Being Japanese American: A JA Sourcebook for Nikkei, Hapa . . . & Their Friends

by Gil Asakawa

From immigration to discrimination and internment, and then to reparations and a high rate of intermarriage, Americans of Japanese descent share a long and sometimes painful history, and now fear their unique culture is being lost. Gil Asakawa’s celebration of what makes JAs so special is an entertaining blend of facts and features, of recipes, songs, and memories that every JA will want to share with friends and family. Included are interviews with famous JAs and a look at how it’s hip to be Japanese, from manga to martial arts, plus a section on Japantown communities and tips for JA’s scrapbooking their families and traveling to Japan to rediscover their roots. Gil Asakawa is a third-generation Japanese American, author of the weekly "Nikkei View" online column. He lives in Denver.

Genres: Nonfiction

146 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2004

Reviews

[Ian Martyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that I wish I had when I was younger. I feel like I learned a lot about my heritage and culture through reading it (I'm a yonsei hapa), especially about some things that I do or hold close that many others do not seem to share. Asakawa's writing is accessible, and while the book does not go into heavy details about the subjects, it's great for getting an overview and finding out ways of further exploration. The book covers a wide variety of subjects that deal with Japanese American life and culture from the lighthearted to the very heavy. I also appreciate the sidebar quotes from many different JAs as well, as it allows you to see a whole spectrum of different peoples' thoughts on various subjects, especially about what it means to be a JA. Asakawa has inspired me to explore more about my heritage.

[James Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really good book about Japanese American culture and even includes material on how a Japanese American can construct a scrapbook of their family's past.

It includes, for example, information on customs, food, the language and Japanese American communities.

The author does include information on the internment, though, noting:

”Still, the scars of internment have affected the JA community at large. Even if they themselves weren't interned, many JAs know someone in their family, or another JA family, who was.”

He adds”...internment has had the long-lasting effect of holding back many Japanese Americans in their personal and professional lives, and of crippling their ability to express emotions. As if that internal sense of reserve due to our Japaneseness wasn't enough, an additional legacy of the camps is a deep-rooted fear of drawing attention to ourselves.”

One of the arguments against Japanese Americans was that they were refusing to assimilate (or couldn't assimilate) into American culture. The author notes that the Japantowns that these people lived in (ghettos, basically) were full of traditional Japanese culture, yet by working for white people (as many Japanese Americans did) they did, in fact, begin to assimilate into American culture.

He notes that, before the internment, the governor of Colorado actually invited Japanese Americans to settle in that state and a number did, especially in Denver and rural communities.

He notes that the Japanese American community is actually decreasing in size, and that Japanese Americans tend to marry outside their race at a rate of about 80%.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is definitely a book I wish had existed when I was younger. Asakawa does a great job, through his own anecdotes and of others he's interviewed, about what it's like to be Japanese-American, and how it is different from being Japanese. Many of the conclusions he's come to mirror my own. One feature I particularly liked about the book are the little sideboxes of Japanese words, and how JAs will pepper them into English conversations. This is definitely something that happens a lot in my family.

There is obviously more of a slant towards JA culture in Southwest and West Coast United States, since the author lives in Colorado, and much of the history of how the Japanese arrived in this country starts on the West Coast. Asakawa does give a nod to JAs who live in other parts of the US, as well as Canada and Latin America, but for me personally, I wish there was more content about JAs who live on the East Coast. Realistically, though, more resources naturally exist on the other side of the country, so of course those were highlighted.

I consider myself to be a postwar Nisei-- I was born in Japan, but I grew up in the States with my Japanese-born parents. The history of WWII internment is not part of my history, and although I have been interested in reading more about it, it's not a part of JA history that I can relate to. Nevertheless, I think there is enough of the book that makes me want to explore my culture further.

[Helene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gil's book was very easy to read: organized like a history book on Japanese Americans (JAs), I enjoyed reading about how JAs have maintained some of their Japanese heritage while weaving that in with growing up in America (or Canada).

Reading the book gave me a greater appreciation of my own Chinese American upbringing. I liked the various Japanese words/phrases sprinkled throughout the book along with the insights from various JAs/JCs about how their experience was growing up in North America. I also learned a lot more about the internment of JAs during WWII, which was sad to read about but gave me a greater understanding of that time period since I only remember learning a small bit of that part of American history growing up. May we never repeat this kind of treatment of fellow Americans again.

A recommended read for those who are interested in learning about JAs.

[Cymiki]

found out at the library conference that the newer edition will be coming out end of july 2015!

[JOE IRON THE GREAT www.myspace.com/joeironmusic · Rating 5 out of 5]

My uncle wrote the "Introduction".