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I have filed requests with the university time and again demanding the associate professor retract his remarks and offer an apology, but the school didn't respond to my requests. I'm horrified and suffering mental distress from having gone through relentless attacks.

16 Comments

Ryang Yong-Song, a 37-year-old "Zainichi" Korean resident of Japan and student at Hitotsubashi University. He has filed a human rights complaint with the Kunitachi municipal government in Tokyo against an American associate professor who is said to have repeatedly used hate speech against Koreans during classes. A city ordinance bans ethnic discrimination.

© Mainichi Shimbun

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

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The above summary is somewhat lacking in context to say the least.

Here is a link to the full article from Mainichi (in English).

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190803/p2a/00m/0na/007000c

8 ( +8 / -0 )

If this is the case and it can be proven the person should be removed from any teaching of classes immediately.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

When asked for comment, the public relations office of Hitotsubashi University said, "We withhold from comment, as an official in charge is not here."

The stock Japanese bureaucratic sidestep as nobody takes concrete action or responsibility. They need to stand on the neck of that "Teacher" Assc Prof... not as if he is tenured. Can his ass and clean house. Restore faith, that simple.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Good. Japan is better than this, or at least should be.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Caution is required.

It seems Ryang Yong-Song is the founder/leader of something called the 'Anti Racism Information Center'

https://eng.antiracism-info.com/staffs

John Mancuso's feed is here;

https://twitter.com/japan_john/status/1157538331170729986

It appears that there are a lot of loose translations going on, secret recordings being made, misrepresentations and a long term spat between the too.

I also disagree with Mancuso's translation of the word bakachon, if that was used. It's just the name of a cheap, simple camera. The racialist spin is something that's been made up later.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

@ shinhiyata, thanks for the link, it is very helpful.

It would also be good to know the background to the incident quoted in the article. There are two sides to every story.

Of course, making such generalisations against an entire nationality based on the actions of one person is inexcusable.

The defence of provocation exists in criminal law for a reason.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Unfortunately my message above was moderated and a whole sentence removed, because it contained a quote from the Mainichi article which included a censored profanity.

The point that has been deleted from my comment is that, if the student was called an idiot by the teacher, it is possible that it is because he was indeed acting like an idiot.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

There is no justification for racism, regardless of the behavior of the victim.

None whatsoever.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

For a detailed link:

https://note.mu/ryangyongsong/n/nfd9bd16dc333

If he really said that (I give him the benefit of doubt and of a fair investigation), then he should be toasted.

Maybe the student make obvious jokes about his name?...

1 ( +1 / -0 )

There is no justification for racism, regardless of the behavior of the victim.

I assume that is directed at me.

At the risk of repeating myself. it is very unfortunate that my first post was edited by the moderator. If my first message was published in full, it would be clear that my point is that calling the student an idiot may have been justified, but that does not excuse bringing race into it.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@ Shinhiyata: Thanks for link, it helps to know what the prof is alleged to have said. If the quote is accurate, then the prof definitely acted inappropriately and should be disciplined and possibly fired. But I suspect the alleged "crazed idiot" might have fabricated at least part of his story, so we should wait to hear the response from the other side. We should never rely on just one side.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

What did the student do for the teacher to react like that?

Yes the teacher was unprofessional but it looks as if the student provoked him first.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

There is no place for this kind of thing here or anywhere, regardless of what nationality the guy is. That said, it should be easier to deport him after he's fired -- which he had better be soon.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Obviously I'm not going to condone or excuse this kind of nonsense

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Americans, eh??

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

An american???? And he's a professor???? Way too many red flags there

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

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