Back in January, I was a panelist at Waseda University's Global Institute for Asian Regional Integration, invited to give an "activist's perspective" to an academic crowd.
Academics are a tough audience. In a way, they're the activist's antithesis. Researchers must offer "dispassionate" analysis — looking at data without taking any sides or showing any "bias." This means academics often view the fight for human rights fundamentally differently.
For example, when I talk about the nationwide spread of "Japanese Only" exclusionary signs, academics often become doubting Thomases. To them, a few signs up are not necessarily indicative of a trend. Their issue is a matter of degree — i.e. are there enough signs up to demonstrate, say, "statistical significance"? For the activist, however, it's a matter of incidence. One "Japanese Only" sign is too many. Even one sign is enough to violate the Japanese Constitution and United Nations treaty.