“Compassionate Phrases in English (#3): Comforting Someone Who Was Told ‘No'”
Here’s the latest article for my column in “Sakura Shimbun,” a Japanese community paper in DC and Houston. April is a difficult month for some high schoolers in the U.S. (especially those who’ve just gotten or are waiting the results of their college applications, as well as those who are asking their crushes out to prom). This month, I am discussing ways to comfort younger people who were told “No,” being mindful of the fact that rejections may seem a lot more personal and hurtful for them than for adults.
恋愛でも大学でも、今起きていることでその後の人生が大きく左右されると思う人も多いでしょう。そういった人には、 This won’t affect the rest of your life. と言い、人生の先輩として自分の経験を語り、20代以降も数多くの機会や決断があって今につながることを示せます。 This is just a minor setback. という言葉で、一時的な後退であって挫折ではないことも伝えられます。
学校の場合は、その時不合格だったとしても、まずは別のところに入学し、あとから転学できる可能性があります。 The timing just didn’t work out. You can try again once you feel better prepared. と言えば、努力次第で状況を変えられる可能性を示し、もっと勉強しようという意欲を奮い立たせられるかもしれません。
特定の相手や学校しか好きになれない、と本人がその時思っていても、家族や親しい友人から見れば、憧れに基づく思い込みがあり、相性が合わないことが明らかだったりします。 There are so many other options. と言って、理想的な人について一緒に考えたり、 You might end up liking it once you’re there. と合格済みや結果待ちの他の大学の長所について話し合ったりすることができます。
その人自身が否定されているわけではない、という点も理解してもらうことが重要です。大学は大量の願書を捌いていますし、恋愛でも、表面的な部分だけ見て断ってしまう10代の子は多いでしょう。 It’s nothing personal. と声をかけ、They’re only judging you based on what they think they know about you. と説明することができます。本当にやめるべきと思われる相手や学校なら、 You wouldn’t want someone who doesn’t understand your qualities anyway. と終止符を打つことができます。
“Compassionate Phrases in English (#2): Responding Politely Even When You’re Wavering”
Here’s the latest article for my column in “Sakura Shimbun,” a Japanese community paper in DC and Houston. This month, I touch upon the “Hot N Cold” (a la Katy Perry ♬) temperature in early spring–and then discuss ways to respond to someone politely even when you’re uncertain about your feelings or your schedule.
3月上旬の春先は三寒四温で、気温が大きく上下し、気が抜けません。この季節になると、Katy Perryの「Hot N Cold」が思い起こされます。その歌は恋愛に関するものですが、熱意があるのか分からないような優柔不断な態度は、仕事や社交など他の人間関係においても失礼にあたります。そこで今回は、何か申し出や誘いを受けた時、迷っていたとしても相手に悪い印象を与えないような回答の仕方を取り上げます。
回答に迷うことを言われた場合、即答できないことに意識が行ってしまいがちですが、断る可能性があるのであればなおさら、まず感謝の意を表明することが重要でしょう。パーティーへのお誘いであれば、 Thank you so much for thinking of me. と言えますし、仕事関連のオファーであれば、 I very much appreciate being considered for this opportunity. などと言えます。
次に、回答を待ってほしいという言葉です。即答できない理由は様々ですが、内容に関して迷っているというよりも、日程の問題の場合もあります。既に仮押さえが入っている場合は、 I may have a potential conflict that day, but please let me check with others and respond to you soon. などと言えます。仮押さえが確定か否かの判明に時間がかかりそうな場合は、 I’ll let you know as soon as I hear back. と付け足し、できる限り急いでいることを示せます。
就職や転勤などの大きな決断や、何か心に引っ掛かることがある場合などは、回答にもっと時間がかかるかもしれません。いつまでに返事が必要か聞いてしまうと、あまり関心がないと思われる可能性があるため、 Would you please allow me to respond by the end of the week? などと自分から締め切りを提案する方がよいでしょう。転勤など、他者も巻き込む話の場合は、 I’d like to consult my family. などと補足できますし、迷っている場合は、 Because this is such an important decision, I’d like to think about it carefully. などと言う表現で理解を求めることができます。
日程調整をしたり決断を下したりした後、最終的な回答をする際は、 I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. や Thank you very much for your patience. といった言葉を添えると良いでしょう。先方からの誘いを受けるために予定を動かした場合は、 I adjusted my schedule and am now available. と率直に伝えると熱意が伝わるでしょう。いろいろと迷った後、最終的に断ることになった場合は、真摯に This was a difficult decision for me. と言って理由を説明すると、次にまた声をかけてもらえるかもしれません。
“Compassionate Phrases in English (#1): Welcoming Someone Back After a Long Absence”
“Sakura Shimbun,” a Japanese community paper in DC and Houston, is back this month after its COVID hiatus. With my new column, “Compassionate Phrases in English,” I focus on ways to connect with, reach out to, and support others–which is especially crucial when we struggle with wars, disasters, and other hardships. The first episode celebrates the return of “Sakura Shimbun” by exploring how to welcome someone back after a long absence.
The article is also online here. (And I also have a little ad for my company now! Can you spot it? 😉)
まずは、今回の復刊に絡めて、復帰した人にかける言葉を取り上げます。やむを得ない事情でしばらく休んでいた人が職場などに戻ってきたとします。同僚に迷惑をかけたと罪悪感を感じたり、溜まった仕事を心配したりしている人も多いでしょう。そのため、最初に会った時に It’s good to have you back! と笑顔で歓迎すると、先方もほっとするでしょう。親しい人には We missed you! と言ってハグしたり、最初の挨拶の終わりに Let’s catch up over lunch. と言って後でゆっくり話を聞くこともできます。
こじらせてしまった風邪など、休んでいた理由が周知されている場合は、 I’m glad to see that you’ve recovered. と付け足すこともできます。松葉杖をついていたりと負傷していることが明らかな場合には、 Let me know if you need help with anything. と申し出ることもできます。家族の事情など、理由が周りには知らされず、親しい関係の自分にだけ教えてもらった場合は、二人きりになった時に I’m so sorry about your grandmother. などとそっと声をかけることができます。
職場復帰においては、仕事についてもやり取りがあるでしょう。代行してくれたからと謝罪や感謝の言葉をもらったら、 I didn’t do much at all. や You also helped me when I was away. などと言って安心させることができます。溜まった仕事を処理し、いつもの作業に再び慣れるのに時間がかかっている場合は、相手が部下であれば、 Do you need more time to work on this?などと声をかけ、締め切りをずらす提案をすることができます。同僚であれば、 What can I do to help? と単刀直入に聞き、先方が遠慮しないように I don’t have any deadlines right now. などと説明して、手伝う余裕があることを明らかにできるでしょう。
This Japanese blog post celebrates the recent growth in diverse Barbie dolls (including body type, skin color, and gender), which better represent the U.S. demographic. I also discuss other dolls (Licca, a Japanese equivalent of Barbie; Sylvanian Family, a collection of animal figurines; and traditional Japanese hina dolls), exploring the many roles that dolls have, including as communication tools and sources of inspiration.
人形（ひとがた）は人形（にんぎょう）になりましたが、今でも私たちはそこに自分を投影しています。米国の非営利団体「A Doll Like Me」は、注文を受けて、多様な子供たちと同じ姿の人形を作っています。同団体のフェイスブックのページは、皮膚や四肢などが他人と異なる子供が人形を抱えて微笑む写真でいっぱいです。 人形の作者である女性は、「人形は、ストレスの多い状況に子供が対応するときに助けてくれますし、何より、子供に自信を与えます。そのためにも、人形は、彼らを愛してくれる子供たちに似せて作られるべきなのです（筆者訳）」と書いており、人形の料金を取らずに寄付金だけで経営を行っているようです。
This bilingual post is an announcement about my new company, “Shiori Communications, LLC.” I also look back to the past year, which, despite COVID-19, was an overall success thanks to the wonderful support of friends and mentors.
Plum blossoms in Tokyo–blooming a little early, they seem like symbols of hope for the new year! 少し早く咲いている梅の花は、新しい年に向けた希望を示しているように見えます。
Happy New Year! While the first two weeks of the year have already been crazy and horrible due to the events at the U.S. Capitol, I am hopeful that 2021 will improve going forward. I hope I can play a small role in that by facilitating communications between American and Japanese citizens through my new company.
2020 in Review
A year ago, I was filled with trepidation and excitement. I had just quit my job at the U.S.-Japan Council, ready to try interpreting and translating full-time. I wasn’t sure if I could even cover my rent, but for years, I had wanted to try working on my own. I was determined to give myself at least a year, and see where that would take me.
That year happened to be 2020–one of the most unusual and challenging years for everyone around the world. For me, all interpreting jobs (which traditionally were mostly done in person) came to a screeching halt with COVID-19. For a few weeks, I questioned my decision to go independent as the very industry I was trying to commit to was shaken to the core. With borders closed, I was physically cut off from my parents and boyfriend in Japan, and for the first time in years, felt sad about living alone. Then my former boss passed away, affecting me more deeply than the pandemic because of its permanence. As I ruminated over the words of gratitude, respect, and farewell that I will no longer get to convey to her, the sense of loneliness worsened.
But thanks to the kind support of friends and mentors, things got better. Many friends encouraged me through this blog, emails, or social media. Many gave me translating, editing, or writing opportunities, connecting me to their colleagues and acquaintances, or sometimes even creating jobs. From there, I got to take on entirely new types of jobs in English/Japanese communications, including teaching interpretation, subtitling videos, summarizing conferences, and translating music albums. I was only able to survive because of the wonderful people around me, and am incredibly grateful for the support I have received.
Remote interpretation also became more common, and I had the opportunity to work on a wide range of projects, from a military conference with 20+ countries (and 11 languages!), to a symposium of businesses based in Kansai, to a series of meetings among 20+ Japanese and American universities on student exchange, to an international conference on trademarks. Learning how to navigate various virtual interpretation platforms and other rapid changes in the industry became much easier thanks to regular online meetings with other interpreters. The biggest lessons of COVID-19 for me were: the importance of personal relationships, the value of positivity, and the need to adapt quickly to the changing world.
Although I became very busy towards the latter half of the year and could not write as much, I was also encouraged by the positive response to some of my blog articles, including this one on Black Lives Matter. I look forward to prioritizing writing in the future, and hope to provide more information that’s insightful and interesting.
A New Beginning
As 2021 begins, I am happy to announce that I recently established a company called Shiori Communications, LLC. The reason behind registering an LLC is that I wanted to facilitate better relations with clients, build a web presence (a website is coming soon), and be better about posting updates. It is called “Communications” because I want my work to go beyond differences in language, and truly strengthen mutual understanding by digging deep into cultures, customs, history, and more. I believe that the past four years, culminating in the recent events at the Capitol, show that communications that combat biases and false information is more important than ever. While it’s a tall order, aside from continuing to focus on interpretation and translation, I also hope to write professionally in both languages, discussing current events when appropriate, to bring people closer together.
At first glance, it may seem like I simply tacked on my first name to my company. But I believe it’s an apt name because “Shiori” means “poemweaver” in Japanese–something I’ve always felt very proud of as an aspiring writer. After searching for a memorable and meaningful name for months, I realized that what my parents gave me might be a great way to show my intent to connect the U.S. and Japan through language. By linking various individuals (connecting dots horizontally and vertically), be it through interpreting, translating, or writing, I hope to ultimately weave an even stronger bond between my two home countries. More information to come soon!
With the certificate issued by Virginia, where my company is based. バージニア州で会社を登録しました。
An Etsy commercial featuring a girl named Shiori. This aired on CNN during the presidential elections, and I find it all the more meaningful that people saw the value of diversity during such a difficult time. 珍しい名前を持つ人へのギフトも特注できますよ！と言う宣伝に、Etsyが「しおり」の名前を使ってくれました。CNNで大統領選挙の時期に流れたそうです。どのシーンにも深く共感しますし、日本人・日系人の名前が選ばれたこともすごく嬉しい！
In the wake of the presidential elections that revealed a nation that remains highly divided, this bilingual post explores how we might visualize data in a way that doesn’t mislead audiences or stereotype different types of people.
Earlier this month, we witnessed one of the most dramatic presidential elections in history. These past four years, the U.S. had been unrecognizable to me. As a woman, quasi-immigrant, and minority, I felt that I was unwelcome on all three counts. I was in a state of disbelief as racist remarks and actions were normalized, and many laws that I had been proud to associate with the U.S. were rolled back one by one.
It is a huge relief to have a national leader who seems rational, calm, and mindful of the growing diversity of the U.S. demographic. I am ecstatic that we now have the first woman vice president–who also happens to be Black, Asian, and the daughter of an immigrant. That fact alone allays my concerns about criticism over the president-elect’s treatment of women.
A Divided Country
But as we all know, this was no swift victory. The “blue wave” touted by pundits never came. Instead, we had a handful of swing states that flipped, one by one, from slightly red to barely blue over the course of four days. I kept taking screenshots of the close race (at one point a difference of 1,000 votes, or less than 0.1%!) and sending it to friends. I pored over the news analyzing the developments in each state, from which counties’ votes were being counted first, to why Nevada seemed to take its sweet time, to legendary figures like Stacey Abrams and the late John McCain affecting the outcome in Georgia and Arizona.
The state of the swing states as of the morning of Nov. 6. With 99% of votes reported, Georgia had a difference of 1,000 votes, or less than 0.1%. Screenshot from Google based on results compiled by the Associated Press.
Maps
With all the election results readily available online, it has been really fascinating to be able to zoom into any state and look at the results in each county. Maps like this one (for Virginia) show islands of blue cities in a sea of red.
Election results by county in Virginia. Screenshot from Google based on results compiled by the AP.
But this year, the way maps show election data seemed to undergo an important and fascinating shift. With the slogan “Land doesn’t vote; people do,” several maps came out to show votes in proportional circles based on how people voted in each county, as opposed to coloring in the entire area of each county. Since fewer people live in rural areas, this was a much more accurate representation. Based on how much recognition these newer maps received, I suspect future elections will be represented in this way.
Either way, the fact remains that we are a deeply divided country, mostly reflecting whether we live in urban or rural areas. So how do we heal as a nation? One way, I think, is to avoid stereotyping others as much as we can.
Visualizations that Reinforce Stereotypes
The below illustration is called “What it means to be a typical Democrat or Republican, based on everyday items.” A translation of the words that appear throughout the illustration are in the chart below (all translations are my own).
From this website of The Asahi Shimbun. I added the numbers in purple for the translations provided below.
Democrats
Republicans
Prius; Volvo
❶ Cars
Hummer; Porsche
MSNBC
➋ TV stations
FOX
Comedy; Romance
❸ Movies
War; Action
Jazz; Rap
❹ Music
Country
Tennis; Soccer
❺ Sports
Rodeo; Motor Races
Women: Silky smooth; Men: Long with beards
❻ Hairstyle
Women: Voluminous; Men: Short and neat
Casual
❼ Attire
Business Suits
Sushi; Vegetarian
❽ Food
Fried Chicken; BBQ
Starbucks
❾ Beverages
Coors Beer
This was apparently first published in The Asahi Shimbun about 10 years ago. It came up on its website this past March (with the explanation that “trends have not changed that much since then”) as part of an article that helps young job applicants / recent college graduates understand current events.
When I first saw this, I couldn’t help but laugh. It’s wonderful that Japanese audiences are paying close attention to the U.S. elections. I think visuals are very important, especially to a younger audience. But I also think we need to be careful not to generalize too much–precisely because we are shaping young minds.
To start with the basics, the data comes from mixed sources. This illustration is apparently based on “data from advertising and research firms, as well as the voices of American voters.” That’s at least three sources that probably use different methodologies, samples, dates, and collection methods. While I don’t expect the entire methodology to be part of the picture, I’d at least like to know the names of the companies that collected this data.
The illustration is full of points I want to ask more about. For example (and I am also making big generalizations here), the “Republican” category seems to combine several types of people: the military type (short, neat hair), the wealthy type (Porsches), people living in rural areas (fried chicken; country music), etc. More minor examples show weird combinations too, like Starbucks (likely coffee) with sushi for Democrats. It is very confusing because all these mixed data is illustrated in the same picture.
And while the variety in music tastes and hairstyle is certainly interesting, I don’t see how it makes a big difference. The only thing I thought was truly relevant here is the type of media consumed (FOX vs. MSNBC), which other sources also indicate. I would rather know about the difference in opinion on topics like education, immigration, and religion. And, at least in terms of food, there’s evidence that we can’t associate them with political thought: The New York Times recently published a quiz asking readers to look at photos of fridge contents and guess whether they belong to a Trump supporter or Biden supporter. As of today, readers have made 25 million (!) guesses, and were correct 52% of the time–it’s 50/50, even with that huge sample.
Caricatures
To me, the most egregious point that could be corrected is that all four people depicted here are white. According to data compiled by the Pew Research Center, as of 2019, 40% of registered Democrats were non-white (even back in 2010, when this illustration was made, it probably would have been more than 36% (2008)). The Democratic party clearly states that “diversity is a strength,” and its support for immigrants and minorities is clear. So it seems especially odd to represent 100% of the Democrats here as white people.
But I also see how it’s extremely hard to visualize people “correctly.” Take, for example, the controversial NHK video that attempted to explain the BLM movement in June. If Black people or other minorities were added to the Asahi Shimbun visualization of Democrats and Republicans, would it have made things better? I doubt it, because it’s hard to illustrate someone without resorting to caricatures, especially if you do not know them well.
A screenshot (from here) of the controversial NHK video that illustrated Black people who wore tank tops and Afros, lighting the city on fire, and saying that they were resorting to violence because they were angry about the income gap (with no mention of police brutality)
And the truth of the matter is that there’s an inherent difference in illustrating someone who is already in the majority versus someone who is not. The former has already been drawn in many different ways, and one additional illustration is just that–a collection to add to many different images that readers may have in their head. It won’t skew the audience’s minds in either direction. Someone who is rarely drawn, on the other hand, automatically becomes a representative of their entire group because they are rarely seen. It’s similar to how movie characters used to be caricatures. The token Asian characters in older films were stereotypes (Mr. Yunioshi in Breakfast at Tiffany’s or Long Duk Dong in Sixteen Candles), whereas now we are seeing diverse backgrounds and personalities (from Crazy Rich Asians to The Farewell) because there are more films and more characters.
Visualizing Content in Better Ways
A lot of the data in the Asahi Shimbun illustration is interesting, even if not necessarily relevant. I think this could be improved by 1) listing its sources by name, 2) not showing people in the illustrations, and 3) instead of showing the top one or two in the same big picture, perhaps choosing the top five in each category and turning them into separate charts. Illustrations are so powerful, helping us understand and remember things better–but without the full context, they can also be misleading.
Media have to work with quick deadlines, and it’s easy for me to be an armchair critic. But as people pointed out with the BLM video, I believe there are ways to find consultants. On a deeper level, I believe we all need to have a better understanding of each other, so that we don’t stereotype others, and know when we are about to create caricatures.
These take long conversations, better education, more reading, stronger media representation, and so much more. But to circle back to the original discussion, at least we know that we are politically divided. At least we are beginning to learn, in the past six months, how much pain Black people have been experiencing. I hope that we can strive to understand each other. After this election, the only direction to go is onwards and upwards.
鳩山氏に関する記述は、a pleasant if awkward fellowとあります。A pleasant but awkward fellowではないにもかかわらず、多くのメディアで、if をbut と同じように扱って、「感じはよいが」と始めてからawkwardの訳（後述）を入れています。If とbut が違うと、かなり意味が異なります。既に翻訳者の鴻巣友季子さんが指摘されているように、ifを使ったこの文面は、「ポジティブな表現に着地」しているのです。
ここはカンマが省略されており、本来は、a pleasant, if awkward, fellowと言う文面になると私は考えています。この場合、カンマが両側にあると、括弧と同じ役割を果たし、a pleasant (if awkward) fellowと同じ意味になります。ダッシュを両側に置いて a pleasant–if awkward–fellowとも書くことができます。重要なのは、カンマ、括弧、ダッシュのどれであれ、if awkwardという中身を抜いても、文章がそのまま成り立つということです。つまり、中身の部分は補助的な役割を果たしているのであり、重視されるべきなのはpleasantというところなのです。
おそらく、ここでこの文が終わっていたなら（たとえば、He’s a pleasant, if awkward, fellow. など）、オバマ氏はちゃんと両側のカンマ（または括弧やダッシュ）を入れたであろうと思います。ただ、その後もA pleasant if awkward fellow, Hatoyama was . . . と続き、カンマを何度も入れると読みづらくなるため、省略したのだと思います。
一つ明確に言えるのは、「厄介」ではない、ということです。Awkwardな人は無害ですし、迷惑をかけるタイプではありません。他人がそういう評価を下すと、若干上から目線であるだけでなく、「もう少しうまく立ち回れたら楽に生きられるだろうに．．．」といった、少し憐みの感情が入っています。「惜しい」「残念」といった感じで、全体としては好ましく思っているからこそ出る言葉です。A pleasant if awkward fellowは、「感じのよい人（ちょっと不器用だけどね）」といったニュアンスになると思います。
Awkwardという言葉は、人だけでなく、雰囲気や感情にも使うことができます。たとえば、今付き合っている人と歩いている時に、前の恋人とばったり会って挨拶を交わした場合。後で友人にThat was so awkward! （とっても気まずかった！）とこぼしたりもできるでしょう。または、大企業で新入社員として働き始めて間もない時に、過去にはテレビでしか見ていなかった社長が時折やってきて話しかけてきたら、毎度緊張してしどろもどろになってしまうかもしれません。そういう時も、We’ve spoken three times, but I still feel awkward. （もう三回も話しているけれど、未だに気後れしてしまう）といった言い方ができます。
National Donut Day (全米ドーナツの日)に、無料のドーナツをもらえるということで、友人とKrispy Kremeで列に並びました。ショーケースに日本のポンデリングのようなものを見かけてそれを注文したら、単にドーナツの穴が並んでそう見えただけでした。店員さんが袋に入れるところを見て訂正したかったものの、後ろには長蛇の列で、店員さんも忙しそうなので何も言えませんでした。せっかく無料でも、普通のドーナツの6分の1くらいの大きさの穴しかもらえなかった私。こういったawkwardな間違いも、一緒に笑ってくれる友人がいれば恥ずかしくありません！?
“Exploring Various Fields in Interpretation and Translation, and Knowing What Makes You Happiest”
Below is an article I wrote for The Professional Translator, the web magazine of a translation graduate school called Babel. The assigned theme was about aptitudes needed for interpretation and translation.
There are well-known, general characteristics: those who like in-person exchanges and travel might be happier as interpreters, while those who like to spend time choosing the perfect words are likely better as translators. But there are also vast differences depending on the field. These include conference interpretation, court interpretation, interpreting on stage at an event, subtitling, and technical translations. I didn’t realize how different these were until I had the opportunity to explore them. In addition, with my love for reading and writing, I initially thought I would be happier as a translator–but ended up being more of an interpreter, mostly because I’ve enjoyed traveling and meeting experts from various fields. To anyone who is considering a profession in interpretation or translation, I recommend taking on a variety of jobs–only then will you learn what truly makes you happy.
“Changes in the Interpretation Industry During the Coronavirus Era, and Similarities with Translation”
Below is an article I wrote for The Professional Translator, the web magazine of a translation graduate school called Babel. The assigned theme was about the distinction between interpretation and translation. I discuss how with the coronavirus, the interpretation industry is rapidly changing and becoming similar to translation in several ways.
Namely, 1. with fewer interpretation assignments, more interpreters are also working as translators; 2. interpretation assignments are now mostly remote, just like translation; 3. since geography is less important now (except for time difference constraints), interpreters are relying even more on their quality of work, expertise, and networks in order to compete with the rest of the world; and 4. now that events are held online, ways to provide virtual multilingual support are growing beyond simultaneous interpretation and post-production subtitles, further blurring the line between interpretation and translation.
Although it’s unclear what the future will bring, I hope to remain positive about these fascinating changes, and continue to enjoy my work.
“Thoughts on Wording Surrounding the BLM Movement”
Some of the phrases we have been hearing in relation to the BLM movement are difficult to convey in Japanese, and I wanted to really sit down and look into them. Here’s a Japanese blog post that explores some key phrases–what “Black Lives Matter” means, why we ought not to say “All Lives Matter,” how “defund the police” could be interpreted, and the difference between “Black” and “African American”–based on what I thought and learned from friends and other articles.
抗議の次のステップとして、警察を今後どうしていくかということも話し合われています。スローガンとしてdefund the policeという表現が頻繁に使われていますが、このdefundという言葉は、米国で大きな物議を醸しています。英語でもほとんどの人がこれまであまり馴染みがなかった言葉（このブログを書いているワードプレスでも、スペルチェックに引っ掛かります）であるため、各々が異なる解釈を行っているのです。
CNN、アトランティック誌、ヴァイスなどの多くのメディアが、defund the policeが何を意味するのかという分析を行っています。アトランティック誌の記事の見出しは「『Defund the police』という言葉は、defund the policeという意味ではない。ただし、そういう意味の場合もある」（副題：「文字通り解釈すべきなのか？」）です。この言葉がどれほどの混乱を招いているかをよく示していると思います。
主要メディアに加え、オンラインの辞典であるdictionary.comも本件に関する記事を出しています。それによると、defundと言う言葉の定義は、to withdraw financial support from, especially as an instrument of legislative control（法的統制のツールとして、財政支援を止めること）とあります。また、「多くの活動家や研究者、一部の政治家によれば、defund the policeは、『お金の力を使って、これまでの漸進的な変化では達成できなかった制度的改革を行う』と言う意味」だとも書いています。
Black Lives Matterは、黒人が米国の警察に何度も殺害されていることに対する抗議運動として端を発したため、各地における警察の見直しは、大きな進捗だと言えます。黒人の親が子供に必ず警察への対応の仕方を教えなければならず、特に男性の命が危険に晒される状況には、本当に心が痛みます。他方、制度的差別があまりに根深く、社会のあらゆる側面に浸透しているため、目の前の具体的な問題（警察のことのみならず、南北戦争で南軍を率いた人々の像の撤去など）で進捗があっても、より大きな問題はなくなりません。今後論点がずれていったり、象徴的な進歩で大きな目標が見失われたりしないことを願っています。
BlackとAfrican American
Black Lives Matterの中心にあるBlackという言葉。恥ずかしながら、私は先日までこの言葉がAfrican Americanと同じ意味だと思っていました。正直、Black はもともと肌の色から来た言葉なので、自分がyellowと呼ばれたら嫌なように、その言葉自体、黒人でない私は言ってはならないのかと思っていました。また、子供の頃、正しい表現はAfrican Americanだと習った覚えがあったため、そちらを使うよう努めてきました。でも、これも間違いでした。
African American の方が正しい言葉なのかと思った、と友人に説明したところ、世代間のギャップはあるとの話でした。つまり、公民権運動を経験した彼女のご両親の世代は、黒を意味する差別的な古い言葉「ネグロ」から距離を置くため、African Americanを使っているそうです。若い世代の方がBlackという言葉に共感を覚えるのだそうです。
