“If I were to experience racism here, I wouldn’t come here again,” said one student.
A group of Japanese students who participated in a Headliners Foyle project shared their views on racism in Japan and in Derry.
We asked the visitors if they would go to the police if they were to experience racism in Derry.
They said: “People don’t report to police because there are too many and even if you tell the police and the police get the bad person, they might say they didn’t say it. It would be difficult going to the police in a different country and language is different so I would just forget about it and feel bad and not tell the police.” 
The Japanese young people weren’t aware of anyone who had been the victim of hate crime and they didn’t think there was much, if any, racism in Japan.
“In Japan, most people can speak only Japanese or English. We don’t believe in any religions so we don’t talk about that. Even if there are people coming from overseas, we talk to them.”
But they were aware that others had negative feelings about Japanese people.
“I think there are people who think about the past, like wars; I know Chinese people don’t like Japanese people because during the war Japan went to China and killed many people and many people remember the past. But I don’t think that’s good. I think what Japan did was wrong but I think younger generations should get a new start.
“I think in school they should teach about the past but the teachers should say that it was the past and younger generations should be friendly to other people. I think going to many other countries is a good experience also.”
Happily, the young people had all enjoyed a positive experience during their time in the North West.
“In Derry a lot of people talk to us and they give us directions, I think people are nice here.”
This group has shown their willingness to travel and understand other cultures. If we all did the same, the world would really be a much smaller place and racism could be eradicated forever.
About this story:
By Micheal Grimes (18) and Tola Stewart (17)
