Half or Double

[misorano 1]

Does anyone else find the term "half" for describing kids of international marraiges a bit demeaning? (Sorry if this has been brought up before).

 

Over a few beers the other night we were trying to come up with a better phrase.

Only 2 we came up with were:

 

Double

Hybrid

 

Any better ideas?

[bushpig 0]

a friend of mine likes to call hers "both"

[number9 0]

I find double to be pretentious (like they're twice as better than the general population of inbred sods )

 

Hybrid's cool, heh.

 

But "haafu" is different from "half" even though that is the origin of the word, as it's taken on the additional meaning of "half Japanese". So there's no need to get your panties in a bunch about it being discriminating. "Konketsu" (mixed blood) used to be a regularly used word, but now it's deemed offensive because of their usage in the past (post-war).

[Ocean11 0]

'Mongrel' I think is the scientific term. As in, "If you keep up with that you little mongrel, I'm going to skin you alive."

[bushpig 0]

mongrel....

[Ocean11 0]

 Quote:

Originally posted by number9:
But "haafu" is different from "half" even though that is the origin of the word, as it's taken on the additional meaning of "half Japanese". So there's no need to get your panties in a bunch about it being discriminating.

I'd be willing to bet that the origin of the word "haafu" is from the English half-caste , a word I heard frequently in my youth. Of course it's 'discriminating' (as in, spotting the difference), but it's hardly demeaning, especially as it's used in Japan with no understanding of the colonial baggage it comes with.

number9, do I detect an ever so slight irritation with what some foreigners are wont to discuss over a few beers...? I think I do...

[js 0]

Mongrel/Hybrid = same thing.

 

Suppose it's like: is the glass half full or half empty i.e Hybrid has a positive connotation.

 

If it's any consolation, scientifically, Mongrels/Hybrids are usually superior to 'pedigree/thoroughbreds'.

[misorano 1]

Can't believe you don't think calling someone "half" is not demeaning. Everytime I hear it (on a regular basis) it think think "half of what?"

I know people use it without thinking negative thoughts, it just pops out, but it pisses me off.

 

Double or dual may sound pretentious, but it is more accurate as it could refer to nationality.

 

Maybe I'm more pissed off than usual as I had to go through he whole process of changing addresses yesterday for our new place, and of course I had to get double the paper work that a Japanese needs with my wife's and kids Jumin Hyo and my gaikokujin touroku shoumeisho. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[number9 0]

O11, sorry. It's not this particular thread, but this pops up regularly in various Japan related discussions in English, and I find it odd and patronizing that someone self-righteous who's not even in that demographic wants to teach "haafus" how and when they should be offended. The OP didn't have any of that though, so my reply was kinda off topic.

[Yuki's Passion 1]

Half? I dated a girl whos a "half" though she was a lot more whole than most J-girls. Tall, sexy, big tits, nice full @ss, you get the picture. Anyways, mom is Japanese and dad is English. She called herself half. Dont think its worth getting that upset over.

 

What about black moms and white dads? Their kids are halfs in the states (or oreos if you wanna be a racist ****) Point is, its not just Japan and if I had a son and somebody called em half, I still say his "half" is bigger than your "whole"

 

BTW, double sounds stupid. Why dont you use mixed? Its more appropriate, isnt it?

[fjef 0]

both of my kids usually respond to 'half' by saying that they are both Japanese and Canadian. They do this to shorten the next line of conversation that usually assumes they are 'americajin'.

 

This has not come from their parents; its just how they have decided to deal with it when it comes up.

 

It something they only have to deal with in Japan - my older son (13) commented this year that when he is in Canada, it is never brought up when meeting/talking to people. But it is not an issue that really bothers him - it was just something he thought was interesting...

[minus 1]

Do any of your kids get bullied or anything like that for being "half" here?

[ncorrenti 0]

I guess it is demeaning to call someone "half" Japanese simply because one of their parents is not Japanese. If you are born in a country and have lived there most of your life then that's your nationality, simple as that.

 

Having said that, I don't think a lot of people take offense to this sort of thing unless it's said in a demeaning way. People often ask me if I'm "half " and it doesn't bother me a bit.

[indosnm 0]

When I was living in Indonesia we called the half kids "Gado Gado"

Gado Gado is an indonesian dish, mixed rice..

[Ocean11 0]

> Do any of your kids get bullied or anything like that for being "half" here?

 

My son gets called 'gaijin' quite a lot by his friends and acquaintances, but he doesn't respond to it as bullying.

 

Apparently 25% of all marriages in Japan now are to foreigners (!) so it won't be long before the situation in Canada prevails here.

[ncorrenti 0]

Gado Gado is yum!

[fjef 0]

It certainly didn't come from me, but both of my kids are 'cute' and most of the attention they get is positive and/or a result of curiosity. It is very rare that there is any negative attention.

 

I can think of only one negative occasion where my son was picked on (hit, pushed around) and called 'americajin' when he changed schools (about grade 4?) and the school called both sets of parents in and we talked about it directly with the kid causing the problem. The teacher and principal handled it very well and the 2 kids became close friends shortly after.

 

We had Dutch friends in our neighbourhood when we lived in central Tokyo and their son was the same age as our oldest. Both attended Japanese schools (though not the same ones). He had bright red hair and lots of freckles and he was bullied badly enough because of his looks that they moved back to Europe.

 

Our experience was very different from theirs. But I also think a lot depends on how the child learns to handle his/her situation and can talk about it with their parents.

[bushpig 0]

 Quote:

Originally posted by Ocean11:

Apparently 25% of all marriages in Japan now are to foreigners (!) so it won't be long before the situation in Canada prevails here.

Really? Wow! Where did you find that little gold nugget of info O11?

[Ocean11 0]

> Where did you find that little gold nugget of info O11?

 

I can't remember ... And I'm seriously beginning to doubt its accuracy too...

[Yuki's Passion 1]

actually its not nearly that high. Its only about 5%. In 2003 it was 1 out 20 marriages according to Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare.

 

My 3rd year hs debate class was on mixed marriages and the falling birthrate last semester. Found out quite a bit of interesting information.

[bushpig 0]

cheers fellas. That sounded too good to be true eh!

[bobby12 0]

I'd be surprised if its even 2.5%.

 

Personally I dont have a problem with the term 'haafu' or 'gaijin' - for me its just the accepted word used to describe something in Japan, like how the word 'pasokon' means 'personal computer'.

 

My wife and I regularly use the words gaijin and haafu with no qualms. Maybe in an ideal word the word wouldnt be haafu, but just because the origin is bad it doesnt mean the people are using it with any negative intent.

[bushpig 0]

no, they probably aren't bobby12, but why is there a need to differentiate between all the Japanese kids and the half kid when the half kid has grown up in Japan speaking Japanese, watching J-Tv, going to all the same festivals, going thru all the same school system, etc. etc.? Is this kid not as Japanese as the rest of them? Why does he or she need to be labelled as different?

[bushpig 0]

BTW, B12, I too use the word gaijin to describe myself, and feel exactly the same way you do about it. It is just a word. But I think the case becomes a little more complicated with the word half. Some kids couldn't give a rats arse about it, and that's great. But I know of some kids who it has really bothered, because they see themselves as just as Japanese as the other kids in the school. In these kinds of cases it can be a problem.

[bobby12 0]

 Quote:

why is there a need to differentiate between all the Japanese kids and the half kid when the half kid has grown up in Japan speaking Japanese, watching J-Tv, going to all the same festivals, going thru all the same school system, etc. etc.? Is this kid not as Japanese as the rest of them? Why does he or she need to be labelled as different?

Because he looks different! People will always naturally want to use a different word to describe them. Right or wrong thats how it is. Its like if a person is albino, or is a beautiful girl with massive tits, or only has one arm, then you can be sure whenever anyone is describing them they will mention these unusual traits.

I dont even think half is a bad word - it just means their parentage is 'half' one nationality and half another - which is exactly what it is. No-one is implying they are half a person.