Many Japanese are upset to United Airlines because of one video footage which is spread over Twitter. Overbooking was tweeted more than 47000 times. I got impression that multi-national companies need local SNS managers not only to represent in the local languages but to monitor what is happening all over the world. Sometimes reactions over SNS are unexpected.
I see people are upset because it is violation of human rights in general but it gives some “different” reaction to Japanese people. Some took it is racial discrimination and attached because a face of beaten passenger is very familiar while not to know American is also upset.
This is misunderstanding because the Airline choose them randomly and there is no information about skin color. This case is completely different from the case of Michael Brown but it is just a minor detail” for some people. The only truth for them is that “An Asian’s beaten by police officers” like African Americans. So they expect Japanese would be treated in same manner. It can be quite harmful for US-Japan relation when Japanese have lost trust to the US because of recent Trumpism.
Unfortunately, a lack of information is filled with imagination. Some believes “All four were Asians”. I found a tweet explains it “rationally”.
- White people are excluded from the beginning.
- If the airline choose Black people, the company would be claimed.
- Yellow people is obedient and therefore they are chosen.
As you may notice, it is quite generalized. The US removes an ASIAN from the air plain and it would happen to us too.
However, this type of misunderstandings is invisible from English speakers simply because they can’t read Japanese. Also, Japanese can’t find out many Americans upset the case because it is wrongdoing.
This person, who has 86000 followers says he experienced overbooking because Japanese can’t complain in English.
オーバーブッキングは、デリーから成田への直行便（航空会社は忘れた）で食らった。シンガポール経由のトランジット便に一方的に変更された20人ほどの乗客のほとんどが日本人（座席の日本人占有率は3割程度だったのだが）だった。文句言わない（語学力的にも）と舐められてたのだろうな。
— 小田嶋隆 (@tako_ashi) 2017年4月11日
This person who has over 60000 followers says the guy was an east asian.
米ユナイテッド航空。オーバーブッキングで席が足りなかったので下ろす乗客を勝手に選択。東アジア系の医師に降りろと命令するが翌日病院勤務あるから無理と断ったら係員が殴打し血まみれになり引きずり降ろされた。証拠の動画が投稿されている。https://t.co/nvCIHJZPtZ
— めいろま (@May_Roma) 2017年4月10日
I don’t think the video gives serious and immediate financial impact to the firm because Japanese are not their targeted customers. So they can let it goes till Japanese Twitter people find another topic to upset about. However the video may leave a vague impression that the US is divided and Asian is not welcomed.
I believe United Airlines needs to have local communicators to monitor local languages to avoid potential conflict which is caused by United Airlines.
I was quite impressed when I heard about the concept of “Soft Power” but it seems that it became a history only in few years.