Detroiters Not Hostile to Japanese, Study Finds

A University of Detroit survey released Thursday shows that while Detroit residents are friendly toward the Japanese as individuals, they remain hostile to Japan as a nation because of the trade imbalance.

The report also revealed that most Detroiters still think Japanese cars are of better quality than domestic offerings--an opinion that has held steady since a similar study was done four years ago.

The study, which sampled 894 Detroit-area residents in April and May of this year, was directed by Prof. Paul Tai of the university’s Asian Studies program.

It showed that 88% of those polled welcome the Japanese, who have moved to the Detroit vicinity in growing numbers because of their involvement with the auto industry. Yet the vast majority said the trade problem is very serious, and Congress should adopt some “retaliatory measures” against Japan.

Presence Expanded

Over half of those polled accused Japan of “unfair trade practices,” Tai said.

Two earlier, similar surveys were conducted, in 1984 and 1985. Since then, Japan has dramatically expanded its economic presence in the Detroit area, mostly because of Mazda’s new car assembly plant in Flat Rock, Mich., and the acquisition of Great Lake Steel by Nippon Kokan.

The number of Japanese companies in the Detroit area has more than tripled in four years, from 49 in 1984 to 165 this year, Tai said. The number of Japanese workers and their dependents increased by seven times, from 300 in 1984 to an estimated 2,000 in 1988.

The study reported that 84% of Detroit-area residents would like to see more Japanese investment in their communities, up from 58% in the 1984 study.

Retaliation Needed

But 63% said they would take a pay cut in order to save American jobs, and 77% said they would like to see the U.S. government enact some retaliatory legislation to curb the $42-billion trade deficit the United States has with Japan.

Detroiters also now think that Japanese cars are more expensive than American models, whereas four years ago they felt that Japanese cars cost less than U.S. models, the report said.

It also showed that most Detroiters think that the U.S. auto industry is less productive than the Japanese auto industry, just as they did in the 1985 study.

About 18% of the respondents belonged to unions, with 31% of those belonging to the United Auto Workers union. About half of all respondents were male, and average family income was $34,500.

Nearly 29% were age 18 through 34, while 30% were between 35 and 49 and 41% age 50 or more.