1,500 Japanese-descent foreign workers march in demonstration calling for jobs

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

1,500 Japanese-descent foreign workers march in demonstration calling for jobs

About 1,500 Japanese-Brazilians and Japanese-Peruvians who lost their jobs due to mass dismissals of temporary workers held a rally in Nagoya City in Aichi Prefecture on February 1, demanding jobs, and later marched in demonstration holding placards reading "education" and "jobs" and chanting "Let's fight for jobs!" in Portuguese.

The rally was sponsored by a civic organization called the "SOS Community" consisting of NPOs and support groups for foreign workers of Japanese ancestry.

In the rally, participants, including many Brazilians as well as some Peruvians and Filipinos, tried to make their hardships known to the public in Portuguese. They said that sudden layoffs make it very difficult for them to remain in Japan but that they cannot afford to return to their home countries. They also said that their children are unwillingly quitting school because their parents can't afford to pay school fees.

Pointing out that 80 percent of 320,000 Japanese-Brazilians living in Japan will lose their jobs, the resolution adopted by the rally states, "Families as well as their communities of foreign workers of Japanese ancestry are on the verge of collapse and they are being uprooted once again."

The resolution states, "We want to become real partners in Japanese society instead of being a group of people dependent on Japanese people."

- Akahata, February 2, 2009