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To be honest I've never seen a problem with the word "gaijin" if used in alphabet and not while speaking Japanese. But this thread made me realize that I've seen things purely from a foreign (western) pov and not through the lense of someone who is bilingual and grew up here. https://twitter.com/annaPHd9pj/status/1312315882014740480
I understand the argument to "reclaim" a slur as foreigners in Japan, but to be honest I don't think it's our position to decide what can be reclaimed as immigrants who moved here as adults and learned Japanese as a foreign language, as adults.
And frankly I personally don't think my "freedom" to use a definitely controversial word has a higher value than the potential pain I can cause someone who has been hurt by that word used as a slur. It's not worth it.
It's also true that often foreigners who just started learning Japanese have no idea that "gaijin" is used as a slur and I think by reproducing it casually online, even if when referring to ourselves, we contribute to that. (FYI the correct term is 外国人/gaikojin)
So thank you, Anna, for this thread. I've already only used the word to refer to myself in joke, if at all, but I'll be more careful about it.
