Thread by @ayusheknows, Okay I already had replied to someone I follow on this topic [...]

Okay I already had replied to someone I follow on this topic but I wanted to make a thread about why I, as a Japanese person, have difficulty at best and intolerance at worst when non-Japanese people use our names and words as usernames online and so on. Here we go. (1/

Quick bio for anyone who doesn't know me, I'm mixed Japanese and white, born in Japan and raised primarily in the US. My first elementary school is currently over 70% white, but it was definitely higher than that when I attended in the 90s. I experienced bullying for my race. (2/

My family tried really hard to instill a respect and interest in Japanese culture within my classmates, but every time they did the bullying only got worse. I will not go into details of what I experienced, but I have a physical scar I can feel to this day. (3/

I think I started using the internet early for a millennial as my father got me a computer when I was 8 and when I was 12 I told my dad I wanted to learn how to make a website. He handed me his HTML book and told me good luck. From the start, I've used my real given name. (4/

Well, it didn't take long for me to reach others online, in forums and so on. Mostly HP stuff at first so it was no biggie, but I started to feel excited at the sight of other Japanese names. Sometimes, they were real names. Sometimes, from fiction, and sometimes, word. (5/

These are all things actual Japanese people do online, so it didn't bother me. One of my own old nicknames is Ichigo - I like strawberries. My mom thinks it's cute. But it didn't take long to realize that almost every time… they were not Japanese people. (6/

Have you ever taken the time to think about what it means? I mean, I think it's just a name, just a word you like or a character you relate to - but it broke my heart. And still does. Yes, I understand that Japanese cartoons and comics are now internationally popular, (7/

But I don't think people realize the degree to which this is normalized. I share a given name with a hugely famous Japanese singer. So guess who had to constantly defend her own Japanese-ness? It still happens from time to time but it's literally come to the point where I, (8/

a bonafide Japanese person given a Japanese name by my Japanese parent, cannot be trusted to actually be of my culture, while millions of internet users put on the mask bc lol they want to be kawaii. The added pressure with being half and raised mostly in the US adds to this. (9/

(FTR, I have been accused of being fake Japanese FOR AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN ON THE INTERNET. Since I was 12. Sure I should've realized using my real name was dumb but I was a child.)

I cannot demand people stop using the names that they use online. I just ask that you think (10/

about why this could be hurtful.

I try to think of equivalents, but I can't. Closest thing might be some "koreaboos". But with character names - which are inspired by real life names but often are absurd - it makes people sound extra foolish. (11/

Try to imagine encountering people on a daily basis since you were a kid trying to show how much they love your culture until people don't think you are of your own culture when you identify yourself by your literal actual name. (12/

This is NOT about people studying JP and writing their own name phonetically in JP online. Hell, if your Japanese teacher lets you use a JP name in class, go for it, just keep it there. My JHS French teacher MADE us choose French names but I'd never *identify* myself as Eve. (13/

This is also not about people whose parents gave them Japanese names - I know of some - and this is not about people whose names are also Japanese names, are you serious lol. This is about people choosing aliases and sometimes even irl names that are not of their own culture (14/

I know people want to believe Japanese media belongs to everyone, and they can certainly be ENJOYED by everyone and that's great, but even names have cultural significance.

I'm just one person, but I also know I'm not the only one who feel this way. (15/15)

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