I doubt that will be the opinion of majority of Okinawans.Lots of Okinawans are much more concerned with “equality” with mainland.Such as employment rate,income level or presence of U.S military in the community.Some even raised the issue of discrimination for not identifying Okinawans as “Japanese”.

Ethnic groups are defined only when the whole community possess shared and persistent identity that duplicates others.
In Okinawa,Amamis(which is part of Ryukyu cultural sphere despite it had been under direct governance by the Satsuma clan)are said to face discrimination while the mainlanders do not.Same can be said about islanders from outliers.This contradicts the idea that Okinawans possess independent ethnic identity.Not that I deny “us vs them” mentality among the Okinawans in certain issues like WW2 and US bases.But this is basically restricted in the Okinawa main Island.

And I promised not to comment today. Damn.

Oh NO. While Burakumin do have various protections (the Dowa laws) they should not, not, not be treated as an ehtnic group. Not only do they not want it (this is something forced on them by the UN report and Debito, etc.) but what needs to be done with the Burakumin is for people to forget that they were even an issue in the first place. When the occupations of their ancestors are relegated to history books and not made a subject of present discrimination, they win. I’ve talked with some younger Japanese about Burakumin and some don’t know about them at all – this is very good in a way as they have LOST their ability, desire to discriminate against the group – they just become “mainstream” or poor people who should be helped through regular welfare channels.

If, for example, Burakumin go around trumpeting Burakumin status, people will “remember” to discriminate against them. Burakumin are not ethnically distinct, they have no distinct culture, the best thing for everyone is if the status becomes an issue of history, perhaps an anti-discrimination parable, etc.

Okinawan is another story though. I’ve heard Okinawans suggest that following the official recognition of Ainu as an ethnic minority, they might try for it next. But I don’t think that necessarily means support of any kind of independence movement. Actually I don’t know what it would mean. It’s not like in the US (or for that matter, Taiwan), where recognized native tribes get special privileges. There’s very practical reasons for the movement in Hawaii to gain official native status, but I don’t know what Okinawa would actually gain, aside from pride. Maybe more autonomous control over things like education policy? I certainly don’t see special Diet seats happening (or think it’s a very good idea.)

On “debate”.

1)I don’t recall a single Buraku liberation activist demanding different “ethnicity” status.

2)People of Okinawa chosed the status of Japanese prefecture in democratic election.Unlike,say Hong Kong.There has been pro-independece group running for power in local election but getting very little votes,unlike,say Taiwan.And most of these talks on Okinawan ethnicity talk are made in the campus in either Naha or Yamato.But never in the outlier like say,Ishigaki or Yonaguni.

The assertion that the Okinawans are ethnically and racially Japanese is quite shaky. The Okinawans are certainly Japanese citizens with all the legal protection that entails, but an awful lot of people consider them to be historically a distinct ethnic group, culture, and political entity. It is widely accepted that the Ryukyu languages collectively form a major branch of the Japanese language tree, with all dialects found throughout the rest of Japan forming a separate branch. There’s a reason that Okinawan historians use the term “Yamato” when referring to “all of Japan except Okinawa”, even today.

Wetherall’s statements about wanting everyone to be equal and all that sound admirable, but he also seems to be coming from a political motivation that denies certain aspects of history. I’ll grant that the stuff about ethnicity is all up for debate, but he acts as if there is NO debate.

And then there’s the section where he denies Japan even had colonies, which IS something there is no serious debate about, even among the crazy right-wingers.

I’d love to attack his arguments line by line (and point out which parts I agree with) but I’m spending WAY too much on this when I should be writing my presentation for Friday’s zemi…

Anyway,what I want to say is Utoro is more of a place where you can learn about what it is to be living as a squatter in Japan,but not as a Korean…..

I don’t think I said anything that implies I EXPECT Japanese to go looting wealthy Zainichi during the recession – only the simple point that economic success is not proof against discrimination. You’re taking my comparison WAY too far. I only meant for the last two sentences in my previous comment to be about the Jewish situation, not any comparison with Japan. And BTW, the “lots of people” I meant in the last sentence were non-Jews.

Still, since you mentioned it, I would say that the 1923 riots were a kind of mini-pogrom, but luckily it didn’t become a pattern. I also don’t think it’ll be a pattern in the future, but if I’m going to start predicting things for 50 years from now I might as well picture myself watching the hologram news in my house on Mars.

And Wetherall concludes by saying that Japan does indeed need an anti-discrimination law:
“The consequences of such an anti-racial discrimination law would be as follows.

1. All people in Japan would be regarded as human beings without racial or ethnic differentiation.

2. The only differentiation between people would be nationality, a purely civil status devoid of racial or ethnic implications.

3. Consequently, the word “Japanese” could be legally used only to refer to people who possess Japanese nationality as provided by the Nationality Law.

4. Consequently, the word “foreigner” could be legally used only to refer to people who do not possess Japanese nationality.

5. People who say or write things like “looks Japanese” or “looks foreign”—or “looks Ainu” or “looks “Korean” or “looks African”—would be warned and penalized if they persisted saying such things.

6. Since racial discrimination is absolutely prohibited, no Japanese or non-Japanese would be allowed to differentiate themselves racially or ethnically for the purpose of obtaining preferential treatment in law or policy, or in any public or commercial service.”

I believe the last point is one he brings up several times. One Ainu activist group wants special permanent representation in the Diet over and above what they are already entitled to as Japanese citizens. This is obviously patently unfair to all other Japanese citizens. Reverse discrimination is not a cure for discrimination. Multiculturalism is not a cure for the world’s ills – indeed, it only exacerbates them.

As for Utoro, I used to live in Kyoto and Dr. Wetherall’s and Aceface’s assessments are a whole lot closer to the truth than what the Utoro residents would tell you. Yes, some of their ancestors were forced into the area over 60 years ago. Yes, they were then basically abandoned there. No one forced them or their descendants to stay. Sure they live in horrible conditions, but they chose to. Yes, Uji never put in decent sewers or anything else. Of course they didn’t, it’s private land! It was always someone else’s land. The original owner may not have forced the issue of making them leave, but so what? Look, if I see you down and out and as a friend say “Look, Roy, I’ve got an extra room, why don’t you use it until you get yourself sorted out” I don’t give up ownership of that room just because you keep staying there after you’ve worn out your welcome. It doesn’t become your room, or your kids’ room, or your grandkids’ room, it’s my room. And if 40 or 50 years later I say “get out”, then you get out. Or buy the house from me, which seems to be what the Utoro residents finally did. Funny, that – they cry about how they’re oppressed and need help, and when that doesn’t work they suddenly discover money and buy what they should have bought in the firstplace.

Yeah, Koreans face discrimination, but sometimes it is because they are complete and total prats.