JapanForum.com

JapanForum.com (http://www.japanforum.com/forum/)
-   Parenting in Japan (http://www.japanforum.com/forum/parenting-japan/)
-   -   Mixed race children. (http://www.japanforum.com/forum/parenting-japan/23448-mixed-race-children.html)

MMM 03-02-2009 06:49 PM

Yes, her son was born underweight.

The comparison of race with dogs is not misplaced in any way. Dog breeders want pure-bred dogs, but some of those breeds are essentially inbred and the DNA purity also essentially guarantees certain diseases or other negative traits will be continued generation to generation.

I think it is fair to make this comparison to humans, as we are no more or less complicated DNA-wise with canines, and although I have never heard of any negatives with racial "purity" in humans, but I suspect humans around the world are nearly as "racially pure" as they like to think.

Ronin4hire 03-02-2009 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhDP (Post 680281)
Your first point is, in my opinion, true, but not all scientists would agree.

The only genetic basis you could claim to race would be on the grounds that SOME regional tendencies exist. These tendencies are only really relevant in the field of medicine where race is used for convenience purposes rather than because it is an actual scientific phenomena.

burkhartdesu 03-02-2009 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMM (Post 680312)
Yes, her son was born underweight.

The comparison of race with dogs is not misplaced in any way. Dog breeders want pure-bred dogs, but some of those breeds are essentially inbred and the DNA purity also essentially guarantees certain diseases or other negative traits will be continued generation to generation.

I think it is fair to make this comparison to humans, as we are no more or less complicated DNA-wise with canines, and although I have never heard of any negatives with racial "purity" in humans, but I suspect humans around the world are nearly as "racially pure" as they like to think.


I suppose the saying "Fit as a mule" makes a lot of sense!

Uh oh, now I'm comparing kids to mules. :rolleyes:


I'd like to see a study that compares patterns in health between "racially pure" individuals with "mixed-race" individuals.

Sinestra 03-02-2009 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burkhartdesu (Post 680306)
Well thanks, but I was far more tactful than Tenchu- who calls mixed-race children "mongrols". :rolleyes:

It was just a comparison... If you think I was referring to children as dogs you missed the whole point.



No i didnt miss it what you used was pretty much right i was just saying you could have used humans as well in your post. Ah sorry if you thought i was harping you i was not.

For example African Americans are more prone to sickle cell anemia than say Caucasians or Asians. I read an article quite some time ago that showed a mix child of a African American decent and any other race mainly Caucasian was far less likely to carry that gene than a pure African American.

A short time after i read another scientific article (im not sure how accurate this one is) That Caucasians are more likely to contract some type of skin cancer than races with a darker complexions the study showed the same results as the previous.

werkz 03-02-2009 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burkhartdesu (Post 680318)
I suppose the saying "Fit as a mule" makes a lot of sense!

Uh oh, now I'm comparing kids to mules. :rolleyes:


I'd like to see a study that compares patterns in health between "racially pure" individuals with "mixed-race" individuals.

I too would like to see some info on that. Being a mut myself, I always wondered if being mixed helped me resist diseases that affect the races that make up my racial background. *off to google!*

MMM 03-02-2009 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burkhartdesu (Post 680318)

I'd like to see a study that compares patterns in health between "racially pure" individuals with "mixed-race" individuals.

There's the real question. What defines "racially pure". DNA is made up of tons of genes that give us our physical attributes.

For example, what is Caucasian? White people have black hair, brown hair, blond hair, red hair. It can be straight or curly.

Let's say it is only people with blond hair and blue eyes.

That's fine, but I know blond couples that have children with brown hair. so their genes must be "tainted".

In Japan families have been followed for generations, but there are non-Japanese that live in Japan and have for generations that did not reveal their non-Japanese roots, so even Japan surely has a "tainted" gene pool. And what we think of as the "Japanese race" is not even native to the islands of Japan. The native Ainu were in Hokkaido first.

Sorry for the off-topic discussion...

Nyororin 03-03-2009 12:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burkhartdesu (Post 680306)
I'm not sure I understand this- was your son born underweight?

Yes. Very underweight and premature. He was 14oz - born a little over halfway through the pregnancy. For proof, a fun photo from about 3 weeks after he was born;


Quote:

I'd like to see a study that compares patterns in health between "racially pure" individuals with "mixed-race" individuals.
I don`t know about a study on adults, but there is one for infants. Or at least premature infants. We were asked to take part in it as an example of a rare "mixed breed". In the case of early development, it seems that different races have different developmental schedules. The darker the skin, the more is dedicated to developing the lungs in the early stages - but less to the intestines. The lighter the skin, the more is dedicated to bodily regulation and the heart. So the darker a baby is the more likely they are to survive an early birth because the lungs are functional at an earlier stage - but at the same time they`re more likely to suffer from fatal infections. I believe that the senses receive more developmental resources in the early stages, so an Asian infant born early is less likely to lose their sight or hearing... There are also huge gender differences - females focus on brain development earlier than males (who focus on sexual development first in the order of things). This ends up meaning that the male brain is more susceptible to damage due to an early birth or other factors, and is supposedly the reason why cases of disability are higher in males. It is also what causes most premature males to die after they`ve been stabilized. Bleeding in the brain is almost a guarantee if it`s a boy, and that most often leads to death.

I can`t remember all the details, but it appeared that mixed race children were receiving the best of both worlds when it came to early development. Instead of 80 / 20 it was evening out at 70 / 70 - so everything seemed to be pretty even in developmental level, and all higher than the counterparts.

This was incredibly important to us, as otherwise we were given a 0.5% chance of my son actually surviving. He had pretty much everything against him otherwise.

SceptileMaster 03-03-2009 01:28 AM

I hope this isn't a bad question to ask and please warn me if I'm going anywhere uncomfortable so I know I'm in the wrong but because your son was born so early does he look younger than all the other children his age? I was also born early, but not too early. Only 18 days.

burkhartdesu 03-03-2009 01:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nyororin (Post 680422)
Yes. Very underweight and premature. He was 14oz - born a little over halfway through the pregnancy. For proof, a fun photo from about 3 weeks after he was born;




I don`t know about a study on adults, but there is one for infants. Or at least premature infants. We were asked to take part in it as an example of a rare "mixed breed". In the case of early development, it seems that different races have different developmental schedules. The darker the skin, the more is dedicated to developing the lungs in the early stages - but less to the intestines. The lighter the skin, the more is dedicated to bodily regulation and the heart. So the darker a baby is the more likely they are to survive an early birth because the lungs are functional at an earlier stage - but at the same time they`re more likely to suffer from fatal infections. I believe that the senses receive more developmental resources in the early stages, so an Asian infant born early is less likely to lose their sight or hearing... There are also huge gender differences - females focus on brain development earlier than males (who focus on sexual development first in the order of things). This ends up meaning that the male brain is more susceptible to damage due to an early birth or other factors, and is supposedly the reason why cases of disability are higher in males. It is also what causes most premature males to die after they`ve been stabilized. Bleeding in the brain is almost a guarantee if it`s a boy, and that most often leads to death.

I can`t remember all the details, but it appeared that mixed race children were receiving the best of both worlds when it came to early development. Instead of 80 / 20 it was evening out at 70 / 70 - so everything seemed to be pretty even in developmental level, and all higher than the counterparts.

This was incredibly important to us, as otherwise we were given a 0.5% chance of my son actually surviving. He had pretty much everything against him otherwise.


This just confirms my theory! ... I don't have anything else to say regarding the topic... This thread was extremely powerful, and enlightening.

Sinestra 03-03-2009 01:46 AM

Nyororin thank you for sharing the photo and your story i think that answered some questions for us or at least gave us some insight into what is gained and lost in mixed children. A lot of that information i did not know now i have the urge to research even more. Im glad everything worked out and hes grown to be handsome young boy.

MMM 03-03-2009 01:58 AM

I never liked the term "half" for obvious reasons... l like this idea better:

Swirl Syndicate - About

Nyororin 03-03-2009 02:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SceptileMaster (Post 680455)
I hope this isn't a bad question to ask and please warn me if I'm going anywhere uncomfortable so I know I'm in the wrong but because your son was born so early does he look younger than all the other children his age? I was also born early, but not too early. Only 18 days.

Look younger? No. A lot smaller - yes. He is very thin to begin with, so he actually tends to look older in build and features than his peers... Until you compare size.


angelbott 03-03-2009 04:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nyororin (Post 680487)
Look younger? No. A lot smaller - yes. He is very thin to begin with, so he actually tends to look older in build and features than his peers... Until you compare size.


Your lovely son is very handsome young boy to me. ^^ I saw you pic of his underweight and very small baby I felt my heart is sorrow for your son I wish I want help with your son for fun ways and good times. ^^

and I really want hugs your son ^_^

burkhartdesu 03-03-2009 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nyororin (Post 680487)
Look younger? No. A lot smaller - yes. He is very thin to begin with, so he actually tends to look older in build and features than his peers... Until you compare size.



That is officially the cutest picture of all time.

Sinestra 03-03-2009 08:47 PM

Nyororin post sparked something in me that sent me on a day and half of internet adventures about genetics and various other things. I came across this article on Japan Times actually its a series of comments written by men and women who have mixed children and currently or have in the past reside in Japan the nationalities of the children are very diverse. These are all personal experiences and reading it gave me a moment to reflect on myself and my families mixed heritage.

Nyororin i would really like to hear you're opinion since the people writing in the article are similar to you.

The half, bi or double debate | The Japan Times Online

Sinestra 03-03-2009 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FLYBOMBER (Post 680799)
I'm sorry but how can you have mixed races in JAPAN?

Think about it how can you have mixed races anywhere the answer is pretty simple.

GentlePrincessJC 03-03-2009 11:28 PM

im cool w/ it. happens everyday.

Nyororin 03-03-2009 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sinestra (Post 680765)
Nyororin i would really like to hear you're opinion since the people writing in the article are similar to you.

I`d like to think that I don`t belong in the same group as the majority of those people - as lifestyles and attitudes usually do not overlap. It seems a big chunk of the fly-into-a-frenzy if they`re called gaijin, or if someone says half in front of them is of the "nothing in Japan is good enough" crowd, homeschooling their kids lest they be tainted, etc.

Throwing a fit over the "half" term seems like such a waste of time and effort, seeking out something to cry discrimination and racism over... While forgetting that you say pretty much the same thing in English.
I have absolutely no issues with the term and think that trying to force "double" or the like on others is pretty close to folly. "Half" has made itself a short and convenient Japanese word to refer to mixed race children. Double is NOT a Japanese word, so trying to stick it in there to replace simply doesn`t work. It comes off meaning twice as much, twice as good - which isn`t right.

But, of course, everyone loves to whine about being discriminated against in every capacity in Japan.

Sinestra 03-04-2009 12:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nyororin (Post 680841)
I`d like to think that I don`t belong in the same group as the majority of those people - as lifestyles and attitudes usually do not overlap. It seems a big chunk of the fly-into-a-frenzy if they`re called gaijin, or if someone says half in front of them is of the "nothing in Japan is good enough" crowd, homeschooling their kids lest they be tainted, etc.

Throwing a fit over the "half" term seems like such a waste of time and effort, seeking out something to cry discrimination and racism over... While forgetting that you say pretty much the same thing in English.
I have absolutely no issues with the term and think that trying to force "double" or the like on others is pretty close to folly. "Half" has made itself a short and convenient Japanese word to refer to mixed race children. Double is NOT a Japanese word, so trying to stick it in there to replace simply doesn`t work. It comes off meaning twice as much, twice as good - which isn`t right.

But, of course, everyone loves to whine about being discriminated against in every capacity in Japan.

Does that pretty much go hand and hand with what you commented earlier with people saying "cute" when refering to mixed child?

Its weird to see so many differnt perspectives on the matter. I never thought of myself or my sister as any different it felt natural to just say im mixed. But you are right you could go to any country and here people find something to link to discrimnation.

Thank you for imput I think it obvious why i asked for your input on the artice. oh i didnt mean group you with all the people in article it was more of the fact that you are raising a mixed child as these people are.

Nyororin 03-04-2009 12:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sinestra (Post 680858)
Does that pretty much go hand and hand with what you commented earlier with people saying "cute" when refering to mixed child?

Its weird to see so many differnt perspectives on the matter. I never thought of myself or my sister as any different it felt natural to just say im mixed. But you are right you could go to any country and here people find something to link to discrimnation.

Thank you for imput I think it obvious why i asked for your input on the artice. oh i didnt mean group you with all the people in article it was more of the fact that you are raising a mixed child as these people are.

Don`t worry, I understand that you weren`t grouping me with them - and the negativity wasn`t in your direction at all.

The cute thing, well... Really it`s more just a pet peeve than having anything deeply linked to discrimination, etc. Under normal circumstances I think it would be great to have someone comment that your kid is cute... But when that becomes an automatic response because of their racial background, it starts to get annoying. But I do suppose it`s much better than a negative reaction. It`s just hard to filter out the real compliments from the "Half? Must be cute then!" ones.

emiluvsjmusic 03-05-2009 09:21 AM

Half, swirl, mongrel, runt... whatever you want to call me..
My dad is Aussie, mum Japanese

Jaydelart 03-06-2009 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tenchu (Post 681559)
And where did I call you "runt"?

I didn't think she was trying to accuse you of anything. (?)

Nyororin 03-10-2009 06:25 AM

This thread has now been split into two - Race discussion has been moved to a currently closed thread in general discussion.
http://www.japanforum.com/forum/gene...iscussion.html

UsagiSarah 03-17-2009 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nyororin (Post 679670)
Cuteness is subjective, and not something I can really comment on.

His name is Motoki.

And yes, we live in Japan.

I hate to sound cold, but your post sounds like you want something cute - not a child. Have a baby because you want to have and raise a child, not because you think it would be so cute... Babies are babies and children are children - whether you think they`re cute or not. Be very careful, as I think you`ll find even more cold responses from other parents of mixed race children in Japan as it is REALLY irritating to have no one look at your child as a person - instead seeing them as a display of cuteness and that alone.

uuhm...ok? haha that had nothing to do with it.

UsagiSarah 03-17-2009 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nyororin (Post 679896)
Because she is basing the "cuteness" factor on race. Everyone wants cute children, but not everyone goes around talking about how very cute kids must be because they`re of a specific racial background.

Chances are, if you don`t live in Japan, you won`t get the sheer exasperation behind this. In Japan, "half" equals "cute". Which is fine to an extent, I guess, until it starts getting in the way of normal life. ie. People forgive ANYTHING your child does instead of properly responding and scolding because "Aww, they`re so cute! I wish I had a half child!" (Of course, all the while scolding the other kids.) Or... Instead of praising something your kids does, they just respond with "That`s so CUTE!!" and never actually look at anything else...
Or when you go out somewhere, having people stop in their tracks and point while giggling "Look! It`s so cute!!!" and taking pictures without asking you, etc.

Imagine that on a daily basis. My son is no cuter than other children. It`s a RACIAL thing - based only on the fact that he is half something other than Japanese, which is why it bothers me.

excuse me but what i said to you had nothing to do about race, i think all children are cute, and my son or daughter will be half japanese as well, i'm just saying your baby must be a cute baby, i didn't say "your baby must be cute because he is half japanese" i didn't even say anything offensive. I came here looking for people to share their stories as a mixed race couple, not to be snapped at for something so completely opposite for what i was saying.

UsagiSarah 03-17-2009 10:09 PM

I am requesting this thread to be shut down since everyone has taken things out of context. I did not think i would be treated so rudely here.

ozkai 04-08-2009 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UsagiSarah (Post 679204)
I was wondering if anybody on here are a mixed race couple with children or babies on the way, or are children of mixed races in Japan.

I am a Caucasian woman marrying a Japanese man. We are very excited to start our family soon after marrying. I would like to get to know others who have married other races maybe share some photos of children!

I always enjoy seeing mixed race families where i work it makes me excited about my future family!

Hi Usagi.

SURE

Cheeky monkey Kai Daniel







ozkai 04-08-2009 02:45 PM

And a few more:eek:









RobinMask 04-12-2009 03:43 PM

Aww, I just had to comment, your child is absolutely adorable Ozkai :) You must be really proud. He's one of the cutest kids I've seen.

I was curious - though it may be a little off-topic - but do mixed-raced children face any challenges growing up or as adults in Japan? I wondered if there was any discrimination at all or if they were accepted as normally as one would expect.

Rogozhin 04-12-2009 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobinMask (Post 696951)
I was curious - though it may be a little off-topic - but do mixed-raced children face any challenges growing up or as adults in Japan? I wondered if there was any discrimination at all or if they were accepted as normally as one would expect.

Based on my childhood: no, not really (though my memory is a bit fuzzy here)

Based on my recent trips to Japan: not at all (I think a lot of half-bloods have the chameleon gene where they're able to pass as whatever they speak =P)

My challenges regarding race were all in Australia.

redbone 04-16-2009 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoshAussie (Post 679362)
I believe the correct term is Blasian. lol.

"(Hope that's not offensive)"

Lol @ "correct term"

keichichan 04-24-2009 06:08 PM

Well in my experiance (I'm 14 so I'm only in High school) with mixed race children, as they get older people aren't always going to be welcoming. And lots of people are against marrying outside of race. I for one am not one fo those people. I say if ya love them marry them. I live in the states, and am white, but I prefer men of asian ethnicity. In my opinio they have better manners. -.-
I have two have Chinese American cousins and four German American cousins. But of course they are all older in age. ^.^

keichichan 04-24-2009 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobinMask (Post 696951)
Aww, I just had to comment, your child is absolutely adorable Ozkai :) You must be really proud. He's one of the cutest kids I've seen.

I was curious - though it may be a little off-topic - but do mixed-raced children face any challenges growing up or as adults in Japan? I wondered if there was any discrimination at all or if they were accepted as normally as one would expect.

Here in the United States it's very difficult for mixed children. Especially if a white marries an african american. But I've said before that people here in the U.S lack compassion and manners.

MMM 04-24-2009 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keichichan (Post 703319)
Here in the United States it's very difficult for mixed children. Especially if a white marries an african american. But I've said before that people here in the U.S lack compassion and manners.

Where in the world do you come up with this stuff? Instead of saying "Here in the U.S." say "Here in [town I live in]" because I think your experiences are likely limited enough that you cannot speak for the entire country.

Where I live there are lots of mixed race children in any combination you can think of. White and black is as common as white and Asian, black and Hispanic, etc. Life for these children is as hard as it is for a single-race child. There is no need for "compassion" as they are not handicapped or looked down upon. In fact some are jealous of kids in bilingual households because they can speak two languages without even trying.

ozkai 05-22-2009 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMM (Post 703338)
In fact some are jealous of kids in bilingual households because they can speak two languages without even trying.

Aha.. That;s my man and my boy shall be exactly that..

He is already saying ne after every single English word:vsign:

iPhantom 05-22-2009 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ozkai (Post 721009)
He is already saying ne after every single English word:vsign:

He is mixing them together, not talking separately. a cousin of mine started doing the same and he had trouble learning which was this or that language. Where do you live, Japan? If yes, it is best to talk to him only English, even outside with Japanese people or his friends.

He can learn Japanese via friends.

this is the best way, trust me.

ozkai 05-22-2009 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iPhantom (Post 721015)
He is mixing them together, not talking separately. a cousin of mine started doing the same and he had trouble learning which was this or that language. Where do you live, Japan? If yes, it is best to talk to him only English, even outside with Japanese people or his friends.

He can learn Japanese via friends.

this is the best way, trust me.

Trust you LOL...

I'll ask where he lives tomorrow:confused:

xYinniex 05-28-2009 12:14 PM

Who said mixed race children aren't gona be accepted?
Usually they're even more accepted into jobs than an full asian. In London, I guess, but London is a metropolitan capital.

Plus, I know loads of mixed race children and they become pretty much whitewashed, [no offence, I'm pretty damn white washed myself] and blend into society.

Maybe in a country with a majority asian population with China and Japan, but even then, Mixed race kids are always looked with admiration, because most of them are quite good looking. In Japan, you got celebrities that at mixed race, like Erika Sawajiri, Shirota Yuu.

ozkai 05-28-2009 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xYinniex (Post 723639)
Who said mixed race children aren't gona be accepted?
Usually they're even more accepted into jobs than an full asian. In London, I guess, but London is a metropolitan capital.

Plus, I know loads of mixed race children and they become pretty much whitewashed, [no offence, I'm pretty damn white washed myself] and blend into society.

Maybe in a country with a majority asian population with China and Japan, but even then, Mixed race kids are always looked with admiration, because most of them are quite good looking. In Japan, you got celebrities that at mixed race, like Erika Sawajiri, Shirota Yuu.

This definitely depends and which location and how.

I do agree that mixed races are admired, but not always.

I've got firneds with dual kids in Japan, I also have good full bllooded Japanese friends in Japan whose kids were scholled from young in the US.

I have good Japanese friends in Sydney, their kids, once again, full Japanese are thoroughly enjoying Aussie school and things could not be better.

I coached these two friends in my lesson and took them through the stages beofre and after with my parents helping in Sydney.

Hiromi has the surf, the kids have their school which they are loving, and the sky is the limit for Masahi and his road touring bike.

Relocation was a huge barrier for me with our son and quite possibly is what led to my marriage breakdown.

I figured, if we went to live in Japan and he wasn't accepted, It would have been up to me to play counsellor. I figured, should any child have to go through this.

I think if a mixed child in Japan has an outgoing personality able to tuck small things behind, he/she will be popular (looks considered), whereas in Thailand, it didn't matter.

I'm sure Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Phillipines and other's are just as sound, but Japan is a very unique place.

As an adult, I love Japan, I don't have to fit in, but I am past the learning stage and no longer need educating. It is very different for a small child going through schooling and their are huge barriers and hurdles.

Sinestra 05-28-2009 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keichichan (Post 703319)
Here in the United States it's very difficult for mixed children. Especially if a white marries an african american. But I've said before that people here in the U.S lack compassion and manners.

WOW really?:eek: open mouth and insert foot. Where the hell did you hear that nonsense from? Speaking as an African African with a very mixed background of as many races as you can name off i can tell you thats not the case at all. My sister is half black and half German and neither of us experienced any other hardship that a kid of pure race and close in age had.

Before you make comments please research or at least say where you live or an area you are familiar with because that is not the case for the whole of the US. Why in the hell would a mixed child need compassion? In most cases they are better prepared to enter society than pure race kids.

I see nothing changes around here.


All times are GMT. The time now is 01:25 PM.

Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.0.0 RC6