I know this happened a year ago, but if you don't know about this (I know I didn't), hopefully I am bringing this to your attention. In Season 8 of America's Got Talent, Kenichi Echiba won by America's votes after blowing away the audience with his unique, precise, and stunning dance performances. And the victory was well-deserved.
See the first of his performances here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn-NsWRtaSY
After the win, haters immediately attacked his racial background. They flooded twitter with hateful hashtags like #GoHome, and #stupidchink, reintroducing terms I thought were extinct, like g**k, and "Jap." Well, you can see for yourselves below.
See the first of his performances here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn-NsWRtaSY
After the win, haters immediately attacked his racial background. They flooded twitter with hateful hashtags like #GoHome, and #stupidchink, reintroducing terms I thought were extinct, like g**k, and "Jap." Well, you can see for yourselves below.
People often ask me what kind of racism I have experienced in America as a Japanese person. Comments such as these are a pretty good example of it. During December of last year, when the nuclear disaster occurred in Fukushima, I was sitting in class worrying about my family when a student behind me whispered "They deserve it after Pearl Harbor." To say this comment didn't make me want to stand up and call this guy out would be a lie. But I figured such a comment wouldn't be worth replying to-- not because I thought his opinion was stupid, or I am denying that Pearl Harbor happened, or that I am in any way condoning what happened. It was because I just figured racism is out there in the world, and there would be no way to stop it, so I might as well ignore it and move on.
Obviously, I haven't moved on so much. And now, I kind of wish I had said something. Because history happened, and all the bloody, immoral parts of it. Many have lost their families and their innocence to it. So I am not angry with that student, nor do I bear any sort of resentment towards him. Because in a certain context, I understand how he feels. But Japan did not deserve Fukushima because of Pearl Harbor. Just like I don't feel American deserves the issues with its economy because of the 2 atomic bombs dropped on Japan.
I wouldn't ask anyone to move on from things that happened in history, because people should remember the lives that were lost and the mistakes that were made. But, I would ask that they don't associate these events with the country/culture itself, and the people in it-- because they didn't make that choice.
What do you all think? Please let me know in the comments below. :) Congratulations to Kenichi Echiba on deservedly winning America's Got Talent almost a year ago!
Obviously, I haven't moved on so much. And now, I kind of wish I had said something. Because history happened, and all the bloody, immoral parts of it. Many have lost their families and their innocence to it. So I am not angry with that student, nor do I bear any sort of resentment towards him. Because in a certain context, I understand how he feels. But Japan did not deserve Fukushima because of Pearl Harbor. Just like I don't feel American deserves the issues with its economy because of the 2 atomic bombs dropped on Japan.
I wouldn't ask anyone to move on from things that happened in history, because people should remember the lives that were lost and the mistakes that were made. But, I would ask that they don't associate these events with the country/culture itself, and the people in it-- because they didn't make that choice.
What do you all think? Please let me know in the comments below. :) Congratulations to Kenichi Echiba on deservedly winning America's Got Talent almost a year ago!
Until next time,
justajae