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Asia Pacific Modern
In Search of Our Frontier: Japanese America and Settler Colonialism in the Construction of Japan’s Borderless Empire (Asia Pacific Modern)
In Search of Our Frontier explores the complex transnational history of Japanese settler colonialism, which linked Japanese America with Japan's colonial empire through the exchange of migrant bodies, expansionist knowledge, colonial capital, and technology in the Asia-Pacific basin before World War II. Eiichiro Azuma outlines how the practices and thinking of members of pre–World War II Japanese America demonstrate a vital link between migration-led expansionism inside and outside Japan's formal colonial empire. The ideas and trajectories of these transpacific migrants exemplified a prevalent national structure of thought and practice that not only supported Japan's empire-building but also promoted the quest for national expansion. This book offers new interpretive frames and perspectives that will allow readers to understand Japanese settler colonialism’s capacity to operate outside the aegis of the home empire.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published October 8, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 25, 2024
This was mostly a good book. It started well: linking Japanese immigration to the US with Japanese colonialism in East Asia instead of traditionally seperating the two sounded like a promising idea.
It was interesting to read how Japan adopted Brazil as a top target of state-sponsored colonization enterprises. Never heard of that, so far it was always referred to as simply immigration. And I guess they have to thank American racism for that as exclusion of Japanese made them take Brazil as a target instead of California. Makes me wonder whether California would be a japanese colony today if things had gone differently. It is interesting to read that Japanese claims of better colonialism was also in response to American anti-japanese racism (while being convinced of having to spread their superior japanese civilization and so being angry if colonials resisted). But there is the issue of the author simply talking about white supremacy while the only countries he mentions being anglo-saxons and mexico, no one else here in this chapter, so was white supremacy really all there is?
As interesting as it is to read about all these facts about Japanese colonization of Hawai'i and the notion that they would ultimately dominate the natives, it is strange how the author acts as if it is any sort of contradiction that the Japanese draw inspiration from the US settler colonialism, after all, why invent the wheel new when an existing one works just fine? And oh man, hearing a colonist arguing how Mexico is good for japanese settler colonization because it is more friendly than the US and they are spineless, like the chinese and "East (Asian) Indians", and so the Japanese can easily establish themselves as the Master Race there makes me really wonder why that is never featured about the Japanese empire. And these colonists argued that they will be successful in Mexico and Brazil than the whites because the Japanese are more adaptable to other climates. It is really strange how this talk about Brazil being fitting for japanese conquest via settler colonialism is ignored today. Or maybe this is as intended, they were smart colonists: to avoid accusations of unassimilablity and racial invasion local Brazilians and already resident Japanese were encouraged to move into the new settlement if they wished. But this was just done to mask the supremacist thinking of the colonizer.
I wish the author would either stick with Anglo-saxonism or finally provide some example of racism by other European powers and then talk of white supremacy. Unless these two are synonymous for him. Because while Japanese imperial interactions with Russia and France are mentioned, white supremacy and racism are only mentioned in regard to anglo-saxon imperialism.
There is a good point to argue that settler colonial practices of assimilation can be more effective in elimination than the conventional acts of genocidal violence since it does not involve disruptive affront to the rule of law that is ideologically central to the cohesion of settler society. And naturally those allegedly racist free Japanese were obviously racist towards Chinese and Koreans.
And while I can belief that some of this yellow peril discourse against Japanese Americans was due to the russo-japanese war, as some racists probably thought in the way that the author describes because Russia was a "white empire", but how many did that and is simply saying yellow peril a sufficient explanation? After all, the author stated constantly that japan was a settler colonial empire, so that was the source of enmity towards them.
I don't think it is a paradox that when Japan emerged as one of five major powers through the use of state violence and military invasion, the rhetoric of peaceful expansion became increasingly proiminent in Japanese settler colonialism. It makes it all much more palatable and easier to perform. Old trick.
It is correct that American media was incorrect about Japanese military invention regarding US territory, but once again the author never takes into consideration that Japan's settler colonialism might have been a factor here. He acts as if the Yellow Perril discourse, if it even was that as it only talks about Japan here, just comes out of nowhere.
The way this author writes makes it sound as if there was some US-led anti-japanese campaign or something. I doubt this book can make it above the 3 stars in the end.
I would not call Nazi Germany contemporaneous when talking about Japanese colonialism in the 1920s. Nonetheless, it is interesting that the Third Reich referenced Japanese return migration from the United States in its plans to resettle German Americans in its eastern frontiers of Wartegau and Upper Siberia.
Considering that Japanese in Hawai'i were also caught up in all these colonial stuff, I wonder whether anything of that is acknowledged today in Hawai'i. And referring to the natives as "bestial" aborigines and called the workers tamed lions... yeah that is pretty racist by these former hawaiians. And the Isei were incorporated into imperialism, using their American western frontier experiences for further colonialism in Manchuria and Taiwan. Granted, I wish the author wouldn't go so far into detail with the farms and all. And I think I heard this one mentioned name once, and I think it was in the context of the Japanese American immigrant story. It is interesting to see how the story of this simple nanny who died at 19 is used by both sides. On one side to counter the image of japanese prostitutes in the USA (even though it is based on fact) and of imperial colonialism as if she was some model colonialist. Seeing how much the Japanese empire incorporated Isei and Nissei into their imperial designs from 1940 onwards, and at least some Issei doing the same on their own and wanting to be imperial and US subjects, makes me wonder what influence that had on later internments as well as eternal foreigner myths. What if this had a bigger influence than usually believed? These colonial endeavors did not just feature notions of blood will tell and general japanese blood but also the fears of those overseas Japanese losing their Japanese spirit and so they have to be educated in it. Funny enough, some of this stuff sounds a lot like a martial spirit. Issei parents were urged to give their nisei children a japanese style moral education, while the issei also wanted to be American citizens... yeah, I think this particular mixing would not work.
And chinese propaganda also had this notion of Japanese spirit as the epitome of Japan's aggression and duplicity... hm, I guess it came from the war, and did this influence American propaganda? It could be, the usual "it's racism" thing looks too simple for me.
The author acknowledges the blood-will-tell mentality of both the US and Japan, no wonder Japan anticipated the Japanese internment during the war, both sides thought exactly the same.
Basically, after the war Japanese colonial thought continued but this time under the guise of American domination. Hm, makes me wonder whether this had any impact on US immigration later on. But hard to tell, the text is over and the author didn't dwell on the subject.
It was interesting to read how Japan adopted Brazil as a top target of state-sponsored colonization enterprises. Never heard of that, so far it was always referred to as simply immigration. And I guess they have to thank American racism for that as exclusion of Japanese made them take Brazil as a target instead of California. Makes me wonder whether California would be a japanese colony today if things had gone differently. It is interesting to read that Japanese claims of better colonialism was also in response to American anti-japanese racism (while being convinced of having to spread their superior japanese civilization and so being angry if colonials resisted). But there is the issue of the author simply talking about white supremacy while the only countries he mentions being anglo-saxons and mexico, no one else here in this chapter, so was white supremacy really all there is?
As interesting as it is to read about all these facts about Japanese colonization of Hawai'i and the notion that they would ultimately dominate the natives, it is strange how the author acts as if it is any sort of contradiction that the Japanese draw inspiration from the US settler colonialism, after all, why invent the wheel new when an existing one works just fine? And oh man, hearing a colonist arguing how Mexico is good for japanese settler colonization because it is more friendly than the US and they are spineless, like the chinese and "East (Asian) Indians", and so the Japanese can easily establish themselves as the Master Race there makes me really wonder why that is never featured about the Japanese empire. And these colonists argued that they will be successful in Mexico and Brazil than the whites because the Japanese are more adaptable to other climates. It is really strange how this talk about Brazil being fitting for japanese conquest via settler colonialism is ignored today. Or maybe this is as intended, they were smart colonists: to avoid accusations of unassimilablity and racial invasion local Brazilians and already resident Japanese were encouraged to move into the new settlement if they wished. But this was just done to mask the supremacist thinking of the colonizer.
I wish the author would either stick with Anglo-saxonism or finally provide some example of racism by other European powers and then talk of white supremacy. Unless these two are synonymous for him. Because while Japanese imperial interactions with Russia and France are mentioned, white supremacy and racism are only mentioned in regard to anglo-saxon imperialism.
There is a good point to argue that settler colonial practices of assimilation can be more effective in elimination than the conventional acts of genocidal violence since it does not involve disruptive affront to the rule of law that is ideologically central to the cohesion of settler society. And naturally those allegedly racist free Japanese were obviously racist towards Chinese and Koreans.
And while I can belief that some of this yellow peril discourse against Japanese Americans was due to the russo-japanese war, as some racists probably thought in the way that the author describes because Russia was a "white empire", but how many did that and is simply saying yellow peril a sufficient explanation? After all, the author stated constantly that japan was a settler colonial empire, so that was the source of enmity towards them.
I don't think it is a paradox that when Japan emerged as one of five major powers through the use of state violence and military invasion, the rhetoric of peaceful expansion became increasingly proiminent in Japanese settler colonialism. It makes it all much more palatable and easier to perform. Old trick.
It is correct that American media was incorrect about Japanese military invention regarding US territory, but once again the author never takes into consideration that Japan's settler colonialism might have been a factor here. He acts as if the Yellow Perril discourse, if it even was that as it only talks about Japan here, just comes out of nowhere.
The way this author writes makes it sound as if there was some US-led anti-japanese campaign or something. I doubt this book can make it above the 3 stars in the end.
I would not call Nazi Germany contemporaneous when talking about Japanese colonialism in the 1920s. Nonetheless, it is interesting that the Third Reich referenced Japanese return migration from the United States in its plans to resettle German Americans in its eastern frontiers of Wartegau and Upper Siberia.
Considering that Japanese in Hawai'i were also caught up in all these colonial stuff, I wonder whether anything of that is acknowledged today in Hawai'i. And referring to the natives as "bestial" aborigines and called the workers tamed lions... yeah that is pretty racist by these former hawaiians. And the Isei were incorporated into imperialism, using their American western frontier experiences for further colonialism in Manchuria and Taiwan. Granted, I wish the author wouldn't go so far into detail with the farms and all. And I think I heard this one mentioned name once, and I think it was in the context of the Japanese American immigrant story. It is interesting to see how the story of this simple nanny who died at 19 is used by both sides. On one side to counter the image of japanese prostitutes in the USA (even though it is based on fact) and of imperial colonialism as if she was some model colonialist. Seeing how much the Japanese empire incorporated Isei and Nissei into their imperial designs from 1940 onwards, and at least some Issei doing the same on their own and wanting to be imperial and US subjects, makes me wonder what influence that had on later internments as well as eternal foreigner myths. What if this had a bigger influence than usually believed? These colonial endeavors did not just feature notions of blood will tell and general japanese blood but also the fears of those overseas Japanese losing their Japanese spirit and so they have to be educated in it. Funny enough, some of this stuff sounds a lot like a martial spirit. Issei parents were urged to give their nisei children a japanese style moral education, while the issei also wanted to be American citizens... yeah, I think this particular mixing would not work.
And chinese propaganda also had this notion of Japanese spirit as the epitome of Japan's aggression and duplicity... hm, I guess it came from the war, and did this influence American propaganda? It could be, the usual "it's racism" thing looks too simple for me.
The author acknowledges the blood-will-tell mentality of both the US and Japan, no wonder Japan anticipated the Japanese internment during the war, both sides thought exactly the same.
Basically, after the war Japanese colonial thought continued but this time under the guise of American domination. Hm, makes me wonder whether this had any impact on US immigration later on. But hard to tell, the text is over and the author didn't dwell on the subject.
January 17, 2025
5 for content, 3 for entertainment value.
This book does an excellent job of narrowing scope and describing in intimate detail the pre-Pacfici War Japanese colonial empire. Great references, great sources, the charts and photographs while sparse are also really interesting.
Honestly, it drags to read. It's very dry as it is an academic piece but it definitely reads like an extremely long research paper. My eyes glossed over large sections because I began to lose interest only to see a very dynamic anecdote that would pick my attention up again.
Author clearly did their research, it's just dry.
This book does an excellent job of narrowing scope and describing in intimate detail the pre-Pacfici War Japanese colonial empire. Great references, great sources, the charts and photographs while sparse are also really interesting.
Honestly, it drags to read. It's very dry as it is an academic piece but it definitely reads like an extremely long research paper. My eyes glossed over large sections because I began to lose interest only to see a very dynamic anecdote that would pick my attention up again.
Author clearly did their research, it's just dry.
June 20, 2021
An interesting book that situates transpacific ideas about Japanese settler colonialism and highlights the remigrartion of Japanese Americans to various Japanese colonial projects in East Asian and South America. Azuma does a fine job of putting these remigrants back into the story of Japanese settler colonialism, but the book is really focused on the world of state policy, business leaders, and elite intellectuals. Those looking for a closer examination of the experiences of individual colonists or what motivated them to participate in these colonialism endeavors will have to look elsewhere.
November 7, 2022
a really fascinating read that breaks down barriers between american history and east asian history. azuma is thorough in his archival work and paints such a detailed picture of the production of ideology, and movement of capital, and the project of settler colonialism among japanese migrants. this movement of empire, however, is met with the resistance of the US imperial projects in places like the californian frontier and hawai’i. this complicated the story and leaves us to think about how we imagine the domination of an imperial project.
September 6, 2025
This book clearly did not make a strong impression on me when I first read it, as I forgot I had been required to read it for my first graduate school seminar. However, I realized that I referenced it and other publications from Azuma several times for a different class on Pacific history, and he was very useful then, so I'm not quite sure what to make of that.
May 5, 2020
Azuma interrogates Japanese overseas migration and the ways that migrants shape and are shaped by Japanese settler colonialism.
Read
August 6, 2021970.00495 A997 2019
October 4, 2022
Felt fresh, compelling, and original.
March 3, 2026
Great argument, awful prose
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews