"The Amazing Jackass"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RoNemjcjGE

The above is a link that will lead to a youtube video of a gentleman who calls himself the "Amazing Racist". He is quite proud of what he does also. I chose this video because we are reading about the Japanese and other ethnicity's of Asian descent that came over to America.

The video relates to class material in the way of racism. We have been studying racism and oppression all semester. "The Amazing Racist" has many other videos but I chose this one because of this weeks reading of Takaki's chapter 10. It is all about the Japanese and their emigration to America. The chapter than goes beyond their emigration to only Hawaii and talks about their beginnings on the mainland. It was all but pleasant. They were subjected to racial exclusionism and discrimination. "Through the Nisei, the parents hoped, the Japanese would someday find tolerance in America. English speaking and educated in American schools, the second-generation Japanese would be the 'ambassadors' for the first: they would teach white Americans about the cultured of Japan and the hopes of the immigrant generation. As 'intermediaries', they would 'interpret' the East to the West and the West to the East,. The Nisei would be the 'bridge' to the larger society. But citizenship and education, the second generation soon discovered, did not immunize them from racial discrimination. Even they, American citizens by birth, were told to 'go back' to Japan and were called 'Japs.' Walking home from school, Japanese children were often perceived as foreigners. They winced when they were asked: "You speak English well; how long have you been in this country?" As citizens, they were legally allowed to own land and homes, but they experienced widespread housing discrimination" (Takaki, 274).

So, we can see how the material relates to the video. Racism is still very much prevalent today as it was when the Japanese first came to America. I don't understand how anyone could do such things and actually put it out for the public to view but I suppose youtube is not regulated. It disgusts me and that guy should be forced to live in harsh conditions and work for virtually pennies. He obviously has his history wrong as well. However, that's probably because he never went beyond a high school education, if he even went that far. Based on his outright ignorance, I cannot imagine he did. That guy is not an "Amazing Racist". Rather, he is an "Amazing Jackass"!

Source:

Takaki, Ronald.A Different Mirror:A History of Multicultural America.Boston, New York, Toronto, London.Little, Brown And Company.Chapter 10.pg.274.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RoNemjcjGE.

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