Racial discrimination is still occurring in places we do not know. I want you to take that fact.
yuzuka: Every time I read your interviews, I saw that you grew up while your dad was saying "white music is banned", but your dad's words had the social backgrounds and the consideration for AISHA who was in trouble.
AISHA: That's right. In addition when becoming an adult, I was in the environment with only white music and only such music only came into the ear ... ...So, for the basement I want you to cherish your roots. I think that he wanted me to understand the pros of such music.
yuzuka: I see ... .... Did your dad have also experience of racial discrimination?
AISHA: Yes. Indeed, as the problems still occurring in the United States, there are many incidents that white police officers shoot and kill a lot of black children ...「wikipedia」
Actually my dad escaped from the police many times when he was young. You may not be able to imagine, but like playing, they kill children. Instead of protecting them as hero of the justice, the police point knife at them.
yuzuka: You feel close to it ... ....? I cannot imagine…….
AISHA: You may think it’d lie. But it’s actually happening. Because I lived in Japan, "What are you saying, I can not do that, I thought that a policeman's person would not do such a thing," but actually when I was over there, the story was steadily revealed Then, he jumps into himself through the news. It was not only in the news but also from familiar friends and cousins. I heard a lot of stories that this kind of thing happened ... ....
It was so terrible. I was worried because I was really worried when my brother was in the United States.
yuzuka: Are these cases happening now?
AISHA: Of course. It has been happened. Even recently, black who were just in the backyard of their house were shot and killed by police. 【The police mistook mobile phone for gun…Black man was shot by police in his backyard of the house】 It happens.
Even in a poor area, police officers are lined up there. Even though they ignore those who sell drugs in front of them, black children are easily shot and killed just by violating the traffic rules.
yuzuka: Even now, such tragic incidents continue to happen constantly .... When you grow up with such news, something wrong, lack of confidence, a sense of incompatibility and fear of discrimination sink into your mind.
Honestly, I could not imagine. I have been in Japan for a long time and did not know such tragic incidents happened in real time.
AISHA: So I was really surprised. I have never had such interview in Japan. Because I have no chance to say about this issue rather than an interview. I thought everyone did not care about it and not interested in it. If you stay in Japan, you may have no experience of discrimination. It’s normal.
yuzuka: That's right. Everyone cannot imagine. They think discrimination is happening in somewhere far way because it doesn’t sound sincere. That’s why I thought I needed to dig into. Anyway it is important to first.
Racial discrimination is still occurring in somewhere we do not know. I want you to know the fact. At the same time, I want AISHA, who is singing song with smile, to be a hope of someone.
AISHA: Thank you very much. I'm happy. I was lucky because my parents explained so easy to understand. I was also lucky with such environment. I’ve been in Japan for the long time and go there once a year in the time of summer vacation. So I did not feel pain so much. But still now, there are certainly someone who have a difficult time. It’s certain fact.
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The words of AISHA who is always cheerful are too shocking.
It is painful to imagine that she was likely to be crushed with complex and stuck herself into the room in childhood even though she is cheerful and gives love to everyone without prejudice.
Racial discrimination is not easy to talk. It is impossible to draw a conclusion on "what should we do" in this article.
But, through her experiences and words, I hope someone who was "out of the loop" have a chance to think about it.
At the end of the first part, I would like to end with the words of Nelson Mandela who won the Nobel Peace Prize in the past.
Racism is a disease of the soul. It kills more people than any infectious disease.
The tragedy is that the treatment is within reach, but it cannot be catched yet.
I hope this article will reach someone's heart.
yuzuka
text / yuzuka
photo / Tsuchida
