The Association to Stop Racism Against Blacks


The Association to Stop Racism Against Blacks was a private organization founded in Japan in 1988. Based at Sakai, Osaka, the association was noted for causing publishers around Japan to suspend printing localized versions of the picture book The Story of Little Black Sambo.

Summary

The organization was initially formed by a couple, Toshiji and Kimiko Arita, living in Sakai, Osaka, together with their nine year-old son, Hajima Arita, on August 11, 1988. Kimiko Arita was the association's chairman and Kimiko Arita the vice chairman. Hajime Arita was treasurer. Initially they were the only members of the association, but its membership increased to 135 by February 1992 and 225 by December 1995. There is no report of recent activity from the organization.

Origin

In July 1988, The Washington Post published a report titled "Old Black Stereotypes Find New Lives in Japan", which describes the design of a Sambo and Banana doll by Sanrio, as well as mannequins manufactured by Yamato Mannequin which were found in department stores, as discriminatory. Sanrio immediately ceased the doll's production and recalled all the dolls. However, after reading the report, the Arita family agreed with the position of the article that such an expression can be considered as discriminatory, and as a result they went to collect goods that depicted black people from shops and started investigating how they were being depicted.

Activity

Activities of the association mainly include sending opposition letters against characters, comic, animation, publishers and corporate, for expressions that were considered by the association to be discriminatory depictions of black people, and occasionally included other racial discrimination.
The association achieved the followings result from their efforts:
As a result of their activities, stereotypical depictions of black people in media have become a taboo, author, publishers and editors started to impose self-censorship onto their works. It have been stated that the association's activity have caused black people being censored from appearing on commercial media.
Also, as their protest caused publishers stopped printing some older words, they have drawn considerable amount of criticism from the society. Their demand have also been seen as infringement on freedom of expression.
These requests are not considered illegal because "infringement on freedom of expression" usually only applies to action pressed by authority or government. On top of it, the association also launched complaints against works that have minimal appearances of black people. Some works are able to survive their complaints by refusal to comply with their request, but in some other cases, these complaints have caused authors to seal and suspend production of their works.
In 1989 April volume of "Buraku Liberate", the deputy chairman of the association wrote that "The picture book is just a piece of merchandise that discriminates against black people. No matter how well known the book is among the general public and no matter how valuable it is literature, that still does not constitute an excuse against the fact." which maintain their position without allowing any compromises. However, in response to interview by Nishinihon Shimbun, the deputy chairman tries to claim they don't want to extinguish the picture book. But, when publishers are trying to discuss the incident with them, they have rejected to participate in such discussion. As of 2014, there is no public opinion available from them in any form of public communication channels like website or social network.