Nontraditional Text Presentation- "But we're speaking Japanese!"

Mini Presentation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLt5qSm9U80

But we're speaking Japanese!

• the text (and a brief personal narrative on the student's encounters with the text)

I found this text to be very reflective of discrimination towards foreigners in general regardless of the country. In terms of Japan which is what this video specifically targets, they are known for having their own share of racism in their country. My boyfriend’s older brother who taught english in Japan actually witnessed this first hand as some older folks would be quick to blame foreigners foreigners for local issues unrelated to them. However, this discrimination is seen much less and less with the younger generations, and there have been many reactions videos to these types of videos where younger people complimented their speaking and spoke well about foreigners. I believe that this video refers to the treatment of people in terms of those actually living in Japan. From my experience, as a tourist who somewhat speaks Japanese, tourists are treated better i think.

• how the content is typical and atypical of the genre

This video is typical for videos targeting a country’s racism towards foreigners because it focuses the discrimination on how one looks or how different one looks in comparison to others especially in a country such as Japan which is an island, but is atypical in the sense that it brings forward the racism in regards to language fluency partially.

• how the text is typical and atypical conventions of the genre

The text is atypical of the genre because it is about ordering in a restaurant aka doing something simple. It is typical however that she assumed that they were tourists based on their looks which was clear by what she said.

• rhetorical situation the text/genre arose from/addresses

Addresses racism against foreigners in Japan

• the tone or style and the purpose(s) of the text/genre

Tone is sarcastic, poking fun at people’s ignorance and purpose is to raise awareness to the changing world we live in where people and everything is internationally mixed

• the intended or consequential audience of the text/genre

intended audience are those in Japan, but actually more people from outside Japan have seen this video

Though kind of meant for both because it is in Japanese but has English subtitles

• a brief description of the evolution of the genre

• Satire

• potential complication, implications, problems, and pitfalls of the text/genre

because more people from outside Japan have seen this video, it could accidentally create a mis-image of Japan’s treatment of foreigners

Also, the video makes the waitress seem kind of unintelligent because they are clearly speaking so fluently.