Being called a ‘gaijin’ is not unusual or harmful, says Cai Evans
Before I start, let’s get one thing straight: I am well aware that the term “gaijin” has pejorative overtones and that its etymology is grounded in a history of discrimination and exclusion.
Yet the issue here is not what the kanji mean in a technical sense; we all know they mean “outsider” (or when you’ve really upset someone, “fiendish outsider who may defile your tatami and eat your pets”).
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