I would say that, when I was an English teacher in Japan and in the minority myself over there, I did indeed experience my share of racism. I know that, maybe just because I looked different than the vast majority of Asians out there, that I was the natural target and magnet of attraction for obnoxious drunks on the subway late at night. The usual question for me, a white American male, after the initial introductions and niceties were exchanged, was usually, "What do you think of Japanese women?" And the immigration authorities in Japan were usually worried about young white American men and what they called "Josei Mondai", or "women problems". I suppose that all that goes back to the dating inequalities and discrimination that Pierre was talking about. A key factor, at least in Japan, was that Western men were seen to be so much more romantic and attentive to women than Japanese men. A common type of marriage proposal from a Japanese man to a prospective mate or partner is often a gruff, "Tsuite kuru kai?" or, "Are you coming with me?" Western, Christian style weddings were seen by many young Japanese women as being much more beautiful and romantic than traditional Japanese weddings. And, as hard as I tried to be Japanese at times - it's not enough merely to speak the language - there were times when I had to say to myself, "Just face it - you'll never be Japanese - you'll never be one of them." It seems like minorities have a hard time fitting in no matter where they are, or who they are.
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