I’m Darsheka Ranchhod, a first-year ALT based in Fukue, one of the Goto Islands. I’m a New Zealander of Indian ethnic descent.
Aotearoa is home to people from 200 different ethnicities. Like many other New Zealanders, my ethnicity is different from my nationality. As ethnicity and nationality are often words conflated in Japan, this difference has been a little confusing for me to explain to the people I have met. The difference, however, remains important to me as it showcases my identity.
Coming from a diverse country has its benefits. One is that people often look at me and see an Indian lady with a nose ring, but then they hear me utter “sweet” and “aye” too many times to perfectly attach racial stereotypes to me. Another is the depth of cultural knowledge present in one place. For me, growing up in New Zealand meant learning about Hinduism, speaking mostly in English while knowing Gujarati and Māori words and doing karate taught in Japanese almost every day after school. It meant enjoying Indian food, having friends from many cultures and bowing routinely to a Pākehā sensei. This evolving identity is what I have shared with others in Japan, through the conversations I have within the Japanese community and the lessons I teach at school.
People of color know the hidden truth that cultural diversity is not equated to cultural solidarity. Despite cultural diversity, people of color are often subject to racism and xenophobia. As a result, being a member of generations born in a country post-migration can be difficult. As a New Zealand-born Kiwi, I find myself balancing identities between life in the private and public spheres. A weighing of my desire to fit in with everyone else whilst still sharing and embracing my culture – eating with my hands in the company of some, but a knife and fork in the company of others. I think a similar dichotomy exists across borders. There is a respectful need to fit into a new country while still having a homesick love for where you have come from. Upon moving to Japan, this tension was present to me and felt all too familiar.
As a person of color, I would be lying if I told you that my time in Japan has been free of racism. Other foreigners have asked me to clarify what kind of Indian I am through the dangerously oversimplified and confusing “red dot or feather?” remark. I have heard a friend, who is employed as an English teacher, being questioned over his “suspiciously” good English ability. I have been cursed at in the supermarket. As exhausting and unnecessary as these comments are, the humor, joy, and understanding that I’ve had in the majority of interactions with Japanese people far outweigh the frustration of racism.
I have been welcomed into the Japanese community warmly and predominantly without judgment. I have had the privilege to include cultural references in my lessons, share any Whittaker’s chocolate I get my hands on with my co-workers and flaunt my non-regulation nose ring at school. With my co-workers, the catalyst for culture-centered conversation has been the opening of an Indian restaurant in central Fukue. Fukue is a small island and it has an abundance of great Japanese restaurants. As a consequence, non-traditional food is scarce. With this in mind, Kyoto Sensei was very excited to introduce me to the island’s new cuisine. Following the detailed map he drew me, I found the most divine 1000 yen plate. I genuinely felt like someone had brought my mum to me through a few mung beans and a cup of chai.
Now, every Monday at school, at least one person will chat with me about their Sunday lunch. With the aid of many gestures, we share conversations that for me, mimic the homely feeling of a warm lunch. My students and co-workers have also shared with me all of the special Japanese food that is eaten during specific occasions. Our cultures are similar in that we have a common belief that food is much more about sharing and communication than it is about eating. There are many friendships to be made by jointly devouring a plate of food, showing off your chopstick skills and celebrating cultural differences.
My advice to fellow people of color coming to Japan is to be aware that your identity is self-constructed, built not just from your ethnic and national identity, but also your personal experiences. Together they are as important as their individual parts. Be open about who you are, you have a lot to share. The way you look, the things you say or, the experiences you have had, do not warrant others to seek any extra explanations from you, if you feel uncomfortable to give them. It is your choice to dictate the labels that you go by. The JET Program is built on cultural exchange; so don’t be afraid to show the various parts of your culture with pride.
by Darsheka Ranchhod, 1st year ALT on the Goto Islands
Photo by Maxwell Barrett
