"Why are Americans, particularly black Americans, so quick to holler racism?"

I've heard this asked a lot. Actually, it's not always in question form. It's more like an incontrovertible statement, usually from the lips of nonblack people here in Japan. Some black people, too.

I've been accused of dropping R-bombs so often — sometimes without having even uttered the word — that I've unconsciously, and sometimes even consciously, modified my gut responses to the foolishness that constantly goes on here. I tell myself these modifications are sanity preservation — a survival tactic, and quite necessary for long-term happiness not only in Japan but in the U.S., too.