What are your thoughts on people who go to the argument of "but Japanese in Japan said this so I'm going to agree with them and discredit you even though you're Japanese diaspora, third culture Japanese, mixed Japanese"?

So I was thinking of maybe stepping away from the arguments that have been repeated over and over again by users like @remissabyss, who so elegantly stated CULTURAL APPROPRIATION IS EXPRESSLY A DIASPORA ISSUE

Because members of the diaspora on this site have stated that again and again.

So I’m not sure if I’ll answer your question properly but I thought I’d go into some recent reflections that are at least related to the issue at hand. If this isn’t what you wanted, please let me know and I’ll try to do better :)

I think one thing that really struck me while I’m here in Japan is that Japanese nationals do not, in the general sense, give a fuck about Japanese diaspora or mixed people. They are not our allies and it’s foolish to think that for a second. They live in a society where they get to dominate, much like white-americans in the USA, and I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say they’d sell us out in a heartbeat to gain favor with white people in both the USA and Europe.

In regards to treatment of mixed people, when a black-japanese woman, Miyamoto Eriana wins Miss Japan, it’s an outrage about what it means to be a “real Japanese,” meanwhile Takizawa Crystal, who is white-japanese, was representing Japan during the Olympics and Japan’s reaction was so positive that some of her phrases became memes within Japan. In addition to that, despite backlash to Eriana, Japanese people have no problem using black-japanese athletes like Asuka Cambridge, if it’ll help get the country more medals.

What I’m getting at with the above is that we’re only Japanese when it’s convenient to them, or if we represent some kind of beauty ideal (especially re: the preference of white-japanese mixed people over other mixes).

I’ve repeatedly read through articles upon articles discussing white-washing and cultural appropriation that only discuss it in terms of Japanese nationals and foreigners, which is establishing a false dichotomy that ignores us diaspora and mixed people who fall somewhere in the middle. I suppose I could soften my phrasing, but to put it bluntly we’re not wanted by either side. It’s impossible for us to fully assimilate in either the United States or Japan and they’d rather ignore us then acknowledge that these things that they are fine with are hurting people who are connected to them.

Japanese academics and American journalists who should know better have no problem saying that since manga is a symbol of globalization, white people should be able to take roles based in manga. Conveniently revealing globalization for what it is, not that melting pot analogy they love to talk about so much, but white cultural dominance. Because if these people were truly interested in globalization, wouldn’t diaspora and mixed people make a better symbol of globalization, since we are inherently global?

I guess what I’m saying is I’m sick of both Japanese nationals and non-Japanese people playing this bullshit game, and I want them to straight up say that diaspora and mixed people have no right to our cultures. Because that’s the message they’ll send but they know how bad it sounds so they’ll avoid saying that straight up, even if that’s what their pretty words boil down to.

I’m sorry this is super long and disorganized. Basically, I think the reason they don’t prioritize us is because they think our membership in either culture is not as “real” as a Japanese nationals or white Americans and therefore irrelevant, even though we’re the ones who have to directly deal with their racist-asses. And I think it’s a super gross thing to do when so many countries spend time romanticizing globalization but can’t even extend compassion and consideration to the people that are at the very core of that globalization.