Japantown, USA

I was a little upset that I was failing so much at cheering Akira up yesterday that this morning I came across the interesting tid bit that he was currently working a city with the oldest Japantown outside of Japan (naturally...).  So I texted him the info on this as soon as I could and his response was cheery.

There are a TON of Japanese people in California, in 2000 there were almost 5 million alone that called California home...so I'm sure with the huge amount of Japanese companies head quatered here and how almost every city has a Japantown...that the number may be double that.  Of course California just has a ton of people from all over the world, but three races in particular...Mexican, Japanese, and interestingly enough, Persians.  Akira and I always wonder where the white people went.  And I'm not talking about those that are sprinkled here and there...we literally get giddy when we find a town (cause it sure ain't any of the cities) that mainly white dominated. 

Anyhow....as a result not only are there full out Japanese schools and full out Japanese universities, but like I said, a TON of Japantowns.  I'm hoping that this will help ease my shock...but so many of the Japanese people have been here so long that Akira calls them fake Japan.  San Diego and Orange County probably have the most fresh off the plane Japanese families...though they are all buried in companies (like Akira himself) or school (like Naseem) that it's hard to interact with them unless you're involved in whatever they are involved in...so...I guess I'm...lucky?  Cause I've never befriended a Japanese person who hadn't just came from Japan...so I've never really encountered the "fake" Japanese.  Akira has though...and find them extremely strange since they act both ways...but I told him that's unfair because he's the same way...he's just more Japanese while the second generation on down are more American.  Hell...I know I'm way more American then Iranian.  I hope other Persians don't look down on my like Akira does with these groups.  Look down on is hard wording...more like...he's disappointed that they aren't more Japanese...I guess.

Anyhow...I'm hoping the suggestion for him to go visit this Japantown won't back fire on me like the one in San Fransico did for New Years.  Otherwise...I'm just going to get him a membership at a laser tag arena or something so he can cope with handing his project over to the next manager because I'm pretty sure that's why he's sad. 

I loved San Fran though....clearly, looool.