just americans that hate on other americans. So annoying.
Are Asian teachers of English, Spanish, German, etc. fetishizing and appropriating those cultures? You’d need a ton of native speakers willing to live abroad to teach to avoid that if that were the case.
While it is true that some people have an idealized version of Japan in their heads (or a fetishist one), your student may feel extra protective of the Japanese parts of his identity while negotiating his own bicultural identity, something some people in their twenties may still not have completed. I’m not saying you should summarily dismiss him, but take a critical look at your motivation and what you could bring to the table.
As long as you become as knowledgeable as possible and have your student’s best interests at heart, nothing else matters. You’ve learned from your past self and are continuing to learn.
Japanese people living in Japan teach English to other Japanese people. Are they appropriating America / England culture by teaching English? No. Same goes for you.
Just because someone says something doesn’t mean that they have a point. Use your own judgement.
Cultural appropriation may very well be the two most stupid words in the English language.
First of all, culture has always evolved by assimilating other cultures. Secondly, as people have mentioned here, it’s a very weird form of gatekeeping when a Japanese-American decides you shouldn’t teach Japanese but Japanese people don’t care at all.
Next time someone says something this stupid, ask them if they like math. Are they stealing from the Arabs, who created Arab numbers? The Greeks, who discovered most of geometry? Should all pizza makers in the US be of Italian descents? Though of course, tomatoes are not originally Italian. Should Jazz musicians be solely Afro-American? Maybe they should do jazz without the sax or the piano, since these instruments were not originally African.
The world is a complex place where to live already without making it additionally complicated for absolutely no reason.
Do you believe that Japanese is better than other languages?
Do you intend to purport yourself as Japanese?
Do you intend to represent your language abilities as native?
If any of these answers are yes, do some more self reflection. If they’re all no, keep on keeping on. In particular, there’s phenomenal value in having a teacher who also had to learn the language as an (young) adult. Secondary learners -> teachers of a language can understand and teach nuances to languages that native speakers struggle to convey.
For instance, regarding English, explain the appropriate order of adjectives ([there is one](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/sep/13/sentence-order-adjectives-rule-elements-of-eloquence-dictionary)) or the differences in use between “a” and “the”. We accomodate these aspects of our language intuitively, but would typically struggle to communcate them to someone learning English.
Respecting, appreciating, and participating does not mean you are appropriating.
That’s a stupid thing to worry about. Only really Americans have this concept in their head. The rest of the world isn’t so sensitive to this. Japan is the second strongest economy in the world. Their not some victimized minority on a global scale. The more you celebrate and spread their culture, the more you are helping them.
what a vivid imagination you have.
Heh, personally I would have simply retorted that the Japanese stole a whole ass writing system from the Chinese.
Agree with everyone else, I doesn’t sound that way to me.
Maybe inform him that most English teachers in Japan are Japanese (native speakers mostly end up being assistants).
So maybe he should try to mind his own business instead of being judgemental.
If a person accuses anyone of cultural appropriation, be thankful that there’s one less person in the world you should lend your ear to.
Don’t give a damn about it. I wish I had those opportunities when I was your age. Focus on becoming a great language teacher and, as long as you don’t overidealise any country/culture, I think it’ll be okay (I mention it because my native Japanese teachers tell us that all the time).