One of the unique things about the United States is its diversity. It is heard through the many languages spoken and seen through the various shades of people. And as a person of color and American descendant of African slaves, diversity and the acceptance of various people is at the core of my being. To be honest, diversity is one of the driving factors in my decision to go abroad and engage with a culture and people different from mine.
I thought that I was prepared for the culture shock of being apart of the small African Diaspora residing in Japan. However my preparations were futile in comparison to what it is really like to be black in Japan.
The things that I outwardly expected were the many looks that would be directed my way. I do consider myself as very self-aware and confident with who I am fully. My parents raised me and each of my sisters with unique care in relation of how we stand in the world being black women. So studying abroad in a country that is more homogenous than I am used to would definitely become an adventure.
The Hair
I decided to join the natural hair movement as a freshman in high school, vowing to never chemically straighten my hair. Years of bleaching, cutting, and poor care left me with a sad excuse of a mane and thus I made major changes. That being said, it has been about 2 or 3 years since I last cut my hair (not including regular trims). So noticeable does not even begin to describe it in its afro state. I can be spotted a mile away with these curls. The transition to Japan had me thinking a lot about my hair such as maintenance and most importantly, the curiosity that I would experience from the Japanese. I was well aware that these people do not live in a bubble, and probably had seen the thick texture from movies, shows, and social media. However, my concern lied in the response. Would they try to touch my hair? And if so, what would I do? In America, there is a whole movement dedicated to the notion of ‘Don’t Touch My Hair’ courtesy Solange Knowles (great song btw). And culturally we understand the meaning and symbolism that our hair holds. Comparisons of it being the crown of queens, or even strength. So, I wanted to be culturally aware in Japan, but also true to myself and not allowing hands in my crown. To my surprise, I never ran into any invasive situations, but only compliments of how cute my styles are. I did find it incredibly impossible to find hair products and ended up spending $25 in Amazon shipping fees when I ran out of hair gel (but so worth it).
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| I received many compliments on this hair wrap scarf, little did they know I finessed it with a long-sleeve shirt. Lol. |
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| I would usually wear my hair like this, rain or shine. |
The Stares
Everyday my trek to campus is about a 12 minute walk. During the walk I usually catch up with friends or sometimes listen to a great playlist. And through every weather type, I walk to class religiously. The path for me has been the same, and I always pass by a Japanese preschool on the way. Usually the children are so engrossed with their games, tricycles, and dirt they never notice people walking by their gates on the busy sidewalks. Everyday these children play loudly outside, laughing and running about, so much so I have become used to the noise. One day as I was strolling to Soulful Strut by Young-Holt Unlimited, I did not hear the children. I though it odd and as I looked to the gate on my left, I was met with 5 pairs of young eyes and silence as they watched my every move. They looked at me as if I was a unicorn and were very adorable in their astonishment. And usually this was the response to people seeing me and my melanin skin, the old and young would respond in this way. A young child even approached me in a Starbucks in Tokyo and was definitely impressed by appearance that she followed me around for a bit smiling and laughing and waving at me.