Japanese Can't Get Jobs in the US

I find there is a persecution complex here. If a Japanese tourist is killed in Rio de Janeiro, which in the year 2006 sees a lot of murder, people exclaim "Why, why, why? Why do Brazilians kill Japanese people?" as if it were a targeted racial vendetta. And if I mention "Well a lot of tourists are killed there, and so are a lot of Brazilians. It's a dangerous place" People are shocked and respond something like "We didn't know that. We are a poor island nation. It's not fair that Japanese people get hurt when they go there, nobody told us!" as if it were a secret that the rest of the world, aka "Gaikoku" were keeping to themselves at the expense of Japanese travelers.

Anyhew, a similar pattern emerged recently. I was an enkai (dinner party with lots of drinking) and one of the young women there was talking about hoping to work in America someday. Immediately two middle aged adults there told her "No, no, no, you can't. Japanese people can't work in America."

I'm American so the young woman turned to me, surprised. "Is that true?" She asked, "Japanese people can't work in the US?"
I said "No, it's not true. Lots of Japanese people work in the US."
To which the middle aged pair, a man and a woman, declared in agitation "No, no, Japanese CAN'T."

Now think what you will of the USA, big bully or bastion of freedom, religious prude of a nation or drug infested lawless basket case, but one thing we should be able to agree on is the fact that a lot of people from other countries go to the US and get jobs. Maybe the jobs aren't good, like picking lettuce for slave wages, maybe they are, like doing medical research or designing microchips, that's not the issue. If you can't admit that people from other countries go to the US to work then you have a very different reality than me and it would be hard to have a meaningful discussion.

So I said "But, a lot of people from many countries go to the US and get jobs. My mom's neighbors are from Osaka (Japan) and they work for a telephone company."

So the woman said "No, my sister had discrimination."
Fair enough, that exists. BTW I know the sister in question, we worked together in Japan.
"What happened?" I asked.
"She had to quit her job as a bank teller."

Note, she's is Japanese and she DID have a job. But ok, there was a problem. Sexual harassment? Racial slurs?
So I asked "Why?"
"The salary was too low."

Not to put down bank tellers, I know they work hard and do contribute to society, but it's not the highest paying most prestigious job out there, especially in the days since temping became popular and the social services provided by companies in the US deteriorated in the last 20 years or so. But to this woman, her sister had to quit a low paying job (why no job is better than a low salaried one is a different matter) and because her sister is Japanese that means that Japanese people get paid poorly. And Japanese people getting paid poorly means that Japanese people can't work in the US.

I realize that some of the misunderstanding is because tellers in Japan have different job requirement than in the US so it's a little more of a "real job" with benefits, responsibilities and career potential. But still, just 'cuz her sister didn't get paid well hardly equates with singling out Japanese for punishment.

The sister in question lives in Hawaii. There are a lot of Japanese in Hawaii so a thoughtful soul suggested "There are many Japanese in Hawaii. Maybe local people don't like Japanese." It didn't occur to anyone that lots of Japanese living in Hawaii seems like a strike against discriminatory practices?

I gestured to a young American woman who was actually the guest of honor at the party before it got heated. The party was to wish her farewell as she was leaving Japan after one year to search for a job and a new life in the USA. Let's call her "Julie."

I said "Yes, but if Julie here were to get a job at that same bank in Hawaii, she would also have a low salary. She would have the same salary as your sister."
"No, no it's unfair."
"Banks don't have special lower salaries for Japanese people."
"Why so low?"
"Because it's not a great job and your sister is a new person with few skills. If Julie worked there next week she'd have the same salary."
"I can't believe that."

At this point in these kind of conversations there's little I can say. Facts aren't enough. I just wanted to get back to enjoying a nice meal. So I tried one last approach before giving up. I said:
"Ok, well, how about here. What if I work for Shikoku Bank? (the biggest local bank, a major employer)"
"Huh? Shikoku Bank?"
"Yeah, what if I worked for them?"
She was astonished. "What do you mean?"
"If I worked for Shikoku bank, how much would they pay me?"
She was kind of drunk, and a little off guard I guess, so she said "Don't be ridiculous. You can't get a job at Shikoku Bank!" and started laughing as if I had said something obviously stupid.

BUT...

this doesn't happen a lot, and she deserves some credit for it,... She stopped laughing, made a face, and said "Oh, I see." and shut up.