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- If You Don't Like it Here, Go Home
- By: Amy Uehara
- The UMJ Volume 2.6 (Opinion)
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A common response by non-Japanese to the letters of complaint by other non-Japanese which appear in Daily English languages newspapers is to tell them to leave if they can't stand it here. I often wonder if these letters are ever translated so that the intended audience can read them. Isn't it just spitting into the wind to complain about the host nation in a forum which is read by a small portion of the native citizens? If one has a major gripe, it would be better to be part of the solution by confronting the source of the problem. If, for example, service at a restaurant is poor, talking to the manager directly in a mature way may help to improve service. Certainly, nothing is to be gained by complaining to a nearby customer. Recently, an advertisement in a mail-order catalog for an imported bed caught my eye. It said "even if a huge American slept on this mattress nightly, you needn't worry about it losing its shape," and "it's strong enough for even the roughest, heaviest American." I could have written to an English daily but the company would not be likely to see my complaint. I called the company directly and was greeted by several polite people. They were embarrassed and compassionate and promised to be more sensitive. They didn't know that foreigners read their catalog. More recently, I received a newsletter from a Tokyo international club for a night of African dance. Foreigners were to be admitted free of charge. Japanese were expected to pay a whopping Yen1,000. I called and asked if my children were to pay Yen500 or not for being half Japanese. They laughed but maintained the same policy for an other Balinese concert. This time, I asked Active Line for help. Ms Sonoda wrote a tactful letter requesting that group to set a standard human being fee. I also wrote a letter to them and feel this was more productive than a letter to an English daily. I may spout off at my husband about "his people, or his country, or his language." This is unfair as well as useless. I live here and am not planning to return to a country I haven't lived in for 14 years. As this is my home, I feel, I want to live here comfortably and I must make an effort to be less passive and more communicative with people in authority here. Joining UMJ is a step in that active direction. Confrontation is not the goal but being a more participatory member of the main society is a worthy goal.
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