I'm reading about them, these indigenous people and their history. It seems they haven't been treated very well. Anyway. Does anyone know if there's any programs or even films about them. I'm really interested and am checking out a wide variety of medias, books, etc. Any thoughts about them? Seems another people discriminated, marginalised, subjugated, their culture shattered.
My japanese history teacher once told me that the Ainus are mixed with the japanese society nowadays, that's why you see some japanese people that look more mixed and stuff But that's all I know about them, I'll do some deeper research about them, this looks interesting... Ken Hirai, 100% japanese. Still looks like more mediterranean than japanese:
Yeah, I read about that. They have a long history but at a point they had to assimilate and adopt Japanese names. In the case when a mixed couple produce offspring, I read that in many cases the child is never told about his or her Ainu background so as to avoid discrimination.
Ken Hirai said that his parents are 100% japanese (Since many people started to ask about this, annoying...) I think this "assimilation" of the ainus by the japanese society started thousands of years ago and nowadays is totally imperceptible. Around 25% of japanese people have an Ainu origin, which links them with the Haplogroup D
This is a funny subject you know and I always think that when outsiders talk about it. I am Ainu on my mom's side but I never think about it and I'm just Japanese. I think this whole devolution subject is roused by some emotional separatist zealots at times even spurred by some peeps raised abroad cuz of their idea of western freedom randomly applied to their heritage probably driven by insecurity which leads them into a search for their own self ID and that gives rise to the need to specify their point of origin in a extravant unique sorta way. Some cases of mistreatment is true tho including my lineage but in modern day on the whole it's more like the crazy minority being the most vocal thing. Same sorta thing is happening with some Okinawans too in that there is half truths here and there and but when it comes to self ID the Okinawan thing advertized abroad based on some loose stats is nearly always exaggerated and doesn't reflect the reality on the ground. In modern day us sub groups are basically all Japanese first and foremost and maybe something else when it's convenient and some agenda groups latch onto such occasions as it works in their favor but generally the separatist movemnt is a minority agenda especially vocal in English speaking world cuz they're the only representation English speaking world has. Next time you hear anything sounding like a separatist ask yourselves whether you've ever heard anybody from the other side of the argument from the same clan or race. I can assure you that you haven't. There is never an even representation on these matters so you only hear the most vocal minority with strong agenda while those minority try to represent all of us so called non Japanese. Politics in recent years has been making this more complicated tho but again at people's lvl it's always a lot simpler. It's funny how all these things work and it's a bit ambiguous actually. It might just be down to whether or not you have had an experience where you felt you've lost your ID at some point in which case your point of origin is a nice safety net to fall back on and curl up like in a nice warm blanket cuz it's too ancient now to disagree with you so you make yourself at home however you like without being challenged. It's MINE sorta thing you know? Gather a few like minded folks and tadaaaa you witness the birth of a new nation and representation. It's very serious for such peeps but quite funny for the rest of us especially when we're asked to join. I had a lad who tried to persuade me some years ago and I was like WTF man. I have no right to diss what my relatives feel of course but sometimes things get really over the top and looks like a mental illness. Sometimes I think it's a mixture of loneliness and social complex so you need to find something which nobody can take away from you almost like in a fantasy land. Oh my fingers hurt now.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjBYtYAOsJc&feature=fvst"]The Despised Ainu People - Japan - YouTube[/ame]
Man Flaight, could I ask you to use that button with the arrow (yes, the big one at the right of your keyboard)? I mean it's interesting what you write but you kinda make it less interesting if you make it hard to read.
