I saw a conversation here where someone thought homophobia wasn't that bad in the 90s.
I had someone else say they didn't remember any anti-Japanese racism in Australia in the 90s. I being on the receiving end of it would remember it pretty strongly, but to forget it entirely?
Just really poor memory
(History? I guess this is history subbear. Given how much people seem to misinterpret events happening now, what does that say about writing of events at the tim?)
I think a lot was Japan because Japan's economy was doing pretty well during the 90s, not that the sort of person engaging in slurs can tell the difference between different east Asians. I remember it cooled off by the time I graduated high school, but it was pretty constant until about 2003.
Finding an old Australian joke book from the era that has a decent amount of Japanese businessman, Japanese tourist, Japanese small dick jokes (also a weirdly high proportion of divorce, cheating, and unhappy marriage jokes, also gay jokes). But the jokes kinda are the tip of the iceberg. If the jokes were the worst thing happening, it would be shit but not as bad as being assaulted, denied access to communities, being more heavily policed and observed, not having wrongs taken against you as seriously... you know, marginalised.
But also yes, it's usually straight white dudes who don't remember
I'd kind of forgotten all the "asian men have small penises" joke thing. "All politics is sexual pathology" moment.
I thought Japan's economy was doing terribly in the 90s, wasn't the big bubble in the 80s?
My memory was a collapse of sorts in the mid to late 90s. But I could be wrong, I just remember what it was like here in oz
Sorry you had to experience that. I don't quite have the words to communicate enough solidarity but I can validate that that is terrible, it happened, and it shouldn't be something that happens.
I personally am not from Australia but a lot translates due to Anglo cultural influence. Plenty of "(anti-Japanese)" racism among the people that should've taught me ethics rather than racism or bitterness. And an astounding amount of pro-Italian thinking despite both anything vaguely Italian and anything vaguely Japanese being of the same "axis" in terms of the war propaganda influence on racist rhetoric.
Also ran into a fair share of people obsessed with Japanese pop culture. Both racists who had the worst opinions and behavior you can think of and then also people really into some Japanese band or art.
Anyways sorry again that you had to go through that. And sorry there are people who want to pretend it didn't happen.
Yeah, anime was a major cultural import at the same time. Dragonball Z, pokemon, Digimon, sailor moon on TV in the morning