Pursuing an American Accent (2)

“How can anyone say American men treat women with respect?” One Japanese businesswoman says emphatically. “In this country, women can’t even go out alone at night. What about rape? What about domestic violence? Where’s liberty?” She adds, “American men share housework? Well, when we have office parties at work, it’s always the women who prepare food and do the dishes. Male co-workers just come, eat, and leave.”

Jobs are hard to come by. In a country where even kindergartners effortlessly produce the flawless “r” sound, Japanese women can no longer rely on their English as the focal point of their resumes. Surrounded by native speakers, these former self-described bilinguals strive to overcome their inferiority complex. Sooner or later, there comes a time when they face the reality: the language barrier pushes them into safe occupations as translators and language teachers. Some forge their way into the American professional workforce. But even they invariably face obstacles due to their gender, race, or a combination of both. Petite Asian women are rarely taken seriously. (...CONTINUES...)