[I started writing this on Tuesday night, when I first heard about the split, and have been fine-tuning it ever since. So, sorry if it overlaps with what other people have said, and also sorry if the conversation has moved on from what I am discussing in the mean time. I'm just slow at typing... which doesn't help when you write as much as I do!!!
]
I’m gutted. It’s a real shame they are splitting, because I really liked the partnership between Narumi and Mervin.
Red tape and bureaucracy have brought to an end Japan’s best hope of success in pairs skating.
You know, I can understand the economic and social reasons why Japan doesn’t allow dual nationality. Like, let’s face it, Japan had a tradition of isolation for centuries, and was suspicious of foreigners for centuries. But, in this day and age, I feel that the rules are too strict, and need a bit of flexibility.
In particular, I don’t think it is fair that people who have Japanese ancestry but were born overseas are not allowed dual nationality. Take Mirai Nagasu. She is the first generation of her family to be born in America. Yet, despite her parents both being Japanese born and bred, the government back in Japan will force Mirai to choose between the country she was born in, or the country of her heritage. Talk about a difficult decision.
But, it must be worse for those who have one Japanese parent and one foreign parent. Take the Reeds, whose Mum is Japanese, and Dad is American. What the Japanese government is saying to them is “Right. Choose between your parents.” Like, how are you supposed to do that?! You don’t want to risk offending either side of the family. And, you don’t want either parent to think you love them less than the other. Making somebody in that situation choose is pure cruelty.
But the cruellest part of the whole situation is that the child is allowed to have dual-nationality until they are 21, and then it is taken away from them. Why? If you have Japanese ancestry, why can the Japanese government not just let you keep the dual nationality? Why this “Are you with us, or against us” mentality?
I can understand the Japanese government not giving dual nationality to people without Japanese ancestry. After all, Japan is a small group of islands that are densely populated. There is only a limited amount of space for the people to live, and for crops to be grown to feed these people. So, by all means limit immigration. But, I think the Japanese government should be looking after the descendants of their own people better.
Of course, Mervin does not fall into either of these categories. His family are from Indo-China, so there is unlikely to be any Japanese blood in him. But, in situations where a successful athlete wants to compete for your country (and in the process helps one of your own citizens to compete successfully on the international stage), surely there should be some lee-way.
Personally, I don’t think that somebody should be given nationality or citizenship of a country just so that they can compete in a sport in/for a particular country. However, I do think they should at least be given a visa that allows them to compete in a sport in/for a particular country. That would solve Mervin Tran’s problem without him having to renounce his Canadian nationality (or Cambodian or Vietnamese nationality, if he has them).
As it is, both Narumi and Mervin will have to find new partners.
It is Narumi I feel sorry for, as there are not many good pairs skaters in Japan, never mind ones that are looking for a partner. And good though she is, no foreigners will want to partner her, as they will end up in the same position as Mervin is now. And I very much doubt if Narumi will switch countries, as it would mean renouncing her Japanese nationality, which would bring up the issues I have raised above.
There again, Yuko Kavaguchi went ahead and renounced her Japanese nationality so that she could continue skating with Alexander Smirnoff. So, you never know…
On the other hand, it shouldn’t be too hard for Mervin, as there are a lot of good Canadian skaters who I am sure would jump at the chance to partner somebody as good as him. And, if all else fails, he could try to persuade Amelie to switch from singles to pairs skating! Hey, it’s not as if a good singles skater hasn’t been successful after switching to pairs skating before. Just look at Vanessa James.
For that matter, maybe the prospect of skating with Mervin could persuade Vanessa to return to representing the country of her birth…
[Now that I think of it, have we ever had a Black/Asian partnership before in either pairs skating or ice dance? Because I can’t think of any!]
Overall, I feel the Japanese government really needs to re-think it’s policies on dual nationality. Because of red tape, Japan is losing the only pairs skating partnership they have had in years that has been any good on the international stage.
I know figure skating is not a major sport over in Japan, but if this policy is having an affect on our sport, it is bound to be happening with lots of other sports as well.
CaroLiza_fan
P.S. There is another issue that the Mervin Tran matter raises that I want to discuss, but this message is already very long. So, I will raise it in a different comment in either this thread, or in a different thread.
