Joel Assogba: dad on a mission

By Tokyo Families | COMMUNITY CENTER

Joel Assogba is a writer-illustrator, a freelance columnist, author of trilingual books in Japanese, English and French, and also a passionate public speaker.  Above all, he is a father --  with a big mission.  TF talks to Joel. 

TF:  What brought you to Japan in 1994? 
Joel: Among other reasons, the interest in medieval Japanese classic literature. I love KAMO no Chomei, a Japanese author, poet, essayist, and philosopher so I decided to come to Japan to learn more about his work. 

TF: Tell us about your family and journey in Japan in the last 17 years. 
Joel:  My 17 years in Japan have been quite memorable.  My daughter Karen-Anne (now 17 years old) was born in Chikugo city, my son Georges-Eric (now 15 years old)  and my daughter Erika-Joelle, 12,  were born in Kumamoto city. My wife Reiko, our three precious children and I used to live in a crowded small apartment in the town center for 5 years before we moved into a beautiful two-storey house we bought in a wealthy neighborhood.  I ran a language school called “Queen’s,” in Chikugo city (a small city located 40 minutes by express train from Hakata, Fukuoka) where I taught English and French.  There were too many social issues in Japan (bullying, racism, all forms of discrimination, violence, injustice, poverty…), but not many people were willing to stand up and challenge them. Everything seemed okay, and there were more bystanders than evildoers; “The world is dangerous not because of people who do harm, but because of people who look at it without doing anything.” (Albert Einstein)

I have always spoken in public in protest against injustice, to comfort the oppressed and will continue to do so for the rest of my life not only for my children but for future generation.    

TF: Japan is an aging society and needs more people like you and your children. What made you decide to leave Japan to settle permanently in Canada? 
Joel:  More than any other economically advanced nations in the world, Japan needs mass immigration for its survival. So it should make an effort to keep long time residents and families by truly promoting multiculturalism and cultural diversity, but it is the last thing Japanese leaders have on their agenda. My children were born and raised in Japan.  Japanese is their native language, but they were always treated as foreigners.  We were not really welcomed as true members of the society, so living permanently in Japan as foreigners was against my philosophy of cultural diversity. Everyone has the right to move freely to any part of the world, keep his ethnic and cultural identity, but not be considered as a foreigner once settled in his/her adopted nation. I have worked hard in promoting these values  all those years living there and still doing it from Canada by writing articles in Japanese newspapers, getting involved in the Japanese community here in Ottawa  via the Embassy of Japan. 

It has been only a year since we moved to Ottawa-Gatineau and it’s amazing how my children have quickly adapted to the multi-ethnic and multicultural environment.  They have just bloomed and are quite happy to live in Canada. Their English has improved a lot, and they are starting to pick up some French as well. I was moved to tears when my eldest daughter, Karen-Anne, wrote me a wonderful note on Father’s Day, I quote: “Dear だD (the way she wrote “Daddy” when she started writing at 3). Thank you for thinking of our future and bringing us to Canada. I think it was the right decision and I have no regret.” 

TF:  You have published a book about “Ijime” or bullying of multiracial children. What inspired you to write it? 
Joel: It’s a bilingual book in Japanese and English (both languages in the same book), and the title is “Gobo san no iro wa・・・?/ What Color are Burdocks?”.  My children were often teased by other Japanese kids because of the color of their skin.  “Black and dirty as burdocks”  was one of the terms that often came up.

My children got quite upset when I once brought home a picture book, “Ninjin-san ga Akai Wake” (“The Reason Why Carrot is Red”) from the local library.  Written by renowned Japanese author of children’s literature Miyoko Matsutani, the story unfolds like this: A carrot and a burdock ask a white radish (daikon) out to a bath. The burdock jumps in the water but soon hops out because the water is too hot; it remains black. The carrot stays in the hot water longer and turns red. The daikon cools the bath with some cold water and washes himself thoroughly, which turns him shining white.  At the end, the three stand beside each other to compare their color. The burdock is black and dirty because he did not wash his body properly; the daikon is white and beautiful because he did. 

When I was talking about this story during one of my lectures on human rights issues at a PTA meeting in Fukuoka, one of the participants, a Japanese mother of an African-Japanese preschool boy, started crying and saying that her son was taunted, ridiculed and called “burdock” after his pre-school teacher read the aforementioned book to the class. When the little boy returned home that day, he jumped into the bathtub, started washing his body crying, “I hate my light brown skin, I hate the burdock, I’m dirty and I want to be like the white radish!” How can this child have a positive image of himself? 

We all felt sad after hearing the story, because the book associates black with dirt. The story’s underlying message is clear: “You’ll be black and dirty like burdocks if you don’t wash yourself well in the bath.” So children with darker skin will be victimized by the message it conveys. 

How can such a book still be in libraries and preschool classrooms in an increasingly multiracial contemporary Japan? I called the publisher, Doshinsha Publishing Co., and demanded that the book be recalled, saying it was racist. The publisher disagreed. My demand to meet with Matsutani to discuss revising the portions of the book I considered objectionable was also rejected. Yoichi Ikeda, the editor of the book published in 1989, told me over the phone that the story was the author’s version of a Japanese folktale. “Matsutani is not promoting racism, she was just handing down to Japanese children our rich culture,” he said. “And anyway, there are not many black children in Japanese preschools.” Surprisingly, the book is quite popular and was even selected as one of the Japan School Library Association’s “good picture books.”
 
The author, editor and publisher, as well as Japanese educators who use the book, should face the fact that it insults many people in today’s multi-ethnic society. It’s important to have story characters with a positive image, so children who identify with them can develop high self-esteem. 

“Gobo-san no Iro wa?” (“What Color Are Burdocks?”) is my counter-argument to Matsutani’s picture book. The story goes: One sunny day, a group of children visits a farm and harvests daikon radishes, carrots and burdock. They put the muddy vegetables in a bath but fi nd the burdocks are still black after washing. The children take the “dirty burdocks” to the bath again. The burdocks get upset and jump out of the water, saying, “We are already clean. Black is our natural color.” Carrots and radishes join them, saying, “Yes, we are all clean,” and they all sing and dance together. “Black is beautiful, white is beautiful, red is beautiful — all the colors in the world are equally beautiful!” 

TF:  Lastly, what is family to you? 
Joel: Family is a basic unit of every society in the world, and no nation can rise higher than its homes.  When families break up, homes collapse and as a result,  the whole community, society and nations fall apart. As a father, I would like to stress the importance of a father fi gure in a family. 

If the mother is the ruler of the family, the father is the foundation and chief corner stone. He plays many roles, some major and some minor. Strong nations, communities, and neighborhoods are made up of strong families with a father in the home. 

A father provides guidance, empowerment, and mentorship to his family. They are protected from hurt, harm, and danger, with his life if necessary.  Engaged fathers challenge their children to be strong and successful in their life and affairs. As a father, I believe in my role as a stabilizer, protector, enabler, provider, and disciplinarian in the family. 

Joel Assogba gives talks on anti-bullying, SOS racism, cultural and ethnic diversity.  He may be contacted atjoel5711@gmail.com

To support and sign Joel’s anti-racism petition, go here 

Here are some of Joel Assogbo’s books and posters that are available on the market: 

Children’s Book: The Rainbow’s Kids (Trilingual: Japanese/English/French), a  message book to promote Peace, Daddy Publishing, ISBN 4-9900918-0-9, August 2001, Japan. Price 1800 yen + 350 yen (handling fee) 

Children’s Book: Wind of Freedom (Trilingual: Japanese/English/French), a message book to promote Equality, Daddy Publishing, ISBN 4-9900918-1-7, February 2002, Japan. Price 2048 yen + 350 yen (handling fee) 

Children’s Book: What Color are Burdocks? (Bilingual: Japanese/English), a message book to promote Diversity, Daddy Publishing, ISBN 4-9900918-2-5, November 2004, Japan. Price 1850 yen + 350 yen (handling fee) 

Peace (Bilingual: Japanese/English), a book to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the A-bomb dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Daddy Publishing, ISBN 4-9900918-3-3, August 2005, Japan. Price 1500 yen + 350 yen (handling fee) 

Children’s Book: I am not a Foreigner (Bilingual: Japanese/English), a message book to promote to fi ght against racism and promote Multiculturalism, Daddy Publishing, ISBN 4-9900918-4-1, March 2006, Japan. Price 1000 yen + 350 yen (handling fee) 

Children’s Book: Respect for Life (Bilingual: Japanese/English), a message book to fight against bullying and promote Life, Daddy Publishing, ISBN 4-9900918-5-X, September 2008, Japan. Price 1900 yen + 350 yen (handling fee) 

Poster: Multiethnic and Multicultural Japan, a message poster to promote ethnic and cultural diversity in Japan, Daddy Publishing, March 2003. Price 1000 yen + 350 yen (handling fee) 

Poster: Bullying: Zero Tolerance (Bilingual: Japanese/English), a message poster to fight against bullying, Daddy Publishing, August 2007. Price 1900 yen + 350 yen (handling fee) 

http://joelass.web.fc2.com/Poster_Joel.pdf 
You can place an order by e-mailing joel5711@gmail.com

For people who want to check the books out before buying them, they are at the “National Diet Library in Tokyo” 「国立国会図書 館」, The National Diet Library (国立国会図書館 Kokuritsu Kokkai Toshokan) is the only national library in Japan. It was established in 1948 for the purpose of assisting members of the Diet of Japan/National Diet of Japan (国会 Kokkai) in researching matters of public policy. The library is similar in purpose and scope to the U.S. Library of Congress, at http://www.ndl.go.jp (On the web site, search Joel Assogba or ジョエル・アソグバ) 

Tignish writer educates through stories

Wed, 11/28/2012 - 05:15

By Cindy Chant

cindy@peicanada.com

After experiencing racism himself, new Tignish resident Joel Assogba wanted to put a stop to it. He plans on fighting back by using education instead of anger.

“We can’t be by-standards when someone else is suffering,” said Mr Assogba, who felt as though he had to give something back to humanity by teaching universal values such as love, compassion and respect.

Mr Assogba is an African-Canadian Japanese, who is a writer-illustrator and a passionate speaker. He has published many trilingual books and articles in Japan’s main newspapers including: Yomiuri, Asahi and Mainichi. After becoming an author for five popular illustrated books; “The Rainbow’s Kids”, “Wind of Freedom”, “What Color Are Burdocks”, “I’m not a Foreigner”, and “Respect for Life”, he quickly decided to get the word out by talking to elementary students.

“Values are missing in society today so that is why there is a lot of bullying and racism...people don’t want to stand up and fight that because it is a difficult challenge.”

From an early age Mr Assogba knew he liked to paint pictures and write stories. It was a childhood dream to publish books for children. So he decided to mix his talents and tell stories. Each book was designed to include English, French and Japanese. 

“I don’t want to do it for the money...it is all about educating the future generations.”
Early into his teachings he visited an elementary school off-Island where a five-year old student told him that the only thing clean was the palm of his hands. She proceeded in telling him to go and take a bath because he was dirty. 

“This was the best time to educate her...I showed her by washing my hands for four minutes. She was so surprised to see nothing changed,” said Mr Assogba, who explained six months later he was called back to the school where the student was waiting to give him a hug for the lesson she had learned.
“That made me very happy...she became my friend.”

Mr Assogba has travelled all over Japan to give lectures on parenting, education of the heart, univeral values, crime prevention, human rights, antiracism, non-violence and peace. He also held a special literary event in English, French and Japanese for students and other invited guests at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo. He now works for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in Tignish.

“You have to have fearless courage in life...sometimes it is just pure ignorance and we can fight that through educating people.”

For information feel free to contact him at joel5711@gmail.com or visithttp://www.speakerfile.com/speakers/joel.assogba

Book is behind bullying of mixed-race children

The Japan Times Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Dear Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Hirofumi Hirano,

Positive image: Joel Assogba displays some of his multilingual children's books at a fair for Francophone authors in Ottawa last month. COURTESY OF JOEL ASSOGBA

My three beautiful children were all born in Japan and went to Japanese public schools. Their mother is a native Japanese of Japanese ethnic background, and I am a Canadian citizen of African background.

Since my children are light brown, they were often teased by other kids because of the color of their skin. The culprits were cruel, directing various racial slurs. Among others, "black and dirty as burdocks" was one of the terms that often came up.

But, when I once ran across and brought home a picture book, "Ninjin-san ga Akai Wake" ("The Reason the Carrot is Red") from the local library, my children got quite upset.

Written by renowned Japanese author of children's literature Miyoko Matsutani, the story unfolds like this: A carrot and a burdock ask a white radish (daikon) out to a bath. The burdock jumps in the water but soon hops out because the water is too hot; it remains black. The carrot stays in the hot water longer and turns red. The daikon cools the bath with some cold water and washes himself thoroughly, which turns him shining white.

At the end, the three stand beside each other to compare their color. The burdock is black and dirty because he did not wash his body properly; the daikon is white and beautiful because he did.

When I was talking about this story during one of my lectures on human rights issues at a PTA meeting in Fukuoka, one of the participants, a Japanese mother of an African-Japanese preschool boy, started crying and saying that her son was taunted, ridiculed and called "burdock" after his pre-school teacher read the aforementioned book to the class.

When the little boy returned home that day, he jumped into the bathtub, started washing his body and crying, "I hate my light brown skin, I hate the burdock, I'm dirty and I want to be like the white radish!" How can this child have a positive image of himself?

We all felt sad after hearing this story, because the book associates the color black with dirt. The story's underlying message is clear: "You'll be black and dirty like burdocks if you don't wash yourself well in the bath." So children with darker skin will be victimized by the message it conveys.

How can such a book still be in libraries and preschool classrooms in increasingly multiracial contemporary Japan?

I called the publisher, Doshinsha Publishing Co., and demanded the book be recalled, saying it was racist. The publisher disagreed. My demand to meet with Matsutani to discuss revising the portions of the book I considered objectionable was also rejected.

Yoichi Ikeda, the editor of the book published in 1989, told me over the phone that the story was the author's version of a Japanese folktale.

"Matsutani is not promoting racism, she was just handing down to Japanese children our rich culture," he said. "And anyway, there are not many black children in Japanese preschools."

Surprisingly, the book is quite popular and was even selected as one of the Japan School Library Association's "good picture books."

The author, editor and publisher, as well as Japanese educators who use the book, should face the fact that it insults many people in today's multiethnic society. It's important to have story characters with a positive image, so children who identify with them can develop high self-esteem.

"Gobo-san no Iro wa?" ("What Color Are Burdocks?") is my counterargument to Matsutani's picture book. The story goes: One sunny day, a group of children visits a farm and harvests daikon radishes, carrots and burdock. They put the muddy vegetables in a bath but find the burdocks are still black after washing.

The children take the "dirty burdocks" to the bath again. The burdocks get upset and jump out of the water, saying, "We are already clean. Black is our natural color."

Carrots and radishes join them, saying, "Yes, we are all clean," and they all sing and dance together. "Black is beautiful, white is Beautiful, red is beautiful — all the colors in the world are equally beautiful!"

JOEL ASSOGBA
Ottawa

Writer and illustrator Joel Assogba is a passionate public speaker and the author of "Gobo-san no Iro wa?" ("What Color Are Burdocks?") (Daddy Publishing, 2004). He lived in Japan from 1994 to 2011 and is now back in Ottawa with his Japanese spouse and their three children. He can be contacted at joel5711@gmail.com. 

Joel Assogba: World Citizen

Interviewed by Axiom-Magazine, Nagoya, Japan
May 16, 2012 

Could you start with a short bio? Name, where you have lived, what you do for a living?

My name is Joel Assogba. I am an African-Canadian “Japanese”, with the spirit and soul of a world citizen. I ran a language school in Chikugo City (Fukuoka, Japan) where I taught English and French for 17 years. I am also a writer-illustrator and a passionate public speaker. I have published many trilingual books (Japanese / English / French) and articles in Japanese newspapers.

In April 2011 I moved back to Ottawa-Gatineau (Canada), where I am living with my Japanese spouse, Reiko, and our 3 beautiful children; Karen-Anne (16 years old), Georges-Eric (15 years old) and Erika-Joelle (12 years old ).

You truly are the personification of multiculturalism, having written trilingual works in the past (French, English and Japanese). Is there anywhere that you think of as “home,” or is the old cliche, “home is where the heart is” more suitable?

For me “Home” is the whole planet. It is easier that way, because when I start saying; this city or this country is my home, I go against my belief of being a “World Citizen.”

You lived in Japan for over a decade and even set up your own school there, did you ever feel truly assimilated into Japanese society?

Assimilation is not a concept that I like, because when people assimilate into a culture, then we cannot talk about multiculturalism anymore. I spent almost all my adulthood in Japan (17 years). I spoke no Japanese at all before moving to Japan, but after a year or so, mingling with my ESL students and their parents, I was able to speak the language fluently. After 4 years, I started giving 90-minute talks in Japanese to an audience of 200, 500 or even 1500 people (native Japanese) without referring to any notes.

I think I integrated (not assimilated) very well into Japanese society, and I proudly say to people that I am “Japanese,” too, even though I haven’t taken the citizenship. Even here in Ottawa, I am involved in the Japanese community; I have met the Ambassador, the Minister and several diplomats.

You have given many talks about racial awareness and bullying in Japan, perhaps most notably at the 2005 Expo; is bullying a universal problem, or do you think Japan has some unique hurdles to jump over? If so, what would they be?

Of course the number of bullied Japanese students who commit suicide is worryingly high, but bullying is a universal issue that needs to be addressed more seriously and challenged. It is very unfortunate that many teachers and parents still don’t act quickly before things get out of hands, and someone takes his or her own life. I believe schools need to work closely with homes and communities to prevent bullying from happening, but when it does happen, adults must let children know that it is not to be tolerated. Clear rules and consequences must be set up and applied.

You have written several children’s books which promote diversity and equality; how important are such books in making a healthier environment in school and at home?

I am the author-illustrator of two trilingual (Japanese, English and French in the same book) children’s books;
1)”The Rainbow’s Kids,”
2) “Wind of Freedom.”
And 3 bilingual ones (Japanese and English in the same book);
1)”What Color are Burdocks,”
2) “I’m not a Foreigner,”
3) “Respect for Life”
I have also published a bilingual project(Japanese and English); “平和・ピース・Peace”(96 pages) to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the A-bomb being dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I have designed and published two colorful posters to promote multiculturalism and prevent Ijime (bullying) in Japan. For about 12 years I traveled to more than 60 cities around Japan and gave more than 500 talks in Japanese on parenting, education, universal values, crime prevention, human rights, anti-racism, nonviolence and peace…

Children in many countries around the world (including Japan and Canada) grow up in classrooms that are increasingly diverse. There are different races, different genders and ever increasing acknowledgment of different sexual orientations. Children who are developing their sense of self may feel threatened when it does not match what is considered the “norm”. For this reason, it is crucial that teachers take a broad view on accepting diversity in their classroom. Parents also need to expose their children to a multicultural education.

There are countless authors of children’s books, do you think all of them know the full extent of their responsibilities? Or are there some books which are needlessly bias, or perhaps even discriminatory?

Many authors, editors and publishers of children books just care about money. Publishing is pure business today; as long as the book sells, the content doesn’t need to respect any human rules. Publishers don’t care much about the message the book conveys, and it doesn’t matter if it encourages bullying or racism. A perfect example for that is the picture book, “Ninjin-san ga Akai Wake” (“The Reason the Carrot is Red”). Written by renowned Japanese author of children’s literature Miyoko Matsutani, the story unfolds like this: A carrot and a burdock ask a white radish (daikon) out to a bath. The burdock jumps in the water but soon hops out because the water is too hot; it remains black. The carrot stays in the hot water longer and turns red. The daikon cools the bath with some cold water and washes himself thoroughly, which turns him shining white. At the end, the three stand beside each other to compare their color. The burdock is black and dirty because he did not wash his body properly; the daikon is white and beautiful because he did.

When I was talking about this story during one of my lectures on human rights issues at a PTA meeting in Fukuoka, one of the participants, a Japanese mother of an African-Japanese preschool boy, started crying and saying that her son was taunted, ridiculed and called “burdock” after his pre-school teacher read the aforementioned book to the class. When the little boy returned home that day, he jumped into the bathtub, started washing his body and crying, “I hate my light brown skin, I hate the burdock, I’m dirty and I want to be like the white radish!” How can this child have a positive image of himself?

We all felt sad after hearing this story, because the book associates the color black with dirt. The story’s underlying message is clear: “You’ll be black and dirty like burdocks if you don’t wash yourself well in the bath.” So children with darker skin will be victimized by the message it conveys. How can such a book still be in libraries and preschool classrooms in increasingly multiracial contemporary Japan?

I called the publisher, Doshinsha Publishing Co., and demanded the book be recalled, saying it was racist. The publisher disagreed. My demand to meet with Matsutani to discuss revising the portions of the book I considered objectionable was also rejected. Yoichi Ikeda, the editor of the book published in 1989, told me over the phone that the story was the author’s version of a Japanese folktale. “Matsutani is not promoting racism, she was just handing down to Japanese children our rich culture,” he said. “And anyway, there are not many black children in Japanese preschools.” Surprisingly, the book is quite popular and was even selected as one of the Japan School Library Association’s “good picture books.”

The author, editor and publisher, as well as Japanese educators who use the book, should face the fact that it insults many people in today’s multi-ethnic society. It’s important to have characters with a positive image, so children who identify with them can develop high self-esteem.

“Gobo-san no Iro wa?” (“What Color Are Burdocks?”) is my counterargument to Matsutani’s picture book. The story goes: One sunny day, a group of children visits a farm and harvests daikon radishes, carrots and burdock. They put the muddy vegetables in a bath but find the burdocks are still black after washing.
The children take the “dirty burdocks” to the bath again. The burdocks get upset and jump out of the water, saying, “We are already clean. Black is our natural color.”
Carrots and radishes join them, saying, “Yes, we are all clean,” and they all sing and dance together. “Black is beautiful, white is Beautiful, red is beautiful — all the colors in the world are equally beautiful!”

How well do you think the education system in Japan deals with international students? What kind of changes would you encourage?

It is very confusing in Japanese Schools. MEXT (the Ministry of Education,Culture,Sports,Science & Technology of Japan) tries to teach Japanese students kokusaika　(internationalization), but no programs exist in which Japanese students can exchange their culture and customs with children new to the classroom and possibly Japan. The Central Educational Council of MEXT submitted a proposal for revision of the Fundamentals of Education Act on March 20, 2003 , but the purpose of the revision is to encourage Japanese to acquire an “international way of thinking” by cultivating “love for Japanese culture, tradition and patriotism” .

Also, the MEXT pamphlet Kyôiku no kôzô kaikaku (structural reform of education) emphasizes educational reforms to cultivate shakai-sei(sociability) and kokusai-sei (an international way of thinking), and to accomplish these reforms MEXT propose English classes in compulsory education, and other language classes and cultural exchange by studying abroad in higher education (2003). In these two policies, it seems that education in Japan is open only for Japanese, and that cultural exchange with other countries and studying English are the only ways for Japanese to develop kokui-sei. The Japanese educational policy of kokusai-sei is a peculiar system, a proposal for an international way of thinking made without consideration for the international children who live within Japanese society.

How did the audience generally react to your point-of-view?

From 1999 to 2011, I traveled to more than 60 cities and gave more than 500 talks; at kindergartens (for kids and their parents), elementary schools, junior high schools, junior colleges, universities, public halls, community centers, public libraries, etc.. I can’t even keep track on all the cities that I have been to.
I was very popular among grade-school children, the majority of parents and teachers. I have visited more than 250 elementary schools, talked to and mingled with more or less 100, 000 children. I love kids, and if we educators really take time to touch their hearts with universal messages of tolerance, diversity, compassion and respect for life; they won’t bully each other.

Most of my talks to adults were full, often with a range of 500 to 1500 people. Roughly, I have talked to more than 500,000 people in 10 years. Of course, not all the people agreed with what I was talking about. On many occasions, I have been yelled at and told to go back to my country if I “badmouthed” Miyoko Matsutani (the author of “Ninjin san ga akai wake,”). Miyoko Matsutani, (born in 1926), and considered as the “Mother” of Japanese juvenile literature. It seems like nobody has the right to counter what Miyoko Matsutani has written, even if it is not right. I vividly recall an incident that really flipped me off::
While talking to the kids, their parents and teachers about “Ninjin-san ga Akai Wake” and why I created “Gobo-san no Iro wa?” at an elementary school in Fukuoka, a mother stood up and interrupted my presentation; “Don’t badmouth our beloved Matsutani-sensei in front of our kids,” She furiously said, “You are a Gaijin and you don’t know anything about our beautiful culture…” She didn’t even get it all off her chest when the principal jumped in ;“Don’t brainwash our kids, stop your lecture, thank you.” Then the parents started leaving the hall, and teachers told the students to go to their classroom.

I never badmouth anyone, but every time that I find something wrong in our societies, I stand up with fearless courage to challenge it. Let’s not confound “criticism” with “badmouthing.” BADMOUTHING is charging falsely or with malicious intent; attacking the good name and reputation of someone, but CRITICISM is the practice of judging the merits and faults of something or someone in an intelligible (or articulate) way. After all, when the criticism is valid, it must be made by all means necessary, because it is the only way we can make the world a better place to live.

I was quite satisfied about the coverage I have received in the Japanese media, though. The three main national newspapers (Yomiuri, Asahi, Mainichi) and several other regional newspapers have written excellent reviews about the book and my social actions. Several radio and television shows also have allowed me to express my views on the issue of racism. Many public libraries purchased not only “What Color are Burdocks?” but my other books as well. I was honored to find out that seven of my publications are at Japan National Diet Library in Tokyo: http://www.ndl.go.jp/en/index.html (Search Joel Assogba)

The National Diet Library (国立国会図書館 Kokuritsu Kokkai Toshokan) is the only national library in Japan. It was established in 1948 for the purpose of assisting members of the Diet of Japan/National Diet of Japan (国会 Kokkai) in researching matters of public policy. The library is similar in purpose and scope to the U.S. Library of Congress

If someone has a child and they suspect that they are being bullied, what action would you suggest the parents take?

Just make sure that your kids tell you everything that happens at preschool or school (good news and bad news) every day after they come back home. Do not tolerate any racist comments. Kids need to take pride in their ethnic background while growing up, and do not forget to tell them very often; “You are very Beautiful!”

I believe in a good human nature, so I help my kids and other kids practice compassion, and nurture their good inner-selves with universal human values such as Peace, Love, Tolerance and Respect for Life.”If you want to be happy, practice compassion. If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.” (Dalai Lama)

Lastly, what do you have planned for the remainder of 2012?

I will work tirelessly to fight against discrimination of all forms, e-publish a few books, promote my work, give talks at schools, community centers and public hall around the nation to preach universal values such as love, compassion, tolerance, diversity, respect for life, etc..

There is a kind of subtle racism going on now in Canada, especially in the media. When I moved to Canada in March 2011, I wasn’t active for about half a year. But after, I started going to schools to talk to children, parents and teachers about Anti-Bullying, Tolerance, Diversity, just like I was doing in Japan. I also started giving talks, and displaying my illustrated books & posters at book fairs and events to promote the values that I named above, in both English and French. These are values that Canada is proud of.

To find out more about Joel and his body of work, be sure to visit his website here, or you can contact him directly and get your hands on some of his books by emailing: joel5711@gmail.com

Fighting against Racism/Bullying and Promoting Diversity in Schools and Communities in Japan

Fighting against Racism/Bullying and Promoting Diversity

in Schools and Communities in Japan

Joel Assogba

A week before my eldest daughter started primary school in 2002, I went to her school and talked to the Principal, Vice-Principal and all the teachers about the importance of teaching children to respect individuality and accept others who look different as equals, but they did not take me seriously. About two weeks after school started, she came back home from school very sad, telling us that one of her classmates told her to change her natural brown skin into "normal" (hadairo ochre) color. I called the teacher and the Principal right away to urge them to deal honestly and democratically with the matter, calling us for a face-to-face meeting with the child and her parents, but the Principal refused. The parents did not take the matter seriously either; when my wife talked to the child's mother on the phone, she laughed about the matter as if it wasn't a serious problem. Finally, I went to talk to the School Board officials to ask them to do something about the problem. Again, I was disappointed. They evidently do not think racism is a serious problem in Japan and do not want to act.

My children have darker skin than the other Japanese children, and many people openly make cruel and racist comments about them: kitanai (dirty), makkuro (black and dirty), baikin (microbe), unchi (pooh), kimochiwarui (disgusting), kurokoge (blackburn), etc. When I go out with them, many parents also point at us gaijin. Those people are wrong because my children are not foreigners in Japan; they are born here and are Japanese citizens just like the other Japanese children. And above all, they love Japan and the traditional Japanese culture.

I think racism is a very serious disease that Japan needs to cure. Racial discrimination in society, in public and private institutions, in senior and junior secondary schools, in primary schools, and even in kindergartens, is evidence that much needs to be done before Japan can experience multiethnic harmony. Education will certainly play an important role in curing the disease of racism. Racism here is based on the idea that the Japanese belong to a "unique ethnic group" that is totally different from all the other ethnic groups in the world. The education system must make a considerable effort to denounce this myth. To do this, schools must familiarize students with the reality of the "singleness of the human family," and explain that all of the people in the world belong to the same human race. Because of the importance of the problem, this view should be introduced into the curriculum from kindergarten through to the 12th grade, and reflected in every course a child takes during the twelve years of schooling. This approach would help to prevent racism. Imagine all the students in Japan learning that Africans, Europeans, Americans, Asians and Australians - all races - are all related. They would be fortified against the poison of prejudice that they are exposed to in their homes and in society.

We must teach our children that all human beings come from the same ancestral stock. Every person on our planet belongs to the same species. This unity, however, does not mean uniformity, but implies a celebration of diversity, because once the reality of unity is understood, diversity becomes an asset rather than an obstacle. Imagine what life would be like if all the people in the world looked alike, thought, spoke, and felt the same way, if all flowers were the same color, if all foods tasted alike. Life would simply be monotonous. We should all understand that "variety is the spice of life" and cherish differences because they are extremely important.

Multiculturalism and ethnic diversity have become important issues in many countries around the world in recent years, and the Japanese government too must consider them seriously and provide helpful programs for developing the skills citizens need if they are to contribute to, and survive in, an ever-changing and diverse society. Diversity will be utilized to reinforce Japan's stature among the nations of the world. It will teach the Japanese to accept and respect diverse views, welcome debate, listen, discuss, negotiate and compromise for the common good of the world. We all know that recent advances in information technology have made international communications more important than ever. Japanese citizens who can speak many languages and understand many cultures will make it easier for Japan to participate globally in areas of education, trade and diplomacy.

Japan must make it possible for women and men of the world's many ethnic groups, religions and cultures to live together, to encourage different people to accept and respect one another, and work collaboratively to build an open, resilient, creative and thoughtful society. To set an example of honesty, I travel all over Japan to give lectures and read my self-published children’s books at schools and community centers.

Objectives of the Program

I started the program in 2001. As difficult and widespread problems of bullying and racism are in Japanese schools and communities, they are also problem that can be solved. As a father of three young children and an author of children’s books, I started taking actions to fight against bullying and racism, first in my neighborhood and my children’s elementary school, then  things extended to my city, prefecture and eventually all over Japan.

a.  Fight against bullying and racism & Promote values and attitudes for a peaceful society:

1) Self-esteem (accept the intrinsic value of oneself and love oneself)

2) Respect for others

3) Empathy (love others, understand others' opinion, help others when they are bullied)

4) Belief that everyone can make positive change

5) Commitment to social justice, equality, peace, non-violence and respect for life.

b. Help participants develop the following skills:

1) Sharpen the awareness of children and adults about the problems of bullying, racism and violence in schools, communities and society

2) Understand the nature and origins of bullying, racism and violence; and their effects on both victims and perpetrators

3) Create frameworks for achieving non-violent, peaceful, diverse and creative schools, communities, and society

4) Encourage the search for alternative non-violent skills within each person

5) Equip people with peaceful personal conflict resolution skills.

Elements of the Program

Though lectures and seminars that I plan with the collaboration of PTAs and Education Boards, I try to get both adults and children in schools and communities involved in creating a society free of bullying and racism. I encourage teachers to make anti-bullying  and anti-racism a part of their curriculum and identify bullies and racists early on, before they become set in their ways. Finally, help children learn that by taking care of each other, speaking out against bullies and racists , and working together, they have tremendous power to make a difference  in their schools, neighborhood, town and communities.

a. Target beneficiaries

-          Pre-school kids

-          Elementary school students

-          Junior high school students

-          High school students

-          College and university students

-          Parents and educators

-          Government officials

-          General public

b.  Material development

I use my self-published books, posters, and newspaper articles in my activities. The following is a list of such materials:[i]

Children's books:

1) The Rainbow's Kids (Joel Assogba, 2001)

2) Wind of Freedom (Joel Assogba, 2002)

3) What Color are Burdocks? (Joel Assogba, 2004)

4) I am not a Foreigner ((Joel Assogba, 2006)

5) Respect for Life (Joel Assogba, 2008).

Book to promote peace among adults:

Peace  ( Joel Assogba, 2005)

Posters

1) Multicultural Japan (Joel Assogba, 2003)

2) Bullying: Zero Tolerance (Joel Assogba, 2007).[ii] See Annex A for the print of this poster.

Pedagogy/Teaching Method

1-    I give about 30 minutes of talk on the issue of discrimination.

2-    I divide the participants in small groups, and ask them to read one of my articles on the issue of racism (“Racism in Japan,” published in The Japan Times ST on February 22, 2008.) and answer the comprehension questions below.

3-    I ask the participants discuss the problem of racism is small groups, using the questions for discussion below.

4-    I ask one participant of each small group to stand up and share with the whole group the outcome of their discussion.

Racism in Japan

(By Joel Assogba, The Japan Times ST, February 22, 2008.)

Unconscious racial arrogance and disdain for ethnic minorities are pronounced throughout the world. It is more evident in countries where different races live together, but I believe racism is a worldwide attitude and is perhaps strongest in areas where, because of little contact with other races, it has neither been brought to the surface nor challenged.

In Japan, the part of the world where I have been active as a human rights activist for almost a decade now, racist attitudes run strong — in my judgment far stronger than in Western countries. Japanese children who are not ethnic Japanese experience racism from a very young age and can even be subject to cruel treatment by their peers and adults. Many of them are bullied at school.

Seven years ago, a Japanese-born daughter of a Peruvian acquaintance was bullied by her classmates soon after she began attending a public elementary school in Gunma. She had been taunted and ridiculed because of her different looks. Some senior students called her "strange foreigner" and raked their shoes against her heels in the schoolyard. The girl told her homeroom teacher, but no serious action was taken against the bullies.

A Japanese grade-school boy who had an American ancestor was abused by his teacher in Fukuoka about five years ago. The teacher pulled the pupil's nose until it bled. He also told him to jump off a high-rise condominium and die because he wasn't a pure-blooded Japanese. The confused child was quoted as asking his parents if he was "dirty'' because he had foreign blood. Initially the school refused to confront the issue until the boy's parents became vocal.

The issue of racism, although serious, is not openly discussed in Japanese-language media. Worse, the media often exaggerate crimes committed by foreigners and portray them as troublemakers. Also, it is not uncommon to hear some TV personalities and politicians making racist comments in public. Once I was watching a popular talk show on television, and I was astonished to hear a Japanese celebrity saying something like, "Japan used to be a pure-blooded nation, but unfortunately foreigners of all kinds are now mixing it with dirty blood.

In Japan, there is a myth that says Japan is inhabited by a single race, the Japanese. But now this myth must be challenged, because the nation is increasingly becoming multiracial.

A nation in which people are discriminated against by ethnicity, which infringes on basic human rights, can never be considered a true member of the global community. The failure of politicians, educators and parents to solve the problem of racism is debasing human dignity. This issue casts the question of whether Japan is capable of being a society of coexistence.

Comprehension questions

Small group activity (maximum 10 participants per group):

1-    What are pronounced throughout the world?

2-    What is more evident in countries where different races live together?

3-    Is racism a worldwide attitude?

4-    Why is racism perhaps strongest in areas where there is little contact with other races?

5-    What happens to Japanese children who are not ethnic Japanese in Japan?

6-    What happened to a Japanese-born daughter of a Peruvian’s acquaintance in Gunma?

7-    What happened to a Japanese grade-school boy who had an American ancestor in Fukuoka?

8-    Is the issue of racism serious in Japan?

9-    Is the issue of racism openly discussed in Japanese-language media?

10-  What do the media exaggerate?

11-  What is not uncommon to hear on TV?

12-  What is the myth about race in Japan?

Questions for discussion

Small group activity (maximum 10 participants per group):

NB: Choose some questions and discuss them. You don’t need to go through all the questions.

1-    Do you think that racism is a serious problem in Japan? Why (not)?

2-    Have you ever been victim of racism? Talk about your experience.

3-    Why do you think some people are racists?

4-    Do you think racism is a “disease”? Explain.

5-    Do you think racism is a crime? Why (not)?

6-    Do you think racists should be punished by the law? Why (not)?

7-    How can the problem of racism be solved?

8-    Have you ever witnessed racism or discrimination? Talk about it.

9-    What do you think of being indifferent to the problem of racism? Why?

10- “The world is dangerous not because of those who do harm, but because of those who look at it without doing anything.” (Albert Einstein) What do you think about this quote? Explain.

11-  “The opposite of love is not hate, it is indifference.” (Mother Teresa) What do you think of this quote? Explain.

12-  “Life's most urgent question is: what are you doing for others?” (Martin Luther King, Jr.) What do you think of this quote? Explain.

13-  “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” (Martin Luther King, Jr.) What do you think of this quote? Explain.

14-   “Man's nature is not essentially evil. Brute nature has been known to yield
to the influence of love. You must never despair of human nature.” (Mahatma Gandhi) What do you think of this quote? Explain.

15-  “"Human rights education is much more than a lesson in schools or a theme for a day; it is a process to equip people with the tools they need to live lives of security and dignity. On this International Human Rights Day, let us continue to work together to develop and nurture in future generations a culture of human rights, to promote freedom, security and peace in all nations.” (Kofi Annan) What do you think of this quote? Explain.

16-   “You can imprison a man, but not an idea. You can exile a man, but not an idea. You can kill a man, but not an idea.” (Benazir Bhutto) What do you think of this quote? Explain.

17-  “All human beings, whatever their cultural or historical background, suffer when they are intimidated, imprisoned or tortured . . . We must, therefore, insist on a global consensus, not only on the need to respect human rights worldwide, but also on the definition of these rights . . . for it is the inherent nature of all human beings to yearn for freedom, equality and dignity, and they have an equal right to achieve that.” (Dalai Lama) What do you think of this quote? Explain.

18- “The idea of cultural relativism is nothing but an excuse to violate human rights.” (Shirin Ebadi) What do you think of this quote? Explain.

19- “Human Rights for everyone is the necessary foundation upon which all of us may build a world where everybody may live in peace and serenity and plenty.” (Micheal Douglas) What do you think of this quote? Explain.

20-  Talk about the following activists: Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Dalai Lama, Aung San Suu Kyi.

21-  Could you name more peace activists and talk about them?

22-  What would you do if you heard a friend or a family member make a racist comment? Why?

23-  What can you do to help solve the problem of racism?

24-  Do you ever discuss the problem of racism? Where? Who with?

25-  Do you think it is important to discuss the problem of racism? Why (not)?

26-  Why do you think the Japanese media don’t tackle the problem of racism?

27-  Do you think Japan is really a mono-racial nation? Why (not)?

28-  Is promoting the concept of “one nation, one race” good or bad? Why?

29-  Is promoting multiculturalism good or bad? Why?

30-  Do you think the Japanese government should promote multiculturalism and diversity? Why (not)?

31-  How can the Japanese government promote multiculturalism and diversity?

32-  Do you think Japanese schools should promote multiculturalism and diversity? Why (not)?

33-  How can Japanese schools promote multiculturalism and diversity?

34-  Do you think the Japanese media should help fight against racism in the Japanese society? Why (not)?

35-  How can the media help fight against racism?

36-  Do you know that March 21 is the International Day to fight against racism?

37-  Have you ever taken part in any activities on March 21 to fight against racism?

38-  Have you ever taken part in any activities to promote human rights? Why (not)?

39-  From now on, would you like to organize any events to fight against racism, or to promote human rights? Talk about your plans.

40-  Do you think it is important for parents to talk about racism and human rights with their children? Why (not)?

41-  Do you think it important for teachers to talk about racism and human rights with their students? Why (not)?

42-  What do you think about today’s activity?

Helping Children Understand and Fight Against Racism/Bullying

Racism is certainly not a part of human nature. A new-born child does not instinctively have prejudice against others. Prejudice and racism are learned from the society that raises the child. These attitudes are derived from fear and ignorance, and it is only by combating fear and ignorance that we will ever achieve a truly multicultural society based on mutual respect.

One of the best things we, parents and educators, can do to help our children understand and fight against prejudice is to ask questions and listen to them as they talk about their bullying experiences at school, on a team, or in the community. If we, ourselves, are committed to helping end prejudice, discrimination and racism, it is also good to let our children know that. If we have taken, are taking, or want to take some actions to help eradicate these serious social problems, we must let our children know about them. It is always good to let them know that we have questions, feelings and hopes about these topics, too.

The other day, I had the opportunity to exchange ideas on bullying, discrimination and racism with a group of multicultural children and their parents. I could not hold back my tears when I heard some of them talk about their painful experiences:

When I was going to the neighborhood park with my little brother last week, a group of junior high school girls called us ‘strange foreigners’ and giggled,” said a 10-year-old  Japanese-born Brazilian girl. ”I was so sad; I wish I looked like ethnic-Japanese kids to avoid rude comments."

I was playing with a friend in the schoolyard the other day, and a group of boys spat on my face,” said a 13-year-old Filipino-Japanese boy. “They told me to go back to my country, or die.”

My best friend invited me to his home after school. His father asked me where I was born. When I replied ‘Japan,’ he laughed and uttered: ’if you were born here, why are you black?’" said a 7-year-old African-Japanese boy.

How would you feel if something like this happened to you?” I asked everyone, after these kids shared their sad stories with us.

“I would be very scared, and wouldn’t go out anymore.” replied a 7-year-old ethnic-Japanese boy. 

“I would feel very sad, lonely and depressed.” replied a 12-year-old ethnic-Japanese girl.

"I have never exchanged ideas about racism or prejudice before,” replied a 14-year-old ethnic-Japanese girl. ”Today, I heard painful stories from victims and I felt very sad. Now I will think about these problems a lot. It is very important to talk about bullying, discrimination and racism, instead of hiding them. We all have to stand up against these serious social problems."

Most of Japanese children sympathize with victims of racism after hearing their sad stories, but the problem sometimes is many Japanese parents and teachers who say they live in mono-cultural neighborhoods, and think talking about racism to their children is useless.

When these adults say they do not have cultural issues in their communities, they are defining "culture" in a narrow sense, thinking only of racial and language differences. Some issues are just less visible. For instance, there is discrimination against other Asian ethnic groups in Japan. One of my friends is Korean Japanese. She told her children not to tell anyone at school that they are of Korean origin because she did not want them to be teased. Most Japanese of Korean or Chinese origin having been born here and speaking no other language but Japanese; visually and often in their living habits, they cannot be distinguished from ethic-Japanese. Still the ethnic-Japanese do their best to ostracize them. To avoid discrimination, these people often use tsumei ("pass name": a Japanese full name instead of a Korean or Chinese one) and hide their ethnic background. These hidden diversities can be a springboard for people to think about the need for antiracism and multicultural education.

"I'm not racist. I treat all people with respect and dignity, and I expect my children to do the same. Why do I have to do more?" a Japanese mother once asked me after a workshop session on cultural awareness.

Of course, there are many Japanese people who are not actively racist. But the question is: how many Japanese parents and teachers are actively anti-racist? There's no such thing as being passively anti-racist. It is not enough to set a good example. Nor can we shield children from bigotry. A society that continues to discriminate against racial and ethnic groups nurtures prejudice in each new generation. If we avoid these subjects with our children, we actually run the risk of strengthening prejudices we want them to reject. Children are barraged by images and ideas we don't control on the playground, on television, and in school. However free from prejudice we may be, our children, even very young children, can absorb the biases they encounter outside of our homes.

We must teach our children to be critical thinkers, specifically about prejudice, bullying, discrimination and racism. Critical thinking is when we strive to understand issues through examining and questioning. Young children can begin to develop these skills, to know when a word or an image is unfair or hurtful. This is also a time when children are in the process of developing empathy. Here are some suggestions for parents and teachers to arise critical thinking in children:

- Ask children to name words that hurt feelings. Then, talk about which words are okay to use when you are angry with someone, and which ones are not.

- Teach children to express their feelings by naming offending behaviors rather than labeling people.

- Encourage children to think and talk about images they see in books, on television, and in movies. Use age-appropriate books and stories to help children begin to understand struggles for justice and equity.

- Find moments to talk about fairness and empathy: "If that happened to me, I would feel terrible. How would you feel if that happened to you?"

- Find opportunities to talk about similarities as well as differences. If children are nonverbal, observe and respond to their curiosity. For example, if a group of children are touching the head of a child whose hair is very different from theirs, you can say, "She has curly hair and you have straight hair. But you are all beautiful kids, and you all have natural beautiful hair."

- Model the behaviors and attitudes you want children to develop. Pay particular attention to situations that can either promote prejudice or inhibit a child's openness to diversity. Make sure your program reflects diversity in books, toys, games, puppets, music, movies, paintings, and so on.

- Create opportunities for children to interact and make friends with people who are different from them, because children learn best from concrete experiences.

- Don't let racist and prejudicial remarks go by without intervening. It's important to let children know from a very early age that name-calling of any kind; whether it's about someone's religion, race, ethnic background, or sexual orientation is hurtful and wrong. Each time we don't intervene, we are indirectly giving children permission to make prejudiced remarks.

“When do I start talking about prejudice with kids?” many parents and teachers ask me. “Earlier is better!” I always reply. Children ask questions as soon as they can talk. Even toddlers wonder about similarities and differences between people. "Your hands are black and dirty," a three-year-old Japanese boy said to me the other day. “Why don’t you wash them in the sink over there?” Preschool children ask questions born of basic curiosity about the world. Simple answers delivered without upset, shock, or anger will provide them with the information they need. “My hands are black but not dirty, and my skin is a different color than yours,” I said. “My skin color won't come off. Skin color is not dirt; it does not wash away. Skin color is like the different colors of your clothes. When your daddy or mommy puts your black shorts and your yellow shirt in the washing machine, they still come out black and yellow. The color doesn't wash away.”  Adults can use an explanation like this to help little children understand natural differences. Of course, the answers children require will change as they grow.

Post activity feedback from some participants

1-    Racism is a concept that will never disappear. As long as there is any way to differentiate ourselves from others there will be racism. However we must not tolerate racism in our communities. (a man in his 40s)

2-    Racism is simply a result of ignorance being passed from one generation to another. Education is the only form of anti-racism. (a man in his 30s)

3-    Being split 50/50 between two very different cultures (American and Japanese) I have experienced some very harsh racism throughout my life. But the key to progression for me is to remain in a state of understanding and not to allow myself to associate or retaliate to such ignorance. (a woman in her 50s)

Concluding Remarks

Many people look to politicians, or social activists to eliminate racism and discrimination. They certainly can make great contributions toward a just society, but we, parents and teachers, also have a vitally important contribution to make. We can talk openly with our children about race, ethnicity, religion, and bigotry. We can answer their questions about these complicated topics, and we can begin a dialogue that will continue throughout their lives. The quality of our children's future is at stake. In the 21st century, the ability to communicate and work with people from different racial and ethnic groups will be as essential as computer skills.

In the past, the average Japanese was not likely to have ever had contacts of any significance with an individual of different racial background; however, contemporary conditions are far different. Japan has become a diverse society. People of various ethnic backgrounds stream through Japan, and people of Japanese origin wander the globe. Individuals of Japanese background have fitted into other societies, and when their descendants come to Japan, speaking only “broken Japanese” or none at all, they have had to be regarded as outsiders. Some have even become politicians in the United States, Canada, Brazil and Peru. I believe the old Japanese concept of shimaguni konjo (insular mindset), which promoted Japan as a “mono-racial nation,” has been shaken but not completely gone. Japanese children will inherit an even more diverse society from now on. We, parents and educators, need to help them learn to live and work closely with people whose race, religion, or culture may be different from their own.