“Being 'othered' in Japan is not the same as oppression” (June 29) is a very well-written, empathetic article. However, the fact that this article has come from a privileged "white" professor itself underlines the existence of racism in Japan.
How many Black or Asian (non-Japanese) professors do you find in Japan compared to their white counterparts? Why are they not writing about themselves and why do privileged white people have to write on their behalf? As the author has also claimed, white Western people in Japan do not understand racism. This may be for a number of reasons.
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