Japanese American Identity & Self-Image | Asian American Poll

JAPANESE AMERICAN IDENTITY & SELF-IMAGE
(Updated Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:14:05 PM to reflect the 100 most recent valid responses.)

In relating with other Asian American groups, Japanese Americans most exhibit which of the following attitudes?
More Americanized than thou | 51%
More rooted in ancestral heritage | 0%
More anxious to be low key | 49%
More embracing of other AA | 0%

Which of the following has the most impact on the Japanese American identity?
Smallest percentage of recent immigrants | 36%
World War II internment | 51%
Japan's economic success | 6%
Smaller population than other AA groups | 7%

This poll is closed to new input.
Comments posted during the past year remain available for browsing.

CONTACT US | ADVERTISING INFO

© 1996-2013 Asian Media Group Inc
No part of the contents of this site may be reproduced without prior written permission.

WHAT YOU SAY

[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]

CM,

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. JA’s are more “white” or “Americanized” because of the nature of Japanese. Japanese are more “malleable” or adaptable than other people of Asia. It is one of major factors in Japan modernizing quickly before WWII and rebuilding quickly after WWII.

The Japanese expatriates that will return to Japan eventually, will make extra effort to fraternize with other Japanese. The Japanese that decides to permanently stay in the U.S. quickly integrates with the “majority” culture of U.S. They do not make extra effort to fraternize with other JA’s, at least not to the degree other Asian Americans tend to.

Japanese malleability has been documented well since WWII. The Japanese soldiers of WWII were known to be “fearless” loyal fighters. However, it was different for Japanese POWs. These POWs felt they have lost their “Japanese-ness” since they have disgraced themselves by not killing themselves before being caught or fight until death. Once they realize their new and only home would be in the U.S., they volunteered information to the U.S. military, which is very uncharacteristic of loyal fighters.

So the next time you see JA’s not particularly interested in making extra effort in fraternizing with fellow JA’s, it is not because they are throwing away their “Japanese-ness”. They are actually being more “Japanese” than they care to know.

WT Monday, April 08, 2002 at 07:26:19 (PDT)

I don't understand why a WM would marry a JF as a status symbol, like a Rolex. I think that's simply not true. If a WF truly wants a Trophy Wife, he would go for a blonde, blue eyed, Ivy league grad.
not true Monday, April 08, 2002 at 06:43:44 (PDT)

CM,

Look pal, if you are not a JA, then you have no business telling everybody your suppositions about the Japanese American community. More than half of your BS about the Japanese American community are erroneous assumptions. Japanese Americans are asian. For what reason would a JA have to gain by identifying with white people? Japanese Americans are asian, and will always be asian. The whites never really treated Japanese Americans as equals and they never will. For the most part, I’ve seen a lot of Chinese women chasing after white guys. I also see a lot of Chinese men who treat white people with more respect than they do other Asians. People are not perfect. We tend to want to see only the negative things in another ethnic when most of the times our own nationality is just as bad.

If you see a Japanese American who wants to be white, then that’s their problem. However there are those who want to make it their problem when they are not even Japanese American to begin with. Again, you said you went to China? I would imagine China would have more problems than Japan. Look at all those Chinese baby girls being abandoned or aborted by their mothers by the thousands.

Eikaiwa Shark Monday, April 08, 2002 at 01:23:42 (PDT)

I agree fully with what Quit Looking said:

"I'm a JA male and when I was younger would have loved to find a JA female to date and possibly marry. I felt that culturally we would naturally have more in common than people of different races. Unfortunately, a vast majority of JA females prefer white males. It can't be because of their looks because some of the guys that I see with JA females are really not attractive. I think it's more psychological than anything. They feel like they blend into American society better if they are with a white person. That way they don't stand out and bring attention to themselves. They are actually ashamed of being JA. They may not want to admit it but it's the truth. There are of course exceptions but for the most part it's the truth. It's too bad that they don't realize that to many men having a Japanese wife/girlfriend is a status symbol. Kind of like having a Rolex, or Mercedes. They don't respect you, they wear you."

My viewpoint: This is not only a JA phenomenon, though it is unusually common amongst JAs. Because of westernization and US education, many JAs lose their self-consciousness of their true ethnicity of being Japanese. Many JAs think they're White sometimes - especially those who know how to speak English only. Some people in this message board think that this is only the case for JFs which is untrue since it is also very true for JMs. Due to a low population of JAs compared to other Asian American populations, many JAs don't tend to meet with many JAs or pure Japanese. And because of cultural influence from living in the US for such a long time, many would gravitate towards socializing with Whites, and hence, relationships. Unfortunately, many JAs have developed psychological problems of feeling inferior being JAs, largely because of certain stereotypes and their Asian appearance compared to Whites.

I reiterate, the psychology of JAs due to US cultural influence upon one's Asian origin and enthnicity is equally comparable in other Asian Americans, and not only JAs.

I, myself, have gotten to feel this way before, being a Chinese-Americian, but I was fortunate enough to have an inter-racial awakening by moving back to my home country from the US. Alas, many do not gain the awakening by staying in the US (fortunately my JA close-friend did even though he stayed in the US).

I would hope many JAs would realise that marrying or having relationships with Whites is NOT a solution to mixing in well with the American society, as relationships are a completely different matter.
CM Saturday, April 06, 2002 at 21:47:43 (PST)

Ms. Mo==
I have no idea what you mean by that posting.

I don't have a single JA friend. I mean I have CA, KA, Thai-american, Indian-american, bangleshi-american, etc friends, but I don't know a single JA! My cousin married a JA, but I don't know any JA. Where do they live? What do they do? How can I formulate an image of them, when I never see any of them?
George Takei is the only JA I know.

ka Monday, March 18, 2002 at 09:24:11 (PST)

NEWEST COMMENTS | EARLIER COMMENTS