Research...never take things at Face Value.
Japanese Earthquake/Tsunami & Katrina/Haiti Crisis: behavior and socio-economics
*Be fully aware, that as a black-skin Haitian-American living in South Korea (west of Japan), I am compelled to writing as objective as possible.
Behind the destructive forces of nature, humility, altruism, and hope is undoubtedly put to the untimely test. Japan has evidently passed that test! It’s been a week since I watched the tsunami on LIVE television, as it ravaged the Japanese prefectures. Just days earlier, an earthquake struck but was met with a nonchalant response. They’re are use to and well-prepared for the frequent earthquakes. I’m originally from South Florida and the Japanese initial response reminded me of my nonchalant response to the constant hurricane warnings the state received, until five major ones stuck Florida in 2005, including the infamous hurricane Katrina that demolished New Orleans.
In the aftermath of the Japanese tsunami, the online world has been fixated on the Japanese calm amid utter chaos, with Americans comparing it to some of the lawlessness US media over-covered in New Orleans and the disorganization in parts of Haiti. The American (of all ethnicity and class) way of life is completely different than the Japanese, but the negative contrast dominated online forums and blogs nevertheless.
South and east Asian blogs such as Chinasmack, also compared and contrasted their country to that of Japan, with an overwhelming amount criticizing their own country–claiming that most of their people wouldn’t be so vigilant in maintaining social harmony. Some comments, however, did make important distinctions in assessments. They discussed the socio-economic dynamics of China that drastically differed from that of Japan. Some south Asians also shared the same self-reflection. The resentment toward Japan still existed, as the atrocities committed by Japan in past wars were still vivid. Most, however, managed to have a humane response to Japans unfortunate ongoing tragedy.
Most American/Canadians article and blog comments, on the contrary, highlighted the Katrina/Haiti disasters (which affected black people the most) as so-called examples of black inferiority—essentially making blacks a punching bag to either up their self-esteems or as simply to veil other moments of ciaos from other ethnic groups in the North American continent, including whites. As of March 19, 2011, there have been 146 cases of looting, fraud, and hoarding in Japan. (Translated Japanese sources) Still VERY low and certainly NOT something we should center our attention on. Attention should be centered on relief funds reaching the people in those prefectures, but the positive instead of objective media coverage aiming at “looting” and other moral insights lures our attention elsewhere.
This isn’t about the racial elements of immorality, it’s about human instincts that kick in when basic needs aren’t met.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with Americans/Canadians comparing and contrasting the behavioral responses to the disasters. The Japanese response is an awe-inspiring example of how social order should be upheld in the wake of disasters, but arbitrary notion of “civility” in these recent online conversations is thrown around too loosely, especially when no other socio-economic or cultural factors are considered as comments flood with ignorance, unwarranted ethnocentrism, and bigotry.
Most Americans/Canadians mentioned the looting, violence, and other disorderly conduct during the Katrina disaster—but fail to distinguish between social classes among blacks. The comments continued to paint all blacks, regardless of educational, social, or cultural background as looters and violent—it felt like social classes among blacks never existed. As if other blacks from various backgrounds didn’t frown on the actions of those few highlighted on television and news articles.
Below: an Associate Press report that caused outrage during Katrina (blacks=looting, whites= “finding”). Aside from this, there were also clips of people grabbing TV screens and items not necessarily needed for survival– that was obviously a disgrace and simply illogical. But this image?
Language matters: looting vs finding (black vs white)
Every society in the world has social classes that would react differently. That aspect of Japanese society, along with their well-established preparedness for frequent earthquakes, culturally/nationally embedded collectivism, and the lack of fear-mongering religion (that too often raise irrational belief of doomsday) are just a few of the aspects to consider. Perhaps we, the people, should focus the conversation on social class—bringing attention to the affects of the lack education, financial attainment, and aspects of collectivism in ALL parts of the world. Basic human needs can instinctively evoke the bad or the best of our abilities.
Below are several factors that most Americans/Canadians (of all racial/ethnic background) fail to acknowledge when they attempt to compare Japan to New Orleans and Haiti.
1. Socio-economic, culture, and SITUATION: lack of comparison
a)-No, no, and NO—poverty is not an excuse for “uncivilized behavior,” it is a determining factor as to why some can make an entire ethnic group look inadequate.
b) In contrast to Japan, Katrina victims went 5 days without ANY response from the government, no food or water in the worst living conditions. Combine that with the mentally unstable individuals that blend into the crowd of sane individuals and you’ll have panic, lawlessness and the lack of altruism in any country. There were cases of Blacks and Whites acting disorderly.
c) Haiti: Haitians and Haitian-Americans were OUTRAGED that once again, the focus was on a small minority of disorderly conduct taking up most of the attention. Same impoverish atmosphere as Katrina, but worse cataclysm. I can’t count how many Haitians left the US to help their fellow countrymen, women, and children (including family members) and yet the perception is that Haitians wouldn’t help each other. False!
2. Civility, media coverage:
-Are all white people the same? Well…you would hopefully respond with a question, “what do you mean by white people?” Lower class, higher class, those in Britain, America, Australia? Do white-skinned Hispanics qualify? If I show you one of several clips of “whites” engaging in a riot in Canada after a simple hockey match, would you then have a firm belief that all white males are naturally violent? What are the affects of images like this constantly shown around the world?
What if I ubiquitously showed you images Satanic Metal bands (musicians) what would your perception of white males and females be like?
-America’s way of debate and conversation is based on relentless finger pointing. Ideally and logically, a great way to comprehend the conduct/character of another culture or ethnic group is to form a basis that highlights those underlying factors that cause disorderly conduct or “uncivilized” behavior. We often regard sensationalized media news and articles as fact, especially toward other groups of people. White and black foreigners have certainly felt the brunt of that here in Asia. It’s common, but we shouldn’t avoid the conversation. It is also not to say that certain truths in certain stereotypes don’t exist—just that over-generalization of any group or culture is intellectually bias and misleading.
Civilized behavior is subjective. For example, according to American standards, East Asian treatment of dogs and cats are harsh and too inhumane. Does it make those countries [in Asia] uncivilized? Absolutely not! Differences in ideology and morality will always be up for debate, which is why war atrocities, imperialism, and institutionalized racism tend to come up in the same forums, blogs, and article comment section discussing these disasters.
The beginning of 2010, Haiti was dealt a terrible fate. Beginning of 2011, major African and Middle Eastern protest and natural disasters dominate the news. We should now revolt against our own communicative disaster and stop credulously taking everything at face value–we lose sight of the scratch marks, digging deeper into our subjective psyche. Onelove!
*Let’s hope Japan can get control of the Nuclear Crisis and rebound successfully.
Touching video of two boys, Geoffery and Joseph–2010 earthquake survivors wanting to help Japan. Filmmed by RYOT Film
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Strange how the author took great pains to write this article why ? Just another atempt to put down blacks and to justify the hatred and discrimination that is inflected on them by this society ? It's strange that the author did not mention that the average income Of Haitians is $1200 per year and the Average income in Japan is $60,000 per year. Another issue is education, with Japan being 99% litterate. Japan was a country that was totally prepared for earthquakes. They have been preparing for something like that for years. The author did not mention that they had to drop 2 nuclear bombs on the so-called peaceful Japanese to keep them quiet an orderly. The author does not mention that hait was just getting out of 30 years of violent dictatorship and 15 years of turmoil. I blame the Haitians for that. However if the earthquake in japan had happened in the capital, instead of a sleepy rtirement village it might have been a whole nother scenario.
Harry,
Unfortunately, YOU DID NOT READ THIS ARTICLE! I'm Haitian-American, why would I write anything to put down blacks?
Did you read this article?
The article is about the unfair representation of blacks in the wake of disasters, the sentiments you expressed are directly addressed in this article which means, YOU DID NOT READ THIS ARTICLE.
Please, before you comment on anything, make the assertive effort to actually read and comprehend an article. It sounds like you just read the title and posted your unfounded, baseless opinion.
Please, read the article in its entirety and then write again. Onelove! -Wilkine Brutus
You are right wilkine I did not read the entire article, or I probably confused it with one of the many other articles concerning the reaction in Japan. I apologize, thanks for pointing it out. One article put out by some Conservative website attributed the Haitian and African American reaction to DNA, genes and lack of intelligence.
Wonderfully written Wilkain. I have just come across your website via a ted.com comment that you made. That video of those Haitian boys is a lesson of global empathy in action. I cried and cried; it was through that boys selfless tears that I was able to tap into my own humanity. Thank you. Onelove.
What kills me is instead of taking this time to just come together and focus on helping with this tragedy, people much rather take it as a opportunity to put "blacks" down and make us look like savages. I could have sworn there were reports lately of looting.
Anyway what really matters is people are suffering. Whose to say that if disasters struck in the heartland of white america they wouldn't go bonkers and start shooting one another. No one knows, it just a bunch of bs to use this to attack one another. Great read tho Bro.
I am with you. Just another low blow to another culture instead of acknowledgment of servitude and humanity.
Your assessment is definitely right-on, Wilkine. Too often in the US, the discussions about how certain societies react to certain situations ends up being a discussion of race. Maybe it's because we're all given the illusion that there aren't genuine class boundaries in the US and that social mobility is always possible in every situation, but I'm always baffled at why people don't get that socio-economic background and histories of institutional marginalization HAS A LOT TO DO everything.
The "positive" coverage of Japanese "behavior" also in itself indirectly perpetuates the stereotype of the quiet docile Asian, essentially and ultimately a submissive sheep who can't act assertively. It's a pretty sad statement that the media even in the 21st century still can't portray people as the subject and not heavily emphasize the adjective (Japanese, Hatian, Caucasian, etc.).
Actually, there was discussion of this very topic on The Ed Show on MSNBC a couple nights ago, and there IS actual footage of "looting" in Japan. Not as much as what was captured here during Katrina, but it is happening. Now, to call it looting, I think is highly inaccurate, and seems rather subjective (see your example from the newspaper of the black person "looting", and the white person "finding"). My personal definition of "looting" would be the example of the person taking the flatscreen TV after Katrina. It doesn't matter what color his skin was, taking a TV when you have no power, and possibly no house to watch it in is simply a display of human idiocy at it worst.
The specific type of "looting" that USUALLY happens in these catastrophes isn't what I would call looting. It's what I would call doing what's necessary to survive. In most cases the people are simply trying to find food, clothing, first aid supplies. The necessities to stay alive. The truly sad thing is that in the areas hardest hit by the earthquake and tsunami, there ISN'T really anything to "loot". Entire towns were wiped off the map, leaving only piles of rubble. I am glad that the Japanese seem to be really pulling together to get through such a horrible situation, we can all learn from that, and do more to help each other out on a daily basis, not just when tragedy strikes.