Effective Use Of Suits

In Japan, there is a tendency of rejecting refugees. In many cases, Japanese people see refugees as poor who escaped from their countries and don’t have proper education. As a result, refugees, including Gabriel, who want to stay in Japan are struggling to survive every day. One problem that refugees encounter is being judged as people with no status because of their appearances.

In spite of this reality, Gabriel continues to believe that Japan is his home, because of his long stay and trust that has been built in many relationships. He wants to adapt to Japanese society and live in peace. In order to accomplish his wish, Gabriel has been using tactics that make him look like a Japanese citizen. An example is wearing a suit when going outside. Suits are formal wear in Japan that people use for work or formal events. They can also be used as a tool to express a person’s social status.

One important social status in Japan is to be officially employed in a company, but in order to be employed, it is essential to acquire a certain amount of knowledge. Furthermore, in Japan, a person who is in a suit is generally perceived to have a decent job and to be belonging to a professional organization. Many people in Japan wear suits in their everyday life.

This can be seen especially in places like Shinjuku and Shibuya which have many offices and companies, where there are hundreds and thousands of people in suits walking along the streets. Hence, being educated and having a professional job is the exact opposite image that many Japanese people would have towards refugees.

As a result, it is hard to link the image of a person wearing a suit, to that of a refugee. However, since Gabriel wears a suit most of the time, he is able to blend into Japanese society and live without fear of being judged by people.

 Gabriel mentioned that he was stopped by the police several times because the police routinely check the status of a foreigner whenever they see one. Gabriel presented himself as a foreigner who has a decent job, by wearing a suit and showing his business card to the police like a Japanese businessman. Once the police realized his status as a doctor (naturopathic doctor), their questions stopped. The suit and the business card create a synergy effect that portrays him as non-threatening. Moreover, the police officers may have assumed that Gabriel is well educated and officially employed by a company. Thus, Gabriel had been able to persuade them to believe that he has proper status. 

All of Gabriel’s efforts came not only from his desire of being accepted in Japan but also from his feelings of not wanting to be looked down upon. Gabriel claims that he has dignity as a doctor, as well as strong faith in God and himself to come work in Japan. While Gabriel had become a refugee after coming to Japan, unlike other refugees, he had taken proper education as a naturopathic doctor when he was in Germany. However, due to the current refugee image that the Japanese have, Gabriel is afraid that they will sub standardize him. His suit survival skill protects his dignity because if he is able to blend into society, he will not be identified as a refugee. This prevents him from being seen as inferior to Japanese people. Nonetheless, in reality, Gabriel is still struggling to be accepted in Japan. He is well aware that it will take a long time to earn recognition, but the suit survival skill, which is unique and extremely effective, will support him during this unpredictably long wait. Therefore, wearing a suit for Gabriel, as a refugee, is something that is a very much-needed survival technique.

 

Finding Comfort Within Community Ties

Throughout Gabriel’s story, we can see how detainees supported each other in every aspect of their survival. Sharing karihomen information, scraping off financial support they can give one another, providing mental support during difficult times, and even sharing connections of support groups and organizations they belong. However, the number of this type of open support group for detainees is extremely limited considering the amount of support they need in order to survive. Therefore, detainees reach out to local communities who can give them the support they need. Some from their neighbors and others from religious groups such as churches who welcome them with love and empathy. However, the reality is, it is tremendously hard for detainees to belong in local communities when their culture, background, and language are different. As a result, the cycle of detainees helping other detainees is the main phenomenon that constitutes the relationship. If we look at Gabriel, who had experience living in Japan for years before being detained, was also lost in what to do. The volunteer groups and his church community were the only options he had to get support from outside the detention center.

Since the outside support was inadequate, the support he received was from his detainees, who understood what he was going through. 

 These situations are a similar cycle that most minority groups encounter in Japan starting with single mothers, working foreigners, and ethnic Koreans, living in Japan (Zainichi in Japanese). Single mothers, they are highly limited in their time to bond and interact with the people around them. Therefore, they often have a hard time reaching out for help, and when they do, they ask for help from those who are in similar situations and are more likely to understand their situation. Another example is Koreans living in Japan. While they seem to have a certain community of their own, there are various regulations and rights that have not yet been applied. Moreover, some have a hard time to belong in a community and face inequality and discrimination both from society and the government. These tendencies of reaching out for support to those with similar backgrounds or situations can be seen in many aspects of our lives. 

It might be difficult for some people to relate to this idea. However, it is also a choice that people make when they hope to get the best out of the support they receive. The most recent example can be seen when nurses seek help when they are at the limit of their mental stress or health. They tend to reach out to other nurses that are also in the same situation. as they scrape each other’s possible sacrifices they could make to support each other financially, physically, and mentally. People with mental illness are no exception. People with mental illnesses are more likely to feel comfortable sharing their worries with those who have experienced similar situations. Others can also be seen in alcohol session groups sharing their worst nightmares. 

 Gabriel’s life gives us a deeper view of what individual refugees go through as well as a cultural and societal characteristic of Japan that is portrayed in the story. An individual journey we will never learn in school, media, or from people around us. It is important for us to know what is happening to society and seek ways to change it for the better. In order to do that, just like Gabriel, we need to understand what it truly means to help, support, or listen to someone’s story.