Orientalist Mindsets from as East as Possible

I definitely think that Americans, and most of the Western world, is still suffering from their ancestors' Orientalist perception of the world. While Edward Said was more focused on what we now called the Middle East in his discussion, I am better acquainted with East Asia myself. Regardless, I see similar Orientalist mindsets toward that area.

I cannot deny that I have noticed myself and my family and friends thinking lesser of people from the East. The biggest example to me was actually the byproduct of my mindset: When I went to Japan for 6 weeks, I was surprised when I realized that my host family was just like my American one. As strange as it sounds, my surprise is what surprised me! Of course my family would act like a family! I came to realize that my expectations for living in Asia had been way lower than I thought. I was surprised that everyone treated each other with respect and that my new lifestyle didn't feel oppressive in any way, just different.

I had always considered myself as above that kind of thinking before my exchange, but then I realized how blind I had been. Upon my return, a big thing I noticed was Western people commenting on the Japanese language when they heard me speak it or saw me write it. Once, a family member overheard me talking on the phone to my host mother and said that I sounded "like a goat, bleating." And if I had a dollar for every time I've heard "Mira, your brain just must be different! I could never write like that!"

While I don't think that it's as damaging as literally conquering countries was in the heyday of Orientalism, these kinds of comments/attitudes still reinforce a divide between us Westerners and, in this case, East Asia. Comparing the language to animal sounds or saying that Japanese brains simply must be different can hardly be defended as perceiving us as equal. Spoiler: The way Americans say "yeah" sounds like a goat too. And if you grew up in Japan, you'd learn to read and write it just fine.

But because of how subliminal these messages can be, staying in the Western world can easily warp them to appear as the truth/correct way of thinking. I think the way to break out of it is really encouraging people to keep open minds and exposing them to different cultures and experiences from an early age. If Westerners have the opportunity to travel, I'd highly encourage them to take it and go somewhere where they are the minority.

That realization I had in Japan was truly life changing. It allowed me to understand more about family dynamics and the human experience in general. Going to Japan and finding a family that loved me and each other all the same shouldn't have come as a surprise to me. And all languages were born from the innate human desire to communicate with each other. Despite what the Orientalist mindset may tell you about the intelligence, character, or trustworthiness of people in the East, I can assure you now there is not that much difference!