Comments on: Immigration will cause loss of unique identity: poll http://whatjapanthinks.com/2007/12/18/immigration-will-cause-loss-of-unique-identity-poll/ From kimono to keitai; research Japanese facts and figures through translated opinion polls and surveys. Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:08:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: www.japansoc.com http://whatjapanthinks.com/2007/12/18/immigration-will-cause-loss-of-unique-identity-poll/#comment-44779 www.japansoc.com Wed, 19 Dec 2007 03:45:09 +0000 http://whatjapanthinks.com/2007/12/18/immigration-will-cause-loss-of-unique-identity-poll/#comment-44779 <strong>Comparing public attitudes to immigration, UK vs Japan...</strong> What Japan Thinks gives us some telling satistics about people's attitude to immigration. According to a recent survey, 62% thought the nation's unique cultural identity would suffer with further immigration. However, that statistic is actually from ... Comparing public attitudes to immigration, UK vs Japan…

What Japan Thinks gives us some telling satistics about people’s attitude to immigration. According to a recent survey, 62% thought the nation’s unique cultural identity would suffer with further immigration. However, that statistic is actually from …

]]> By: Janne http://whatjapanthinks.com/2007/12/18/immigration-will-cause-loss-of-unique-identity-poll/#comment-44762 Janne Wed, 19 Dec 2007 02:26:30 +0000 http://whatjapanthinks.com/2007/12/18/immigration-will-cause-loss-of-unique-identity-poll/#comment-44762 I come from a country - Sweden - with significantly higher immigration rates than the UK or US (to say nothing of Japan of course). About 13% of the population is foreign-born; this is not an anomaly but has been at something like this level for many years. And no, Swedish culture has not suffered for it. If anything it's the opposite, with the influx of new ideas and perspectives vitalizing it. As for crime - are immigrants (and refugees especially) overrepresented in the crime statistics? Yes. Is it due to them being 'foreign'? No. Is it due to the poverty level? Yes. For the case of Sweden, the way to reduce crime is to enable refugees to work and get up the income ladder, not restrict them from arriving. I come from a country - Sweden - with significantly higher immigration rates than the UK or US (to say nothing of Japan of course). About 13% of the population is foreign-born; this is not an anomaly but has been at something like this level for many years.

And no, Swedish culture has not suffered for it. If anything it’s the opposite, with the influx of new ideas and perspectives vitalizing it. As for crime - are immigrants (and refugees especially) overrepresented in the crime statistics? Yes. Is it due to them being ‘foreign’? No. Is it due to the poverty level? Yes. For the case of Sweden, the way to reduce crime is to enable refugees to work and get up the income ladder, not restrict them from arriving.

]]> By: Shari http://whatjapanthinks.com/2007/12/18/immigration-will-cause-loss-of-unique-identity-poll/#comment-44744 Shari Wed, 19 Dec 2007 00:25:09 +0000 http://whatjapanthinks.com/2007/12/18/immigration-will-cause-loss-of-unique-identity-poll/#comment-44744 I'm not sure at all, but, if I were to speculate, I'd guess that there is different psychology at play in each case. In the U.K. (as in the U.S.), I think it's a case of "familiarity breeds contempt" coupled with a feeling that ones economic status is threatened by the presence of more people (immigrants being seen as willing to work for lower wages feeds into this). Heterogenous cultures are working from known (or at least experienced) sources of conflict or economic difficulties from immigration. In Japan, where the culture is still quite homogenous, their perceptions about are speculative rather than based on ongoing real issues (hence the reason crime is usually the main reason Japanese people have concerns about immigration). The Japanese are basing any objections they have on propaganda (by and large) and the people in the U.K. on experience and having lived with the economic consequences of allowing more immigration. Mind you, I'm not asserting anything I say is fact. It's just speculation. I’m not sure at all, but, if I were to speculate, I’d guess that there is different psychology at play in each case. In the U.K. (as in the U.S.), I think it’s a case of “familiarity breeds contempt” coupled with a feeling that ones economic status is threatened by the presence of more people (immigrants being seen as willing to work for lower wages feeds into this). Heterogenous cultures are working from known (or at least experienced) sources of conflict or economic difficulties from immigration.

In Japan, where the culture is still quite homogenous, their perceptions about are speculative rather than based on ongoing real issues (hence the reason crime is usually the main reason Japanese people have concerns about immigration). The Japanese are basing any objections they have on propaganda (by and large) and the people in the U.K. on experience and having lived with the economic consequences of allowing more immigration.

Mind you, I’m not asserting anything I say is fact. It’s just speculation.

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