COMMENTARY ON CULTURES : Keep Dialogue Open; It's Good for Business in Japan and U.S. : It is virtually impossible to label a car American in today's global economy. The nations are interdependent.

By TACHI KIUCHI

March 8, 1992 12 AM PT

Tachi Kiuchi is chairman and CEO of Mitsubishi Electronics America in Cypress and president of the Japan Business Assn. of Southern California

I feel very strongly that the recent comments about American workers made by Japanese politicians are counterproductive and only create emotional barriers between Americans and Japanese people.

American employees are hard-working, dedicated and talented. Name-calling from afar, while it may not be intended as such, results only in bad feelings. The verbal taunting has rightfully angered American workers and business leaders and sparked a national movement to “buy American.”

Yet, in a world where John Deere imports dirt excavators, Chrysler imports Dodge Caravan engines and Toyota manufactures its cars in Kentucky, it’s difficult for consumers to know exactly what it means to buy American. In fact, it is virtually impossible to label any car American in today’s global economy. In the real world, companies made up of a melting pot of employees use materials from all over the world to create the highest-quality products possible.

Today, Americans and Japanese are interdependent on each other for success. Japanese companies doing business here rely on the joint commitment and knowledge of American and Japanese workers to ensure that products are manufactured, distributed, sold and serviced effectively and efficiently. It is commonplace for input from American workers to change the entire direction of product development. In turn, it’s important to remember that American jobs are created when foreign companies establish operations in the United States.

But investment in this country by Japanese businesses should and does extend beyond the creation of jobs. With the encouragement of our American employees, many Japanese companies are contributing millions of dollars and personnel resources to nonprofit organizations working to improve the quality of life in the communities in which we live and work. Through formal and informal corporate giving programs and foundations, Japanese-owned businesses are contributing millions of dollars to American health care, social services, education and arts organizations.

For example, Mitsubishi Electronics America in Cypress has an internship program to introduce disabled students from Cypress College to the workplace and is a major sponsor of Ahead With Horses, a physical therapy program for disabled youths. We also have a corporate foundation dedicated to helping disabled youths make the transition from school to work.

But financial contributions are not enough. Japanese companies doing business in the United States must encourage their Japanese and American employees to make a personal commitment to serving the community for the company’s contributions to be meaningful over the long term.

Here in Southern California, 700 Japanese companies employ more than 60,000 Americans. It is incumbent upon the executives of these companies to educate both Americans and Japanese about their positive experiences working with Americans and doing business in this country.

As president of the Japan Business Assn. of Southern California, I spend much of my time working with Japanese executives to expand their business investments in the United States into personal investments. More and more Japanese managers based in the United States are investing their free time enjoying American leisure activities, exploring traditional U.S. cultures and generally expanding their understanding of the American lifestyle and people.

This kind of personal investment by both Japanese and American business people reaps long-term rewards, because it results in increased understanding and appreciation between the two cultures.

Mitsubishi Electronics America employs more than 4,500 U.S. staff members at 30 locations, including six manufacturing facilities. At those sites, 97% of our employees and 70% of our corporate leadership is American.

In fact, 650 Santa Ana employees manufacture all Mitsubishi Electronics big-screen TVs sold in the United States.

If Americans were not exceptional business partners and employees, we would not be working as closely together as we are now. More than ever before, I believe it is important for Japanese leaders in the United States to speak out to their counterparts and contacts in Japan and to express the need to establish a meaningful, open dialogue.

In addition, we need to write to local, state and federal representatives and speak at community, business and industry forums to help educate opinion leaders about the positive aspects of American-Japanese relations and provide a balanced point of view.

Neither the United States nor Japan can live without the other, so let’s do our best to live in harmony.

We must share our unique cultural experiences and biases, thereby creating a dialogue in which ideas are offered, examined and debated. We need to agree on the facts and create a common understanding, from which we can agree and disagree and enjoy the diversity of our two cultures. Our cultures and our economies depend upon it.