I'm a native Japanese speaker and just got my C2 Spanish Diploma. So what, you may ask? As it turns out, it's basically impossible for an Asian to get a native-like fluency in a European language unless the person is willing to suffer a great deal (and risk getting deported!)

(Update: I should note that this is my personal experience, and it may change in the future, and it should not be taken as advice or general truth for everyone)<br><br>I think it may be of interest to many of you to understand *why* asians who are not a native speaker of English/Spanish/French/German rarely ever attain native levels of fluency. As a native Japanese speaker who just got his C2, I feel I have to post this here to raise awareness about the systematic drawbacks one has to go through just to get fluent in a European language even when you have supposedly equal access to the resources. In my experience, such access is far from equal. I'm currently in Barcelona. Here are my observations:<br><br>**1. Racism and lack of willingness to help.**<br><br>All of my fellow C2 examinees here in Barcelona were white. Looking back, this doesn't surprise me. Through my long journey of getting my C2 Spanish Diploma, I have gone through many situations where only my white classmates received help and I did not. I have been repeatedly ignored in class. I have been blatantly overlooked by professors when in fact my hand was the only one held up. One professor even laughed in my face when I asked her a question as if she didn't believe I was asking a genuine question. This experience was extremely demoralizing, and I am not the only Asian to have gone through this. I am not a native speaker of English. I have to put a lot more effort to express myself in English than my white classmates. I understand that this is part of the journey of learning a new language. What I'm saying is that I don't appreciate the fact that my white classmates who supposedly have to put the same amount of effort as me (or even more, depending on their intelligence) don't get humiliated or laughed at. All they get is pats on the back for speaking Spanish. Sometimes I wonder if my white classmates ever get laughed at by their professors. I highly doubt it. To top it all off, my white roommate blatantly said he was willing to cheat on his exam, and the professor allowed him to. I have never seen a non-white person cheat on his exam, and I have never seen a white person get punished for cheating on the exam. This experience taught me that if I want to get my C2 Diploma, I cannot trust my white classmates. They will take advantage of my naivety, and I will get screwed. This was scary because in a new country, one always hopes to make new friends.<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>**2. Lack of opportunities.**<br><br>I am a native Japanese speaker, but in Barcelona, I rarely get to practice my Spanish. It is extremely hard to get a part-time job here if you're an Asian, and in fact, my experience suggests that it is impossible for an Asian to get a job with a full-time contract in Barcelona. Sometimes I get asked if I speak Chinese. I think this is ridiculous. I've lived in Spain for 8 years and have a law degree, but I still get asked if I speak Chinese. I apply to jobs in Spanish, but they ask me how I can expect to work in a country whose language I don't speak. I speak Spanish fluently, but it doesn't matter because I don't look Spanish. My white classmates on the other hand get jobs left and right. The opportunities are endless, and they can can practice as much as they want. I don't have such luxury. In fact, I have to pay an enormous amount of money to live here. A visa in Spain is very expensive, and one has to pay a huge amount of money to get it every year. I have to pay for health insurance; my white classmates don't. Objectively speaking, this is bullshit, and I am being discriminated against. I should be allowed to live in Spain because I have a degree, I'm from a rich country, and I speak Spanish fluently. But I'm not white, so I have to constantly struggle. <br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>**3. Lack of opportunities to meet people.**<br><br>The lack of opportunities to meet new people is also a big problem. For example, I would like to practice my Spanish at a language exchange. But no one wants to talk to an Asian. Most people prefer to talk to a white person. I asked why. The answer was that they were afraid I didn't speak English. I don't understand why this is a problem. I shouldn't be judged based on my appearance. I have lived in Europe for 14 years; I know how to behave. But the truth is that I shouldn't have to behave. I am a human being; I deserve to be treated with dignity. But I'm not treated with dignity. I'm constantly judged based on my appearance. In my experience, the vast majority of white people automatically assume that an Asian person doesn't speak English. I have been rejected several times in a row because of this, even though I have an MA in English literature. My white classmates on the other hand don't have this problem. It's easier for them to make new friends. In fact, they don't even have to make new friends. They are automatically accepted into the society. But I'm not. I'm a racial minority, and I will always be ostracized. I will always be rejected by society. Most people don't want to talk to me because I'm Asian. <br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>**4. Difficulty in getting a residence visa.**<br><br>So what if an Asian person can't get a job? He can always get a residence visa, right? Most countries allow you to live there for a year as long as you have the resources and a place to live. But not Spain. In order to live in Spain, one has to show that he has never lived in Spain. Not only that, one has to show that he has never even visited Spain in the last 6 months. What kind of bullshit is this? It's basically impossible for an Asian to get a residence visa in Spain. In fact, I shouldn't even be here right now, but I'm here because of pure luck. What about other countries? Portugal is better. One can get a residence visa in Portugal, but it also requires a shitload of money. I don't have that money, and I don't make that much money. I shouldn't have to make that much money. I have a university degree; I should be able to live in any country I want. Objectively speaking, this is my right. I'm a human being; I shouldn't be treated like a criminal. I'm not a criminal; I'm a human being. But I'm being treated like a criminal. I'm constantly getting rejected left and right. <br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>In conclusion, I think it's basically impossible for an Asian to get a native-like fluency in Spanish. It's extremely hard to get a job, make new friends, and just live in Spain (or Portugal). I don't recommend anyone to try it, and I definitely don't recommend anyone to try to get the C2 Diploma. I shouldn't have tried, and I am suffering a great deal because of my own decision. I shouldn't be suffering; I should be allowed to live my life. I'm a human being; I deserve to be treated with dignity. But I'm not treated with dignity. I am treated like a criminal; I am constantly getting rejected by society. One day, I may even get deported, and I can't do anything about it. This is ridiculous. I'm a human being. I should be allowed to live wherever I want. I shouldn't be treated like an animal.