Japanese Piñata's

The theme of Sino-Japanese relations that errupted into wars last century, two centuries ago and continues to threaten to continue this century. Let's not kid ourselves: with over 200 million consumers (larger than the U.S.), burgeoning nationalism and passage of laws we might learn something about in Canada, China is clearly going to be the global hegemon that the U.S. only wishes it could hang on to.

To bring this closer to home, the rise of Chinese nationalism within a Chinese-Canadian context is producing remarkably different results. The verbal history I live with includes:

• Japanese taking over Hong Kong in 1941 and causing my grandparents to move away from an aristocratic lifestyle to eat tree-bark soup (those Japanese bastards!)
• Uncles who witnessed summary executions and were tortured by troops occupying HK (those Japanese bastards!) and who to this day will not buy a Japanese car (though they are now made in Alliston, ON and in Mexico)
• An aunt (toddler) who starved to death due to the occupation, and was buried in a pauper's grave (those Japanese bastards!)
• Horror stories of what happened to women in Nanjing (those Japanese bastards!)

Now growing up in the 1970's and 80's, I too have come to appreciate a certain amount of hostility for the wrongs of forefathers:

• In Expo 86, the Japanese Pavilion entry mural recounted how centuries ago, it was the Japanese who sailed from the island and became settlers to develop the China and Chinese we know today
• Japan as a nation still won't really atone for the sins committed for the Emperor to nations around Asia

I believe that these are elements that we should learn from in history. But as far as attributing the responsibility of said actions to an entire people (i.e. I hate all things Japanese because they remind me that my people got screwd over), I cannot see the purpose nor the logic.

It would be akin to having me as an ethnic Chinese should feel any guilt complex for the general period between oh let's say the 7th and 14th centuries when the last hegemonic rise of China in Asia somewhat curtailed the civil liberties of certain ethnic groups in the region. Or heaven forbid, should I be held to account the actions of other ethnic Chinese (of communist fame) who are enthusiastically brainwashing and re-educating Catholic Priests in China as we speak.

So beat up on the Japanese (if we must), because it makes us feel better to avenge our forefathers. But at the end of the day it does dick-all for the future day when the Middle Kingdom rises again - and it does things that Chinese Canadians won't want to be ethnically tagged with responsibility for.

p.s. just joking about "Japanese Bastards"! Wouldn't want to start another Sino-Japanese war or anything like that!