Due to criticism, especially my Chinese blog post, Cai A-Ga decided to retire his Black man mask, and posted an apology on his Facebook page. Roughly, the apology states he is sorry for making foreigners "uncomfortable" and therefore will not use the mask again.
Granted, I feel there is a sarcastic undertone to his response (he's a comedian after all), but he made a good decision and it is certainly a step in the right direction. He personally told me he will not use the mask in the future, but curiously felt the need to state the mask was from Japan. I told him that may be true, but he made the decision to buy it. I also suggested he use his popularity to tell his viewers in a fun way that discrimination is wrong:
Will Cai accept the challenge? I'm leaning toward "no", but I'm glad this issue has sparked a conversation that Taiwan desperately needs to have, especially as a country with a somewhat noticeable foreign population. The responses to Cai's decision run the gamut from bizarre to sympathetic. In this post, I share some of the interesting ones with you, as well as touch the recent media attention I have gotten regarding this issue.
Last week, on a blog I follow called Taiwan Explorer, I saw an interesting article (it's a good read) concerning one of the most famous YouTubers in Taiwan, Cai A-ga. Cai was asked by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Taiwan to make a video introducing a label that will be placed on environmentally safe products. You can see the video below:
A person shared Taiwan Explorer's article
on Cai A-ga's Facebook page.
As you can see in the video (and from the thumbnail before you watch it), one of the actors in Cai A-ga is wearing a mask that represents a Black man as ugly and, quite honestly, deformed. The eyes stick out in an unnerving way, the lips are exaggerated, etc. Furthermore, the person wearing the Black man mask is depicted as a dull person who cannot understand the concept of the new government seal without being told over and over again what it's for. For most Taiwanese people, this video is simply amusing and funny. They don't see any malice in it, neither do they understand how Cai's use of that mask not only insults foreigners, but gives Taiwan a negative image. What's more, Cai has used the mask in the past.
As a person who studied Poli Sci (and focused on international politics), I immediately saw Cai's video through an international politics lens.
Here's some food for thought:
One of the biggest desires for the government and citizens of Taiwan is for the world to recognize them as a country, separate from Mainland China. Out of all the 196 countries in the world, only 22 recognize Taiwan as a country:
Currently 22 states recognise Taiwan as the Republic of China (ROC): Belize, Burkina Faso, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Nicaragua, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Sao Tome and Principe, Solomon Islands, St Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Swaziland and Tuvalu.
Well, that's certainly interesting, isn't it? Most of those countries have a significant or majority Black population. In addition, they are small nations. Taiwan systematically gives monetary support to these small nations, invites their citizens to Taiwan (i.e., to attend college as students), and essentially uses them as a face for the "inclusiveness" of Taiwan. Simultaneously, the government doesn't seem to mind when Cai mocks and insults the people who represent those from the few countries that recognize them.
(Cross-posted on the Blasian Narrative). “It wasn't so much me not knowing I wasn't [B]lack[,] but me loving who I was enough to draw inspiration from my blackness.”
As a Blasian woman of Chinese and Jamaican decent, storyboard artist Pearl Y. developed a stronger recognition of her blackness with the start of the #BlackLivesMatter campaign.
Recognizing and embracing blackness is one of the many topics under the umbrella of the current #BlackLivesMatter movement. What does it mean to be Black? How should blackness be represented? Who is Black? The last question is an especially touchy subject, especially for those in the Black community with a mixed race background. Some even debate the lexicon related to the mixed race community. Is a person “half black” or should the “one-drop” rule continue to define those with one non-Black parent?
Additionally, after the death of Sandra Bland, #BlackWomensLivesMatter has become a trending hashtag and discussions of misogynoir are more prevalent. These conversations place mixed-race Black women in an interesting position, especially those like Pearl who were raised by their non-Black side.
Whether you own a restaurant somewhere in Tokyo and need a few items to run your business properly or are a foodie who loves to collect beautiful dishes and utensils with which to eat and present your creations, Kappabashi-dori or Kitchen Town is the place for you! However, if you aren't a chef, entrepreneur, or self-proclaimed foodie, you might still find Kappabashi-dori interesting due to the sheer volume of goods related to the restaurant and food preparation businesses present there. I cooking and food styling are my hobbies, so Kappabashi-dori was high on my must-visit list.
Seven Uniform seems to be the
biggest uniform shop on the street.
While many of the businesses in the area are on Kappabashi St., Kitchen Town actually extends to several of the alleys that branch off from the main road. On foot, it's about 15 to 20 minutes away from Sensō-ji Temple（浅草寺）in Asakusa（浅草）. There are many interesting shops in Kitchen Town, but an exploration of the area only needs about one hour.
The jury seems to still be out on how Kappabashi received it's name. It either comes from the word kappa（合羽） or raincoats as people on the street used to hang them out of their windows, or Kihachi Kappaya （合羽屋喜八）, a merchant led the efforts to build the Shinhorikawa River. However, the shop owners of Kitchen Town agree that the mythical Kappa creature is the mascot of the area, and the animal is seen in several locations on the street.
