A response to “Tired of getting stopped”

The author of “Tired of getting stopped” seems to be an African American and knows the meaning and the importance of the so-called gaijin cards well. He follows the Foreign Registry Law and always carries his card. He is just one of foreign residents living in Japan.

However, he feels discriminated against at a particular place in Nagoya by the same female police officer. He is always stopped for a police check by the female police in front of Takashimaya. He says that she has stopped him as many as thirteen times even though it was six months since he came to Japan.

There are no ideas about his looks, age or job but probably she has a kind of a stereotype or, worse, a racial prejudice against African American people. She seems to misunderstand that all African Americans are from ghetto, has been committing many crimes since they were young and can be criminals and he is also about to break into Takashimaya. In order to prevent the happening crime, therefore, she tries and stops him every time. This act may be caused by a responsibility as a police officer but it is also involved with her personal emotion.