I write sweet and steamy rom-coms with tear-jerker happy-ever-afters.
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where i play the role of romance author, reader, and geek

The Thing about Different Cultures...

7/13/2013

3 Comments

 
First of all, I'm going to tell you that this particular post would require comment approval. I won't publish negative comments - but that shouldn't matter if all you want to do is let me know your opinion. I will read your comment and I'll respect it, but it's my call whether it's seen or not. I think it's safe to say that some would only post comments just to get attention.

Now, once in a while I get emails and reviews saying that I was a racist with Drawn. Others were nice enough to ask why I referred to Japanese as "Japs". Until these reader emails, I HAD NO IDEA THAT "JAP" WAS A RACIST TERM. Here in my part of the globe, it's simply a shortened term and WE LOVE SHORTENING WORDS. Like Filipinos are Pinoys etc. 

Now I'm aware of course of the different connotation but I still stand by my decision to use the term "Jap" because I absolutely meant no offense when I was writing that. I actually thought it was a very hip way of addressing Japanese. I feel like I'm going against my principles by taking it back. All these years I have loved everything Japanese - you can ask my family and friends. They all know this. I self-studied Japanese and mastered the Level 4 basics in a week - I loved it that much. I studied that hard. I took one-on-one lessons from native Japanese tutors. I gobbled up everything I could of Japanese culture. Bottom line - I love the Japanese culture. Surely that should have been visible with how I wrote Drawn and to still imply that I was being racist - without even asking me why...well...

I feel like taking out the word "Jap" is just a way of allowing the negative connotation of word to persist. Wouldn't it better to apply reverse psychology in this case? True racists use the word "Jap" to describe anything / everything Japanese in a derogatory manner. But why can't WE - the ones who truly love all things Japanese - start working to make this term imply something positive? Why can't we start using "Jap" as a "hip" or "cool" term to describe Japanese culture? 

That way, every time those true racists would say "Jap" the word would have lost its hurtful impact. 

That would be the real triumph, don't you think?

Now, what brought this out you ask?

I recently read a review on Park and Violet. It was a 2-star review. I didn't mind. The reviewer thought Park and Violet was "way to boring". I didn't mind that either. But the reviewer also said that the book was "weird" - and maybe I'm wrong here but the way I read it, the reviewer meant it was weird because it was all about Korean stuff. 

And that was what made me sad. Is a book automatically "weird" just because it doesn't feature American / British characters and settings? 

But at the end of the day, to each his own. That's the reviewer's opinion and maybe I read it incorrectly. But this is my opinion, too, and I think I deserve to say what I want since this is also MY blog. I'm just really, really sad about it. I've always seen books as the most wonderful opportunities to explore new cultures - it's through books I'm able to write about characters who don't live in the Philippines - if not convincingly then at least in a way that readers would enjoy.

Well, that's it for now. 

To end on a happier note, I'm really really happy that Park and Violet is doing so well - Top 500! Honestly, all I was hoping for was to break into the Top 1000. I'm always aware that by writing a book that had Asian influence in it I risk getting lower rankings but I also feel that not writing what I really feel and care about would just make me deliver a bad and fake story. So I'm happy that 99% of Amazon readers proved me wrong and that they care about the story and the characters more than they care about which part of the globe it features.

Thank you readers for everything! :)
3 Comments
Leya
7/19/2013 11:44:49 am

Marian, just wanted to encourage you to keep up the good work. Obviously, lots of us die-hard readers enjoy your work, and as you said everyone is entitled to their own opinion. That being said, I am an American, and I have heard the derrogatory use of the term "Japs". But it didn't register to me when I read "Drawn" because you were not using it in that way. Your love of the culture shines thru, and I've read your author's blurb on amazon about all the languages you know and your interests outside of writing. Maybe that helped influence my thoughts as I read the story, but either way, I can say that at least in reference to your writing, the term has lost its negative connotation conotation for me. Also, may I say, a good story is often one that could cross cultures and would still at its heart be the same story.
If we get to learn about places we may never get to visit, then so much the better as far as I am concerned. That is the whole point of reading..travel outside your box in more ways than one. Thank you, Marian, for broadening my horizons..you are a true writer.

Reply
Marian
7/28/2013 02:59:50 am

Hi Leya. Sorry for the late reply - I was really, really grateful and happy with your comment and I wanted to think long and hard how to response to it because your answer deserved that kind of attention. :)

First of all, thank you for sharing your input - I'm really happy that you didn't take offense or thought I meant offense with the use of "Jap". I don't even see it as a "term". I just see it as an abbreviation. I'm happy that for you it lost its negative connotation, which from hereon would be one of my objectives - to get rid of the racist implications of JAP. I still think that the best way to get rid of racists is to take away all the possible racist terms they use by turning it into something positive and hopefully by promoting JAP as a hip and positive term, I'll be able to do my share of battling racial discrimination.

Thank you for saying that I've broadened your horizons - I'm glad if I did so in any way because I can honestly say that just by talking to you and other readers, you are all able to broaden my horizons as well. :) I hope that I only continuously improve and be able to share more and happier and heartwarming stories with you and other readers.

Thank you again for taking the time to write!

Reply
Keshia
7/21/2013 04:41:22 pm

just wanted to say love the morretti series wanted to know will there be a book three

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