yuzuka: Please wait a moment … …. Very nervous … ….
AISHA: Why? why? (Laugh) Everything is OK ~!
yuzuka: I always listen to your music. When wearing makeup, listening candy love.is my daily work. I am happy to see you.
AISHA: OH, Thank you! I am happy to see you too!
When I opened a magazine, every page was white girls only
yuzuka: Thank you for receiving my request despite covering a very sensitive story this time.
AISHA: No, I was very happy. Thank you very much.
yuzuka: This time I made a request for the interview because I saw Twitter’s posting.
AISHA: Thank you very much. I also always see Twitter, (laugh)
yuzuka: I’m sorry about always posting strange tweet (lol). I’ve been watching you since I became a follower with AISHA. For me, AISHA was just like the sun. In my image, you’re always bright, powerful and never stop smiling. Your Twitter is also “Just AISHA’s twitter! “ It gives me the energy everyday.
AISHA: Thank you very much.
yuzuka: That’s why I felt a big gap in the tweets I see sometimes. For example, tweets saying “Dad seemed to ban white music!”. Then tweet with the content that you are impressed that many blacks appear in the movie. …. AISHA who always does not show negative emotion, looked like moved to tears.
Perhaps about the topic of “racial discrimination”, AISHA had something you deeply felt since early childhood, had experience of broken heart.…. Because you have such a past, I think that’s why this tweet is coming. …. If so, I thought that it might be possible to know Mr. AISHA more deeply by knowing the inner part of AISHA.
AISHA: Thank you very much. I thought that Japanese people are not interested in this kind of topic. So that’s surprise when the offer came. But, I’m happy. Well … …. What should I say … ….
yuzuka: For example, did you feel something wrong with you in childhood?
AISHA: For example, when getting on a train, when walking somewhere, wherever I go, I get a lot of attention from others. “Why is everybody watching only me?” I could not understand why others watched me. I though that “I wonder if there is something wrong with me”. I really did not like that.
yuzuka: It’s a set of eyes.
AISHA: So, when I came back home, I asked my mother “Hey, why is everybody watching AISHA?” Then my mom said “Because you are such a beautiful woman.” So, at that time I understood “That’s why” (laugh). Because my mom is a positive and happy. My mom changed something bad to something positive. I thought in that sense, I was in very lucky environment.
yuzuka: You never become gloomy because your mom treated you with a bright attitude not negative.
AISHA: Yes. However, when I became old enough, I opened the magazine. White girls were on every page. There is no child whose hair color or skin color is the same as me. But only a music video. Black women who are shaking their ass with a vulgar appearance that looked like almost wearing nothing. ….While seeing just such a thing, I noticed that a black woman is treated only as “the symbol of SEXY …”.
That’s why I thought. “Oh, I wonder I’m not beautiful” or “I’m not good(generally)”.
Posters and pictures of Caucasian models in the room. It was a period of confinement in the room.
yuzuka: Did you started to think first the skin color as “complex” …?
Yes. I felt an inferiority complex. I put up posters and pictures of white models in my room and shut myself in the room.
yuzuka: I cannot imagine, AISHA. … …. But the complex you feel at impressionable time is very painful, isn’t it?
AISHA: That’s right. So my parents watched me and said “This is bad”. They made time to talk. “AISHA has the pros of AISHA” “Aisha’s grandpa and grandma are nice”.
Well, I try to understand … ….
yuzuka: It was difficult … ….?
AISHA: Yes. For example, movies. The heroine of my favorite movie including Titanic, was certainly a white man.
“Oh, that kind of child will be happy” “Such a child is needed.”. Brainwashed by external information … …. It’s hard to break it.
yuzuka: You felt contradiction in the information coming in when I looked outside … …. Besides the your feeling, was you said anything directly from others?
AISHA: Well. because I was cheerful, I do not think I was said anything directly. But I was sometimes given nasty look.
After that, there is a discrimination word “Nigger” used by people of other races towards blacks. It is a really taboo language that I cannot explain. But “white people who meet for the first time said ” Nice to meet you. Are you Nigger? “. “Is it true that you are” that “? It’s a terrible meaning. Are there still someone who saying such a thing even in this era? At that time, I was surprised and felt sad.
yuzuka: It’s unbelievable something like that happened. …… I am ignorant … …. We are living in a very closed country like Japan and I do not feel “discrimination” closely. Black and White is too. Yellow may have not so much discrimination as long as we are inside the country.
But, looking at a bit the world, for example, soccer. I was a supporter of some team, but other supporters imitated monkey towards us Japanese, showing a banana and they were ordered to go out … ….
I saw such scene before. I think discrimination still exists now.
AISHA: That’s right. I think that I feel strongly when I go out to the world.
There is a Barbie doll. I love Barbie dolls. In the past there was no black Barbie but now it is sold here and there.
However, it is sold at a cheap price compared to white Barbie. If I look at it, I feel “Oh, I am worthless”.
yuzuka: In the past, there were only dolls replicated of white girls. I felt that diversity is now recognized. But that is just public face …
AISHA: That’s right. For example, recently I saw the documentary dealing with orphanage children.
Many children were being interviewed separately by various skin colors.
Showing white and black baby dolls to every kid, they are asked “Which does do you like?”. Everyone chose a white doll. When asked “Which doll do you not like?”, everyone chose black dolls.
AISHA: As you can see, rather than the reason, there were magazines and TV, movies, toys in childhood … …. With such information, I think that incorrect information is input unconsciously. It is very scary, and I saw the documentary and I felt that the discrimination consciousness is still deeply seated
