>>>
>>> DIVORCE IS ALWAYS TOUGH BUT WHEN IT INVOLVES A FOREIGN
NATIONAL MARRIED TO AN AMERICAN
SPOUSE THE RISKS AND ABILITIES
MULTIPLY.
MULTIPLY.
MULTIPLY. OUR EXPERT TODAY HAS SEEN THIS
PROBLEM MORE OFTEN AND HAVE
IDENTIFIED THE SPOUSES AS
SILENT VICTIMS.
SILENT VICTIMS. PLEASE WELCOME THE CONSUL
GENERAL OF JAPAN YOICHIRO
YAMADA AND NAOKO INOUE SHATZ.
I HAVE NOT EVEN REALLY THOUGHT
ABOUT THIS. HOW DID IT COME TO
YOUR ATTENTION THAT THERE IS A
PREVALENCE OF THIS PROBLEM?
>> I DID NOT EXPECT THAT IN
SEATTLE I WOULD BE ENCOUNTERING
SUCH PROBLEMS BEFORE I CAME
HERE.
HERE.
HERE. IT
HERE. IT IS A CITY THAT EXUDES
CHEERFULNESS AND ATTRACTS ALL
SORTS OF PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER
THE WORLD.
THE WORLD. SO ONCE I CAME HERE IS STILL
REMAINS THAT IMAGE.
NAOKO CAME TO ME PROBABLY ABOUT
THREE WEEKS. WE TALKED ABOUT
THOSE QUESTIONS AS I THINK A
REALLY WORRISOME PROBLEM.
>> WHAT ARE YOU SEEING?
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE SPOUSES?
>> THE BUSINESS JOURNEY FOR
ALMOST 20 YEARS.
ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO I GOT
TOGETHER WITH A BUNCH OF
JAPANESE WOMEN AND ONE OF THEM
SAT NEXT TO ME AND SHE ASKED ME
ABOUT THE PROBLEMS IN HER
DIVORCE PROCEEDING.
DIVORCE PROCEEDING. SHE DID NOT HAVE AN ATTORNEY
BUT HER HUSBAND HAD AN ATTORNEY.
SHE DID NOT HAVE ANY MONEY TO
RETAIN AN ATTORNEY SO SHE ASKED
ME TO HELP HER.
ABOUT A WEEK LATER SHE
COMMITTED SUICIDE.
COMMITTED SUICIDE. THAT PROMPTED ME TO DO SOMETHING
AND I STARTED TAKING ON DIVORCE
MATTERS.
MATTERS.
MATTERS. >> THESE SPOUSES HAVE PROBLEMS
WITH LANGUAGE AND UNDERSTANDING
THE LEGAL SYSTEM WITH RESOURCES
AND ACCESS TO MONEY THAT THEY
SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO BUT THEY
CANNOT FIGURE IT OUT.
THEY ARE VERY VULNERABLE AND IT
CAN BE OF ANY NATIONALITY.
SO WHAT DO YOU WANT US TO KNOW
ABOUT THIS AND WHAT CAN WE DO
ABOUT THIS TO HELP SUPPORT
THESE SPOUSES?
THESE SPOUSES? >> THEY HAVE TO HAVE EQUAL
ACCESS TO JUSTICE FIRST OF ALL.
THEY DO NOT HAVE EQUAL ACCESS
TO BEGIN WITH.
FOR EXAMPLE THEY DO NOT HAVE
ACCESS TO COMMUNITY ASSETS.
SOMETIMES A HUSBAND MAKING
$300,000 PER YEAR AND THEN THEY
DON'T RECEIVE MONEY.
THEY RECEIVE AN ALLOWANCE MAYBE
$1000 OR $500 PER MONTH ONLY.
SO IF THE HUSBAND FIGHTS FOR A
DIVORCE PETITION AND THEY DO
NOT HAVE ANY MONEY TO RETAIN AN
ATTORNEY.
ATTORNEY.
ATTORNEY. THAT IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM
FIRST OF ALL AND THEN SOMETIMES
WHEN THEY HAVE CHILDREN,
CHILDREN USUALLY SPEND SO MUCH
TIME AT THE MOM BUT THE MOM
DOES NOT HAVE MONEY SO -- BUT
THE HUSBAND TENDS TO TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF THE FACT THAT SHE
DOES NOT HAVE MONEY SO IN
EXCHANGE FOR THE CHILDREN'S
CUSTODY THE TRY TO FORCE THEIR
WIVES TO GIVE UP ON ASSETS.
>> IF THEY DO NOT HAVE THE
RESOURCES TO ADVOCATE FOR
THEMSELVES THEY CAN VERY WILL
BECOME ONE OF THE SILENT
VICTIMS.
VICTIMS.
VICTIMS. >> IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE
CAN DO? STATES OR CITIES OR
NEIGHBORS TO HELP FERRET OUT
WHEN THIS IS HAPPENING.
I HAVE A FEELING THAT A LOT OF
THE PEOPLE IN THIS SITUATION DO
NOT SPEAK UP AND WE DO NOT KNOW
HOW VULNERABLE THEY ARE.
>> THAT IS THE POINT.
THE VICTIMIZED WOMEN
PREDOMINATELY HAVE SUCH A SENSE
OF SHAME AND THEY ARE SO
SOCIALLY ISOLATED AND DEPRESSED
THAT THEY DO NOT SPEAK UP.
THEY HAVE NO INCOME ETC.
SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO EXTEND A
HELPING HAND.
HELPING HAND. OTHERWISE THE PROGRAM WILL
DEGENERATE INTO A BIG SOCIAL
PROBLEM.
PROBLEM.
PROBLEM. THIS IS NOT A JAPANESE PROBLEM.
IT IS A PROBLEM FOR MY
COLLEAGUES FROM OTHER COUNTRIES
AND CONSUL GENERALS AND MANY OF
THEM EXPRESS THAT NATIONALS ARE
FACING SIMILAR PROBLEMS.
BECAUSE THIS CAN BE A LONG-TERM
IMPACT AND NEGATIVE IMPACT ON
SOCIETY WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE
IMPORTANT FROM THE STATE POINT
OF VIEW BECAUSE NOTHING IS DONE
THE HOMELESSNESS WILL
EXACERBATE.
EXACERBATE. IT WILL IMPACT CHILDREN,
AMERICAN CHILDREN VERY MUCH.
AND PROPAGATE HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
>> IT IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS
THAT REALLY REMIND YOU THAT THE
SOCIAL FABRIC BINDS US ALL
TOGETHER AND THESE PROBLEMS ARE
NOT JUST INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE OR
FAMILIES BUT WE ALL HAVE A
STAKE IN SOLVING THEM.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> THANK YOU.
>>> WE WILL BE BACK AFTER THE
BREAK.