Start Date
5-3-2024 12:30 PM
End Date
5-3-2024 1:45 PM
Disciplines
History
Subjects
Japanese -- Brazil -- Ethnic identity, Emigration and immigration -- Social aspects, Group identity -- Brazil -- History, Group identity -- Japan -- History, Transnationalism, Storytelling
Abstract
The return migration of Japanese-Brazilians to Japan from 1990-2008 encapsulates a complex issue of nationality, ethnicity, and belonging between two different cultures who came to depend on each other. Beginning in 1990, Japan instituted a new migration policy that opened the door for second and third generation ethnically Japanese individuals who were living in foreign nations to receive temporary work visas. This allowed for a great amount of migration from Brazil of Brazilians with Japanese heritage. This population is especially significant due to the high level of Japanese immigrants to Brazil during the early 20th century, due to reasons such as ethnic persecution of the Okinawans in Japan, and a shortage in laborers for the coffee plantations of Brazil. Much research has been done regarding the patterns and trends of these groups’ migration between Japan and Brazil, as well as the factors that have allowed for this back and forth. This article examines this shifting labor dependency, but focuses on individual stories and the effects of this relationship on those who exist within the push and pull of the migratory trends between the two nations. Through the lens of these personal histories, it is possible to see that the identity of a Japanese Brazilian consists of blurred lines and constantly shifting self-perception. This is due to the changing of external expectations on the individual based on specific work, family, or social circumstances, as well as physical features and language abilities. There exists no single mold or descriptor for this identity as it constantly fluctuates based on several factors.
Keywords: immigration, Japanese, Brazilian, return migration, identity, Japanese-brazilian, culture, ethno-national
Part of the Panel: Cross Cultural Narratives
Moderator: Professor David Horowitz
Creative Commons License or Rights Statement
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/42100
Included in
Homecoming or Homeless: An Exploration of the Ethno-National Identities of Japanese-Brazilian Dekasseguis
The return migration of Japanese-Brazilians to Japan from 1990-2008 encapsulates a complex issue of nationality, ethnicity, and belonging between two different cultures who came to depend on each other. Beginning in 1990, Japan instituted a new migration policy that opened the door for second and third generation ethnically Japanese individuals who were living in foreign nations to receive temporary work visas. This allowed for a great amount of migration from Brazil of Brazilians with Japanese heritage. This population is especially significant due to the high level of Japanese immigrants to Brazil during the early 20th century, due to reasons such as ethnic persecution of the Okinawans in Japan, and a shortage in laborers for the coffee plantations of Brazil. Much research has been done regarding the patterns and trends of these groups’ migration between Japan and Brazil, as well as the factors that have allowed for this back and forth. This article examines this shifting labor dependency, but focuses on individual stories and the effects of this relationship on those who exist within the push and pull of the migratory trends between the two nations. Through the lens of these personal histories, it is possible to see that the identity of a Japanese Brazilian consists of blurred lines and constantly shifting self-perception. This is due to the changing of external expectations on the individual based on specific work, family, or social circumstances, as well as physical features and language abilities. There exists no single mold or descriptor for this identity as it constantly fluctuates based on several factors.
Keywords: immigration, Japanese, Brazilian, return migration, identity, Japanese-brazilian, culture, ethno-national
Part of the Panel: Cross Cultural Narratives
Moderator: Professor David Horowitz