Japanese American Identity & Self-Image | Asian American Poll

JAPANESE AMERICAN IDENTITY & SELF-IMAGE
(Updated Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:14:02 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.

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WHAT YOU SAY

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

to waterbottle & optimistic

"...America is like a mall..."

That's true. Only, there aren't that many shops that cater to anyone other than westerners. I would love to be able to find an architect who could design a house in the Chinese traditional style, but can you imagine trying to get the materials and skilled labor needed to construct something like that? And then what would you fill the house up with, an Italian leather couch, a French etagiere, and a Queen Anne coffee table? And...oh the prolific abundance of jeans and leather boots and woolen pants and skirts and shirts (with collars) that button down. That's all you'll ever find at the American Malls. Isn't that just so typically European? It's so EVERYWHERE that you think you're getting a mix, but you're really not.

"...Don't we all try out new clothes and food? We don't wear the same clothes and eat the same food every single day. We change and try other things out there."

We, my friends, are bombarded and entrenched with everything that's deeply rooted in the European past, present (and I daresay future) because when the Europeans came over to America, they brought along with them their cultural identities, religions, foods, and values. Their children grew up playing football and learning the Bible, and eating foods covered with cheese (be honest and name one Asian dish that's got mozzarrella cheese on it), and listening to music that's european-based (the piano & guitar-based musical instruments will only play certain groupings of key chords that cannot mimic the Eastern music because there are too many chords missing or "not sounding quite right").

Do we really try out new clothes and eat new foods? All the Chinese restaurants out there make Americanized versions of the foods that you would normally find in China and leave out anything that's not westernized. Ditto for just about any other major restaurants that cater to the general American public. And no, we don't wear the same clothes every day (we'd stink up the office!!!), but it's basically the same tailored patterns that's styled in the fashions of the Europeans a long long time ago. I've never seen any woman wearing a kimono to work, and the AM guys wouldn't be caught dead in an Asian-styled outfit while typing on their laptops and making critical deals on their cell phones. The business atire for the millions of working men and women are the very modernized versions of what Europeans wore only a century or two ago.

The point is that, yes, we do "try out the new cultures" every once in awhile, but we have to revert back to the norm for everyday living, right? So what is the norm? You guessed it...European standards, that's what. Oh, and the European-American (as opposed to the Asian-American) children don't have to be taught what their culture is like, they live it every day at home, at school, and at play.

MLK Sunday, April 21, 2002 at 10:31:41 (PDT)

JA...OXF...PhD,

what about the "kabukimono" phenomenon, is there a comparable occasion possible?
rare stuff Saturday, April 20, 2002 at 17:03:38 (PDT)

JA...OXF...PhD:
"The absence of civil war for over 800 years"
Yeah, especially when that guy Tokugawa Ieyasu came to power in a totally peaceful manner.

"This deeply rooted cultural tradition of "not making waves" is a dominant cultural practice"
How exactly is that different from most other Asian nationalities?

"they tend to look for cues in surrounding social structures and practices and not ancestral heritage."
Same with lots of Asians not really connected to their cultural communities. Anyway what if the surrounding social structure is mostly Asian-American?
T.H. Lien Thursday, April 18, 2002 at 22:07:02 (PDT)

"Consequently, Japanese Americans tend to practice more culturally American tendencies at a faster rate then other asain nationalities."

Yipes, I never knew Japanese Americans were asains. What's an asain? Mr. JA PhD, please explain what an asain is? I'm very interested in learning more about my asainess.

Keiko 10-yrs-old (Former Asian American) Thursday, April 18, 2002 at 18:55:04 (PDT)

JA...OXF...PhD,

You have a PhD and all you can write is a single paragraph? Pretty lame.
Pocky Thursday, April 18, 2002 at 18:11:48 (PDT)

This deeply rooted cultural tradition of "not making waves" is a dominant cultural practice and acts as the cohesive force in Japanese society. The absence of civil war for over 800yrs (since the battle of Mikusa), the Meiji Restoration, and the formation of the 442nd are all examples of Japanese cultural tendencies towards �society over self�. As a result, Japanese Americans tends to be less nationalistic than other nationalities. In the racial socialization process of first and second generation Japanese Americans, they tend to look for cues in surrounding social structures and practices and not ancestral heritage. Consequently, Japanese Americans tend to practice more culturally American tendencies at a faster rate then other asain nationalities.
JA...OXF...PhD Thursday, April 18, 2002 at 09:51:07 (PDT)

to waterbottle- hear hear!!
I really liked your comment. It's true, this country is so unique, I mean on a daily basis I interact with blacks, asians, Indians, whites, Muslims, etc etc, I especially love living in a big city. I love to eat Thai, Indian, Korean, Chinese, Italian, French foods. I read about everything from current American politics to the history of the Jews in Europe to Ancient Cambodia. I think everyone should try to enjoy the good things about living in America.
optimistic Wednesday, April 17, 2002 at 11:19:17 (PDT)

To am I too optimistic?

You and I have the same feeling about living in America.

To me, America is like a mall. Yes, the cultural mall of America! Understanding and trying out other cultures are the main benefit of living here in America. I mean... Don't we all try out new clothes and food? We don't wear the same clothes and eat the same food every single day. We change and try other things out there. People who are static are missing out on many good things.

One could maintain one's core customs without giving them up. No matter what kinds of cultural clothing you try on, it is still you.

I think we should simply enjoy living in America.
waterbottle Wednesday, April 17, 2002 at 07:45:35 (PDT)

I sure don't see any of the African Am. and Caucasians grabbing on to their ancestral ways.

***who says caucasians dont retain their culture or totally abandon theirs? you dont see early caucasians coming to america adopting NAtive Indian religion, speak in Native Indian language or change their names to something like "Running Wolf" or live in tepees,instead of western style houses and buildings?caucasians in some parts of the world dont assimilate well either.like whites in zimbabwe who refuse to mingle and live with blacks.

what's wrong if asians try to retain their culture and identity? that's what special and unique abt asians, we retain our culture.at the same time, we mingle and blend with the others.
Freda Wednesday, April 17, 2002 at 07:13:18 (PDT)

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