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eening of Mitsubishi

Dear Mr. Tanaka, 
   I wish to offer another view to this.  From someone who has been on the
other side of the preverbial fence when living in Japan.
  I am not trying to provide an argument, just an understanding.

In a message dated 96-03-22 07:13:24 EST, you write:

>    >		[many other pseudo-haiku poems in English written
>    >		by people with Anglo-Saxon names]
 This statement seems to single white English people in General.

>    >                 
>
>while i am sympathetic to the Free Burma movement and have
>participated in demonstrations, video-showings, etc., i highly
>object to the method you have taken to attack Mitsubishi:
>offensive pseudo-haiku poems in English written by Americans.
>
>please stop producing/collecting/distributing these offensive
>pseudo-haiku poems.
>
>(1) pseudo-haiku in English is an insult to the Japanese culture. 
>(2) i believe they are largely a product of American racism.
>	(elaborated below)
>
>i'd like to see some evidence justifying an attack obsessively
>focusing on Mitsubishi.
>(i don't want to receive any material by e-mail).
>
>--------------------------------------------------------------------
>(1) pseudo-haiku in English is an insult to the Japanese culture.
>--------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Chapter 4 "the stupidity of English haiku" of the book "nihongo
>no rizumu" by BEKKU Sadanori explains why pseudo-haiku poems in
>English are stupid, from the viewpoint of Japanese rhythm.
>5-7-5 syllable (or 3-line) English pseudo-haiku does not
>preserve the essence of Japanese haiku, the 4-beat rhythm.
>

just a note: Of course Haiku in English would not easily follow 5-7-5
syllable. (If at all)  Haiku form was for Japanese words. 

>--------------------------------------------------------------------
>(2) i believe they are largely a product of American racism.
>--------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>these stupid pseudo-haiku in English (practiced mainly in the
>USA) is a symbol of American disrespect of Japanese culture.

  I can't comment. I never heard of Pseudo-haiku until now.  BUT, maybe,
since you live in the midwest, those people have even less knowlegde about
other cultures and countries.  There is likely more racism in secluded areas
mainly due to no education about the outside world, lack of contact with
different people, and typically fear of the unknown.  I met many people who
ASSUME they know Japan (or other cultures). Typically, they are not really
knowledgable....

>
>and i can see how racist white Americans would take pleasure in
>using this form in criticizing Mitsubishi.  it's like how white
>American racists often call me "Tanaka-san" or "Nipponese"
>(instead of "Mr. Tanaka" or "Japanese") when they want to insult me.
>
  I wonder why white Americans are singled out here.  Because you meet mainly
White Americans in Indiana.  You apparently have not seen the racist sides of
OTHER colours.  
   May I  inquire, since you are Japanese. "If" you are here temporarily for
college or a 1st generation in the USA,  why Tanaka-san would be an insult?
Are you trying not to be Japanese?  And I am surprised Americans would know
the Japanese name of Japan.  "Nippon / Nihon"    I saw in books written over
60 years ago, when Americans / Europeans refered to Japan as Nippon and the
Nipponese.  But since you are a Nihon-jin /Nippon-jin,  what is wrong with
Nipponese?  

>if you want to criticize Mitsubishi, please do it fairly.
  How should they "fairly" criticize" Mitsubishi?  Insulting Mistubishi would
not be an effective manner to attract their attention.

>please don't combine it with underlying American racism, by
>focusing on a superficial understanding of Japanese ethnicity
>and using offensive pseudo-haiku in English.
>
>
>;;;    (Tanaka is my family name.)
  I know, most Japanese prefer the use of their family name.  As do the
Chinese.    

Doozo watashi ni oshiete kudasai.   Shitsureshimasu.

McCracken, Philip (san sei)