Buraku Problem Q&A
Many journalists, researchers and students from abroad come to visit us at the BLHRRI. Although they come from different parts of the world, they come to us to learn more about Buraku problems and ask for much information. Among the many questions asked us, we picked out those most frequently asked in these occasions, and will try to answer them as a new series of"Q&A"in this news letter. We hope this will be a help in understanding Buraku problems.
Q Do Japanese people still discriminate against Buraku people ?
I heard people say that discrimination is going away and not here anymore.
A Nowadays, people do not openly use derogatory words, nor do they openly express discrimination against Burakumin as they used to do. Nevertheless, this doesn't mean that discrimination has gone away and is not here anymore. For example, a survey conducted among people in a Fukuoka town asked them if they would allow a family member to marry a Burakumin.
32.9% answered favorably, 30.6% replied unfavorably and 19.4% answered "absolutely no". Just about the same ratio was observed in several other surveys conducted in other prefectures. Another survey conducted by the Area Improvement Measures Office(responsible for Buraku problems) of the Cabinet Management and Coordination Agency, November 1985, entitled "The Actualities of the Area Enlightenment Project(Intermediate Report)gives a breakdown of married couples in Buraku areas as : both partners of Burakumin origin,65.6%;Burakumin husband couples,21.5% ;and, Burakumin wife couples,8.8%. Those couples with non-Burakumin partners totaled 30.3%.
However a local newspaper, the"Kyoto Shimbun",said in its report in 1988 on marriage of Burakumin,"not even one case of love marriage, to say nothing of an arranged marriage between people living in close neighboring communities, is observed among 190 families"in a rural Buraku in Kyoto prefecture. The facts show that if anyone knew that the other party was Burakumin before they met, they didn't even fall in love! The increasing intermarriage with Non-Burakumin are all "love marriage" which overcome opposition and discrimination against their choice.
All discriminatory ideas normally hidden in everyday life, disclose themselves on the occasion of the marriage of close kin. Discrimination pulls apart two young people in love and sometimes leads them into doom. We still see many of those young lovers, when they find out that their partner is Burakumin, turning away from their partner as they meet strong opposition from parents and relatives who consider such marriage awfully "unrespectable."There are also countless numbers of divorces where Burakumin identities were disclosed after having been married for sometime .some even killed themselves after their lovers, husbands or wives left them. A private detective agent tells us that in about 90% of marriage inquiries, people ask them to be sure to investigate Burakumin identity.
Discrimination in marriage is not the only plight that keeps Burakumin suffering. Discrimination at their job opportunities and in jobs are still frequent.