Girl committed suicide - was teased about mom being Filipino Options

[eeniemeenie]

Father of schoolgirl suicide victim says daughter was teased about mom's nationality

KIRYU, Gunma -- A man who says his 12-year-old daughter's suicide was triggered by bullying at school has told the Mainichi that his wife's Filipino nationality may have been one of the reasons for the bullying.

Ryuji Uemura, 50, made the comment on the possible cause of the bullying of his daughter Akiko, who committed suicide in Kiryu, Gunma Prefecture, in an interview with the Mainichi on Oct. 26.

"I think the fact that her mother was a Filipino was also one of the causes of the bullying," he said.

Uemura said that when his daughter was in the fifth grade in 2009, her 41-year-old mother went to her school for a class observation day for the first time. At the time Akiko's classmates teased her about her mother's appearance, and after that she started to be bullied.

The 12-year-old's memorial service was held at a funeral hall in Gunma Prefecture on Oct. 26, with about 90 people from her school and others in attendance. All 38 students in her class attended the funeral, complying with a request from the school.

"We're very sad that she suddenly passed away. We hope she will rest in peace," a boy representing the students said in a speech at the ceremony.

Speaking in a wavering voice, Uemura told participants, "Akiko got lonely and she always said she wanted to make lots of friends. I believe she is being watched over by her classmates today and is happy."

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/ne...0na007000c.html

She killed herself because her classmates made fun of her mom being a Filipino. Poor girl.

This post has been edited by eeniemeenie: Nov 7 2010, 12:29 PM

[filipinoy]

because suicide is very very popular in Japan

[Jessyca]

That really sucks for the parents and I'm sure the girl thought there was no other way. But after a few years of bullying and your out of school, it all stops...too bad she didn't want to wait it out.

[filipinoy]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_in_Japan

[BuocBuocThongTho...]

those kids will regret it for the rest of their lives. It'll haunt them forever because they have cost a girl's life.

[foi2]

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/ne...0na007000c.html

She killed herself because her classmates made fun of her mom being a Filipino. Poor girl.

Sad to hear. Yah discrimination against blacks, southeast asians, and brown people in general is pretty common in Japan. Especially in school from what I hear. Sometimes even white kids are victims. Some East Asians have a problem with people who don't look like themselves. People who look different have a really tough time being truly accepted into Japanese society. Sad, but I think lately things are a bit better and generally people are better once they grow up.

[eeniemeenie]

Sad to hear. Yah discrimination against blacks, southeast asians, and brown people in general is pretty common in Japan. Especially in school from what I hear. Sometimes even white kids are victims. Some East Asians have a problem with people who don't look like themselves. People who look different have a really tough time being truly accepted into Japanese society. Sad, but I think lately things are a bit better and generally people are better once they grow up.

Is there anything done to prevent such racism? In North America, they try very hard to prevent racism. Has Japan done much to at least try to prevent such racism by teaching the kids to embrace different cultures and ethnicities?

[foi2]

Is there anything done to prevent such racism? In North America, they try very hard to prevent racism. Has Japan done much to at least try to prevent such racism by teaching the kids to embrace different cultures and ethnicities?

no, it barely enters the public consciousness here. It's partially because there are so few foreign looking people here, so when people find one they stick out like a sore thumb. Part of the problem is that people automatically associate immigrants with crime. Sometimes that's true, but sometimes it's not. Truth is, Japanese people are pretty naive about race. Though truth be told, most East Asians are pretty naive about race. Except maybe those in international cities like Singapre.

[LoveAndPeace]

This is really sad, japanese don't tend to bully people at school.I must also add that this suicide has always been common among east asians,there are many korean celebrity who committed suicide.

This post has been edited by LoveAndPeace: Nov 8 2010, 07:35 AM

[silangan]

School bullying and racism is everywhere. It's in the Philippines too, but it rarely leads to depression which subsequently leads to possible suicide.

Suicide is higher in cold countries. Along with winter depression, less human to human contact, more confined indoors, parents who both work and can't spend

time with the kid (specially if no sibling).

In warm countries, kids don't depend on school alone for growth and play. They just hop out of their houses 365 days a year and find tons of kids in the

neighborhood to play and interact with. Depression can't hold grip on this type of environment.

[cornbiscuit]

This is really sad, japanese don't tend to bully people at school.I must also add that this suicide has always been common among east asians,there are many korean celebrity who committed suicide.

bullying is a problem in asia, no bullying my @ss.

[chiuchimu]

Bullying is a problem in Japan. It is called Ijimeru. Living the vast majority of my adult life in the states, I don't fully understand it myself.

Ijimeru is not like bullying in the U.S., In Japan, it is everyone(the entire class or neighborhood) picking on one person like a wolf pack picks on the omega member. In a way, by picking on this one person unifies the class. No one dares to be friends with the targeted kid, or else become a target himself. This existed since before my grandmothers days and probably much longer than that. Although halves and foreigners could become the target of bullying, the vast majority are Japanese kids -we are talking like a million to one so it's not a race driven thing.

Who gets targeted? Poor kids, weak kids, socially inept kids. Lets say a rich, handsome, smart, popular and expert fighter will not ever be targeted. Also, bullying happens only during school years elementary to High School. I've never heard of Bullying cases in college

I don't know what causes it. I think it's a social/cultural failure. Japan is a very group oriented society. Also, people are expected to play their roll in society. Not only in terms of position like the 'teacher', the policeman' but also as characters like the 'handsome guy', the 'nerd'. the 'fat girl' etc.. Also, another part of this is social ordering, a non formal cast system, like in India. The guy at the top can pick on any one below him, the guys below him can pick on lower guys until the guy at the bottom who has no one to pick on - the sh!t rolls downhill principle. Combine this with kids desire to be bad sometimes and I think bullying is the result. Kids are imitating society in a way so that they can be bad and release tension and anger. Yet, Japanese society ingrains these kids to work together and be harmonies. So what appears to be happening is these kids are harmoniously working together to pick on one targeted kid. they are sacrificing one innocent classmate for the stability and harmony of the rest.


The bullying never stops on its own. They keep picking on him until he/she transfers, quit school or kill themselves.

It is unfortunate that this girl who was half Filipino /Japanese got targeted. But the truth is, Bullying is a wide spread problem in Japan that mostly happens to Japanese people and not halves or foreigners. No one in my country knows how to solve this problem. Everyone recognizes it is wrong. Even the kids doing the bulling know its wrong. Yet, year after year in every school in Japan, bullying is occurring.

This post has been edited by chiuchimu: Nov 9 2010, 11:23 AM

[filipinoy]

School bullying and racism is everywhere. It's in the Philippines too, but it rarely leads to depression which subsequently leads to possible suicide.

Suicide is higher in cold countries. Along with winter depression, less human to human contact, more confined indoors, parents who both work and can't spend

time with the kid (specially if no sibling).

In warm countries, kids don't depend on school alone for growth and play. They just hop out of their houses 365 days a year and find tons of kids in the

neighborhood to play and interact with. Depression can't hold grip on this type of environment.

this kind of makes sense

i just looked at the map.. the only countries i see near the equator with a high suicide rate is sri lanka & cuba

[matigasngulo]

Gov't to launch survey on school bullying after 12-yr-old girl's suicide
Thursday 11th November, 07:23 AM JST

TOKYO —
The education ministry said Wednesday that it will conduct a nationwide survey of bullying in schools following the suicide last month of sixth-grader Akiko Uemura, in Kiryu, Gunma Prefecture. Uemura’s mother found the 12-year-old hanging by a scarf from a curtain rail in her room Oct 23. It is believed the girl took her own life due to bullying at school that apparently started sometime last year after her mother, who is from the Philippines, visited the school for an event.

After an initial denial, Niisato Higashi Elementary School admitted Monday she had been a frequent target of abuse by classmates. The education ministry said it has told prefectural boards of education to conduct periodic surveys on bullying. The ministry also urged schools and local-level authorities to cooperate with families of schoolchildren to deal with the problem.

Following the incident, Uemura’s school conducted a survey and concluded she had often been the target of bullying.

On Monday, Uemura’s homeroom teacher, together with Yoichi Kishii, the principal of the school, visited Uemura’s home and apologized to her parents. “She was being bullied at school,” the principal said.

“The school should have conducted hearings with teachers and should have given her parents an appropriate explanation,” education minister Yoshiaki Takaki told reporters. “It is important to uncover signs of bullying at an early stage. We must thoroughly check whether past measures to prevent bullying have been working properly or not.”

According to reports by the school, Uemura began to eat lunch alone in late September, although her teacher instructed students to each lunch in groups. The situation did not change and she ate lunch alone for about two weeks. In October, she began to stay home from school often.

She moved to Kiryu from Nagoya in October 2008. The bullying appears to have begun around 2009.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/nationa...d-girls-suicide

[foi2]

Gov't to launch survey on school bullying after 12-yr-old girl's suicide
Thursday 11th November, 07:23 AM JST

TOKYO —
The education ministry said Wednesday that it will conduct a nationwide survey of bullying in schools following the suicide last month of sixth-grader Akiko Uemura, in Kiryu, Gunma Prefecture. Uemura’s mother found the 12-year-old hanging by a scarf from a curtain rail in her room Oct 23. It is believed the girl took her own life due to bullying at school that apparently started sometime last year after her mother, who is from the Philippines, visited the school for an event.

After an initial denial, Niisato Higashi Elementary School admitted Monday she had been a frequent target of abuse by classmates. The education ministry said it has told prefectural boards of education to conduct periodic surveys on bullying. The ministry also urged schools and local-level authorities to cooperate with families of schoolchildren to deal with the problem.

Following the incident, Uemura’s school conducted a survey and concluded she had often been the target of bullying.

On Monday, Uemura’s homeroom teacher, together with Yoichi Kishii, the principal of the school, visited Uemura’s home and apologized to her parents. “She was being bullied at school,” the principal said.

“The school should have conducted hearings with teachers and should have given her parents an appropriate explanation,” education minister Yoshiaki Takaki told reporters. “It is important to uncover signs of bullying at an early stage. We must thoroughly check whether past measures to prevent bullying have been working properly or not.”

According to reports by the school, Uemura began to eat lunch alone in late September, although her teacher instructed students to each lunch in groups. The situation did not change and she ate lunch alone for about two weeks. In October, she began to stay home from school often.

She moved to Kiryu from Nagoya in October 2008. The bullying appears to have begun around 2009.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/nationa...d-girls-suicide

well, Gunma's like in the boonies of Japan. So honestly it doesn't surprise me that much. People in the farms aren't normally friendly to outsiders.

Also you have to understand that the Japanese way of discrimination normally isn't in your face, it's not chasing you around and calling you names. It's often just politely ignoring the person or cutting your conversations short, or just all in all avoiding the person. It's like if you go on a train, they'll just unconsciously move away, or just not want to talk to you at all. It's much more subtle and unlike the redneck racism in the states at all.

This case sounds unusual if they actually uncovered cases of say, namecalling. Then again, I honestly don't know how kids that young treat foreigners cuz I've had no personal experience. Maybe kids are just plain meaner in the boonies.

[pacquiao]

well, Gunma's like in the boonies of Japan. So honestly it doesn't surprise me that much. People in the farms aren't normally friendly to outsiders.

Also you have to understand that the Japanese way of discrimination normally isn't in your face, it's not chasing you around and calling you names. It's often just politely ignoring the person or cutting your conversations short, or just all in all avoiding the person. It's like if you go on a train, they'll just unconsciously move away, or just not want to talk to you at all. It's much more subtle and unlike the redneck racism in the states at all.

This case sounds unusual if they actually uncovered cases of say, namecalling. Then again, I honestly don't know how kids that young treat foreigners cuz I've had no personal experience. Maybe kids are just plain meaner in the boonies.

funny...most japanese-filipino mixes are found in the boonies of Japan

I doubt it has to do with the location.....its on how parents raise thier kids and more to do with how the school handled the situation
I suggest japanese-filipino families send their kids to school in the Philippines until highschool....when people r more mature

[chiuchimu]

Gov't to launch survey on school bullying after 12-yr-old girl's suicide
Thursday 11th November, 07:23 AM JST

TOKYO —
The education ministry said Wednesday that it will conduct a nationwide survey of bullying in schools following the suicide last month of sixth-grader Akiko Uemura, in Kiryu, Gunma Prefecture. Uemura’s mother found the 12-year-old hanging by a scarf from a curtain rail in her room Oct 23. It is believed the girl took her own life due to bullying at school that apparently started sometime last year after her mother, who is from the Philippines, visited the school for an event.

After an initial denial, Niisato Higashi Elementary School admitted Monday she had been a frequent target of abuse by classmates. The education ministry said it has told prefectural boards of education to conduct periodic surveys on bullying. The ministry also urged schools and local-level authorities to cooperate with families of schoolchildren to deal with the problem.

Following the incident, Uemura’s school conducted a survey and concluded she had often been the target of bullying.

On Monday, Uemura’s homeroom teacher, together with Yoichi Kishii, the principal of the school, visited Uemura’s home and apologized to her parents. “She was being bullied at school,” the principal said.

“The school should have conducted hearings with teachers and should have given her parents an appropriate explanation,” education minister Yoshiaki Takaki told reporters. “It is important to uncover signs of bullying at an early stage. We must thoroughly check whether past measures to prevent bullying have been working properly or not.”

According to reports by the school, Uemura began to eat lunch alone in late September, although her teacher instructed students to each lunch in groups. The situation did not change and she ate lunch alone for about two weeks. In October, she began to stay home from school often.

She moved to Kiryu from Nagoya in October 2008. The bullying appears to have begun around 2009.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/nationa...d-girls-suicide

First, I must stress. Bullying is a Nationwide problem and affects mostly Japanese students. I'm not saying Japan has no racism, it does of course. I am saying it's no different than anywhere else. In particular, I have never heard of any special problems between Filipinos and Japanese. I'd say the relations between Filipinos in Japan and the Japanese are as harmonies as they can realistically be. In fact, many very popular stars in Japan are Half Filipinos like AKB48's Akimotot Sayaka or Hayami Mokomichi. That just doesn't happen if there are any degree of resentment going on.

OK, back on topic.
Lies. The school and homeroom teachers all knew what was going on. This going to the house to apologies is simply damage control. They knew and did nothing about it.


One reason why bullying doesn't get handled by the schools is the powerful retaliation that the kids can fire back. The kids will plot to take down any teacher or school staff that tries to interfere. Example, suppose I was a teacher and I told a bunch of kids to stop bullying this kid or I will take action against them. By the end of the day, the principle would call me to his office to discuss a complaint filed against me. Several parents would have called saying their daughters have told them I have been sexually inappropriate with them. Every student in the class would confirm these allegations. Even the bullied kid will stand with the class in fear of even worst action for betrayal. The parents and community will be in an uproar, bringing up the subject of bullying now would look like a cheap way to escape. The school staff in fear would stop any actions against the bullies. I lose my job. Furthermore, no one would ever hire me as a teacher again with a sex scandal rumor. the bullying goes on unaffected.

Examples like this is why schools don't get involved or try to ignore whats going on. they don't want the situation to backfire or blow up in their face.

This post has been edited by chiuchimu: Nov 14 2010, 09:45 PM

[ChineseFilipino]

Japanese people are sick, twisted, warped, and fu-ked in the head. I don't consider Japanese people to be Asian, they're more wannabe white because they worship Germans and Anglo-Saxons.

[juansuing]

Japanese sure are weird. Poor child.

[chiuchimu]

Japanese people are sick, twisted, warped, and fu-ked in the head. I don't consider Japanese people to be Asian, they're more wannabe white because they worship Germans and Anglo-Saxons.

"sick, twisted, warped, and fu-ked in the head." Yeah will right back at you.
Japan might have the number 1 bullying problem in Asia but China is a close number 2. I read about incredible bullying cases in China as well. Everything you say about us, you say about your self.

Japanese sure are weird. Poor child.

Yeah, we have our problems. but so does your nation.