He interviewed Latin people living in Japan to find out how they feel about being Latinos in Japan. He also interviewed a half-Japanese person who grew up in Peru to find out what he thinks about being a Peruvian in Japan.
Video Synopsis
I am from Ecuador and my father is Colombian. I wanted a career in fashion and modelling in Japan, but a large number of people don’t know enough about South America or Latin Americans, so it’s kindof annoying to get sexualized by them. I have no friends in South America, but Japanese people are very nice and I’ve learned a great deal from them. I also love eating Latin food in Japan and I can speak Japanese, but I’m switching on and off.
Being Latino in Japan means learning about the culture and getting used to the people. You have to learn Japanese and adapt to the culture. But don’t forget where you come from. To make Japanese friends you have to learn Japanese and learn Japanese culture. You can’t just say “I’m learning Japanese” and expect people to know what you’re talking about.
Omar Minami is a half Japanese, half Peruvian man who has lived in Japan for 18 years, and says he doesn’t feel half Japanese. He gets treated like a foreigner even though he has a valid Japanese passport.
I have been in Mexico for about three years, but I’m not sure I’d go back to Japan. I’m from Mexico, and I’m now living here in Japan. At the start I tried to change my accent and my behaviour to fit in, but then I realised that you can’t change yourself.
In general, do your friends come from Japan or Mexico? I think that my personal characteristics make me more likely to associate myself with Japanese people rather than Mexicans.
Latinos are a very small minority in Japan, and you can only find them in certain locations. Most of them live in Tokyo, Yokohoma, maybe Osaka, and South America. The Japanese people don’t know much about Latin culture. Compared to like American age or Asia culture, they think that Latin America is poorer, but in reality it’s more developed than they think!
