どうしよう？

[Sis84]

Hello.

I came to this forum for alot of reasons.
I have not been to Japan yet, but hopefully will be sometime next summer.
Besides the excitement of the trip, I have been searching for a place online where I would be able to actually fit-in.
Back in high-school, I became interested in alot of the Japanese pop culture. (Mainly the stuff teens are into now: manga, anime).
I also wanted to learn the language to give me a challenge. I was tired of speaking my own native language. Ever since I became interested into the Japanese language, I have picked up Japanese novels, films,etc.
I take the novels with me when I am out in public and I get stares and snickers mainly from people who are American. I am American, myself.
Has anyone dealt with this? I've been able to ignore it, but I would just like reassurance.

[chryuop]

I use my lunch hour at work to study. I bring with me the, now, 200 flash cards and go through them to study my kanji.
In the beginning all my co workers were curious and wondering why I was studying since it was not for school (credit or similar), now they just ignore it LOL.

Most of the times those looks you think to be despising or those big stares that look like saying "what the heck you think you doing, you are no better than me" are just plain curiosity.

[SHAD0W]

Originally Posted by Sis84

I have been searching for a place online where I would be able to actually fit-in.

If people make fun of you, you smack them in the face, it soon makes them stop. If you cant "fit in" on the internet.. you really are a lost cause!


What makes you think you'll be any better off here?

[PouncingAnt]

Originally Posted by SHAD0W

...
What makes you think you'll be any better off here?

Hmmm, whatever shad0w thinks, there are a lot of like-minded people on these forums who'll help you out if you ever need advice, and probably plenty of people in the same situation.

Personally, I've not really had the same problem with regards to the novels etc., but I know what it was like in the time leading up to going to Japan, so if you need anything, feel free to drop me a message.

Anyway, I'm inclined to agree with chryuop and say people are just bound to be curious. Don't give up on the novels if it's something you enjoy. A good novel really helps you put yourself in someone else's mind, and the Japanese way of thinking is quite different in places, so I'm sure that it'll be handy.

きにしないでね！

[KyleGoetz]

I definitely agree that this could be a very friendly place for you to fit in. However, as someone who was young once and has been to Japan: Please never make the mistake of thinking "Japan is where I'll fit in."

Unless you're Japanese ethnically and learn Japanese to native fluency, you never will "fit in." It's sad but true.

There are white folks who have actually attained Japanese citizenship, but they still are discriminated against occasionally and not treated as insiders (despite being married to Japanese folk and having ダブル kids).

Japan's a wonderful place, but I know too, too many people in the US who are into anime and think that Japan is the holy land where they'll fit in and find true happiness. It's best to end that fantasy early.

[kirakira]

Originally Posted by KyleGoetz

Japan's a wonderful place, but I know too, too many people in the US who are into anime and think that Japan is the holy land where they'll fit in and find true happiness. It's best to end that fantasy early.

All I can say is people need to understand that the US is a immigration based country, Japan is the complete opposite. They need to adjust their expectations accordingly.

[Sis84]

I have read your replies and I thank you all for responding to my post.
I really needed the encouragement. And I totally agree on how the younger generation of Americans thinking that Japan is there total escape from what they think of America as a "pithole".
I am currently attending a comic book class and I am just astounded by the teenagers who constantly draw manga and all they ever talk about is anime.
I used to be in their shoes when I was young, but I grew out of that phase, and have matured, and realized that, Japan is a country that has a past and present that is still hurt from the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
I'll continue more on this later.

[MMM]

Japan is not a place to escape to fit in, but should be a goal to expand your experiences.

[Sis84]

Originally Posted by MMM

Japan is not a place to escape to fit in, but should be a goal to expand your experiences.

Believe me, I am way past the idea of thinking that visting a foreign country would in any way make me "fit in". To me, that is childish to think of such a thing. I used to have that kind of thinking process when I was younger, however, with me being in my mid 20's now, and gathering as much information on Japan's past history as well as present on how they respect us or other countries, both good and bad. I can honestly say, that just visiting the country or any country would be a good experience for me, as well as a good culture shock. (Which I don't mind at all.)

[KyleGoetz]

Sis84 I think I was just prejudiced against you by the "searching for a place . . . to fit in"-type comment combined with your anime avatar (and the '84 making me think you're 24). Made me think you were a young person who was super-into anime and such.

kirakira and MMM have expressed it well.

I've never had someone snicker at me having a Japanese novel, but I'm in grad school, so most people I know respect bilingualism. It could be a function of where you live that maybe you get that attitude. Or maybe you live in Little Tokyo and you're getting the 15-yo nikkei there snickering because snickering when you're 15 is cool.

But screw the haters, as the rappers like to say. Do they still say that? The rappers?