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だれが人権を守ってくれるのか
人への対応を「肌の色」で変えるような行為は
国や地方自治体ぐるみで排除していくべきだ。
Wanted, color-blind realtors
One day in the spring of 2001, Srirama Chandra Bemri Murthy telephoned a real estate agency in Warabi City, Saitama Prefecture. Like many couples expecting a first child, it was time for the 20-year-old computer company employee and his wife to look for a new place with a bit more space. But finding a realtor who wouldn't turn the couple away because they weren't Japanese - they hail from India - was turning out to be quite a chore. After meeting with rejection at a number of places, Murthy decided to save some shoe leather by inquiring via the telephone.
The first company he called sounded promising. "Yes, we can help foreigners," the voice on the other end of the line said, "but tell me first, what is the color of your skin?" Murthy could scarcely believe his own ears. "My skin color?" he asked, perplexed. "Yes, is it a normal color? You know, like that of a Japanese," the voice continued. Hurt and angry, Murthy hung up the phone.
Then, over the next few weeks, he attempted to obtain an apology from the agency. As none was forthcoming, he filed a civil case against the firm and the employee who handled his call. In addition, he charged that Saitama Prefecture also bore responsibility for the incident.
In January of this year, the Saitama District Court ordered the company and the employee to pay Murthy a total of ¥500,000 in damages, and rejected the accusations against the prefecture. Murthy has appealed the latter decision, insisting that the prefecture should have taken more effective steps in battling discrimination.
Why take on the prefecture? The Japanese government pledged to eliminate racial discrimination when it ratified the U.N. International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) treaty in 1996. Therefore, says Murthy, Saitama, along with Japan's other local governments, is obliged under this treaty to eradicate such practices.
The person who asked Murthy about his skin color is a long-time employee of the agency who should have known better than to act as she did. Why didn't she? Saitama could have introduced ordinances that make those actions punishable by fine, for example. Signatories of ICERD generally implement such measures, to clearly denote the line between what is and is not appropriate. Saitama's failure to introduce such a measure could be considered negligence.
Murthy's case made headlines earlier this year, and people talked about those "racist Japanese realtors." Interestingly, however, very few of the articles mentioned a certain important detail about the agency involved: it is a member of a famous franchise based in the United States.
When I contacted the company's Japanese headquarters, I learned that the manuals the parent company had sent to its franchisees did not cover human rights concerns. Nor did the company have a plan to revise those manuals to help prevent future violations. In the end, who should bear responsibility for what happened to Murthy: the employee who answered the phone, the agency in Warabi, the parent firm, Saitama Prefecture or the Japanese government? Offhand, I'd say all of the above, wouldn't you?
Shukan ST: Aug. 8, 2003
(C) All rights reserved
- color-blind
- 人種差別をしない
- realtors
- 不動産業者
- real estate agency
- 不動産業者
- 〜 expecting a first child
- 第一子の出産を控えた〜
- turn 〜 away
- 〜をはねつける
- hail from 〜
- 〜の出身である
- was turning out to be quite a chore
- かなり大変な仕事だと分かった
- save some shoe leather
- 靴をすり減らさないようにする(なるべく歩かずにすませる)
- by inquiring via 〜
- 〜で問い合わせて
- sounded promising
- 見込みがありそうだった
- voice on the other end of the line
- 電話の向こうの声
- perplexed
- 当惑して
- hung up the phone
- 電話を切った
- apology
- 謝罪
- As none was forthcoming
- 謝罪がないので
- filed a civil case
- 民事訴訟を起こした
- firm
- 会社
- bore responsibility
- 責任がある
- Saitama District Court
- さいたま地裁
- in damages
- 損害賠償金として
- rejected the accusations
- 訴えを棄却した
- has appealed
- 控訴した
- should have taken more effective steps in battling discrimination
- もっと効果的に人種差別をやめさせる措置を取るべきだった
- take on 〜
- 〜を相手にする
- pledged to 〜
- 〜することを誓った
- eliminate
- なくす
- ratified
- 批准した
- International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination(ICERD)treaty
- あらゆる形の人種差別の撤廃に関する国際条約
- local governments
- 地方自治体
- is obliged(to 〜)
- 〜する義務がある
- eradicate
- 撲滅する
- who should have known better than to act as she did
- そんなことをしてはいけないと分かっていてしかるべきだった
- ordinances
- 条例
- make 〜 punishable by fine
- 〜に対して罰金を科すことができるようにする
- Signatories
- 調印国
- implement such measures
- そのような手段を講じる
- denote
- 示す
- negligence
- 怠慢
- made headlines
- 新聞で取り上げられた
- agency involved
- 当の不動産業者
- parent company
- 親会社
- human rights concerns
- 人権に関わる注意事項
- revise
- 改訂する
- violations
- 違反
- Offhand
- 言下に