Microaggressions in Japan Through the Lens of Southeast Asians

As the number of foreigners continues to grow in Japan, it is unavoidable that cross-cultural issues will arise. Among those issues, it is imperative to pay extra attention to the quality of life of racial minorities in Japan, what kind of difficulties they face, and how their living conditions can be improved. Microaggressions are deniable and covert acts of racism that reinforce stereotypes and social norms, regardless of whether the perpetrators of those acts bear the intention to offend (Williams, 2020). The implicit biases that accompany microaggressions can pass down through generations and negatively impact racial minorities’ mental and physical well-being, along with their treatment by the system (in matters like judicial rulings and healthcare) (Williams et al., 2021). Covert racism can also be observed in Japanese society, with the idea of a societal hierarchy present within Japan’s racial diversity (Murphy & Shigematsu, 2001). Additionally, the Japanese tend to have a strict definition of Japaneseness that excludes other ethnicities, such as foreigners, and Japanese nationals such as the Ainu and the Zainichi Koreans (Kaiwai, 2015). Within those groups, the latter two experienced a notable degree of oppression and discrimination throughout Japanese history (Yamada & Yusa, 2014; Kitahara, 2022). At present, microaggressions towards people of color are widespread in our societies and little is known about how they affect victims’ physical and mental wellbeing. To fill the gap in the current literature and gain a deeper understanding of how microaggressions affect Southeast Asian residents of Japan, the present study explored the relationship between Southeast Asian residents and Japanese society, with a special focus on their experience with implicit biases and microaggressions. The study attempted to answer the following research questions: 1.How do microaggressions present themselves and Japanese society? 2.How do Southeast Asians make sense of microaggressions?The study employed qualitative research. Semi-structured interviews were performed through two open-ended questionnaires on Google Forms. Participants of the first survey were asked about their familiarity with the concept of microaggressions, along with their experience living in Japan and whether they have encountered microaggressive acts. The second survey was sent out exclusively to Vietnamese participants, where they were asked to provide their opinions regarding Vietnamese signs in a Japanese store telling them not to commit theft, along with their thoughts on how Japanese society perceived them. From both surveys, 12 responses were recorded. The collected data was then analyzed inductively to allow common themes to emerge. Additionally, the autoethnographic accounts were also provided to support the findings. The participant accounts confirmed that microaggressions exist in Japanese society, yet they often go unacknowledged by those on the receiving end, despite still causing emotional distress to a certain degree. Furthermore, the findings also indicated that some Southeast Asians may sympathize with the Japanese and view microaggressive acts as justified which may be attributable to Southeast Asian residents internalizing their own negative stereotypes. However, microaggressive acts going unacknowledged does not necessarily mean that they have no impact on different minority groups in our societies. They likely create an unwelcoming environment for both majority and minority group members. Therefore, it is necessary to take effective measures to stand against microaggressions targeting all minority groups to create an inclusive and accepting society. Active efforts from the government to improve the quality of life for Southeast Asians should be taken into consideration. Southeast Asians should be encouraged to reflect on their own experiences and call out discriminatory and microaggressive actions on the spot. Finally, due to the present study’s small sample size, a larger-scale study with participants from more diverse backgrounds should allow gaining a deeper understanding of the experiences of different groups with microaggressions and the way they respond to them.