About Baye
Baye was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He discovered his talent for writing in High School quite by accident when he wrote a movie script and received an award. He learned in University that that HS experience was not a fluke, and began to take writing seriously, eventually majoring in English and Communications. Before departing for Japan in 2004, Baye had written for a local newspaper and completed a novel.
Upon arriving in Japan, McNeil began teaching and later began his blog, "Loco in Yokohama" which covered life in Japan from a Black New Yorker's perspective. The blog grew steadily in popularity until a single series brought it and Baye to the attention of readers worldwide. It was a 42-part open discussion of race issues, particularly in the US and Japan. This series was called, "Hi! My Name is Loco and I am a Racist," and the reception this series received was so tremendous that Baye expanded it into the critically acclaimed book of the same name.
The book was also a big hit, a bestseller, chosen by ExpatFinder as a Top 5 Expat Book and made book critic Kam Williams' list of the Top 10 books by an African American in 2012.
In 2013, Baye released his second book, "Loco in Yokohama," a collection of stories and anecdotes based on the goings-on at two Yokohama public schools, covering such hot-button topics as bullying in Japanese schools (several suicides have resulted in recent years), parenting multi-racial children, and dealing with the plague of perverts that prey on HS and JHS girls on Japanese trains. As of June 2014, Baye was hired as a columnist for The Japan Times, the most widely-read English language newspaper in Japan. His column, "Black Eye", (where he focuses on the experiences of people of African descent living in Japan) has built a broad and growing readership internationally.
Baye also lectures at Universities, including the famous Waseda University in Tokyo, on topics such as the Hafu experience in Japan,and the problems associated with stereotyping and presumptions. He does so with the hope of raising awareness of issues critical to Japan's efforts to achieve its stated goal of becoming a more globalized and diversified nation.
For more info you can contact Baye using the form below: