Global/Foreign Issue Review

Japan's Issue of Rising Homelessness

Last semester I was able to study abroad in Japan. I had a great experience, made a lot of friends, and explored many different places in Japan. But while contemplating my topic for this paper, I thought about, “why do people visit another country?”  I know I went to experience the culture, get immersed in the language, and visit a lot of different places. I think every country has something beautiful to see, however, it does not matter how beautiful a place is, there can be problems that are not apparent to tourists. One issue that I saw when I visited Japan was issue of homelessness. Indeed it seems that both the United States and Japan have a common problem of dealing with the increasing percentage of homeless citizens.

Homelessness is defined as the condition and social category of people without a regular house or dwelling because they are otherwise unable to acquire, maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. In Japan, homelessness is a growing issue. After Japan’s defeat in World War II, the country experienced a period of economic success and established itself as the second largest economy in the world. During this time many Japanese businesses were thriving. Companies such as Toshiba, Toyota, Honda, and Sony started establishing themselves as world leaders in the technology field. Jobs were in plentiful demand and many economists considered this period of Japanese economic prosperity as the “Japanese post-war economic miracle.” Indeed, Japan seemed on the steady rise, however the miracle came to an abrupt end in 1990s. Rising stocks and real estate prices caused the Tokyo Stock Exchange to crash in 1990s (referred to as the “Lost Decade” because Japan’s economic growth was 1.5% slower than growth in other major developed economies). During this time of economic stagnation, Japan faced an increase in unemployment rates and a steady increase in homelessness.

Using sociological views, homelessness in Japan can be defined as a system of social stratification. Social stratification according to the Parrillo text is defined as

“the hierarchical classification of the members of society based on the unequal distribution of resources, power, and prestige. The word resources refers to such factors as income, property, and borrowing capacity. Power, usually reflected by the stratified layers, represents the ability to influence or control others. Prestige relates to status, either ascribed (based on age, sex, race, or family background) or achieved (based on individual accomplishments)” (Parrillo, 57).

The prevalence of homelessness in Japan can be linked to the social structure of Japanese society. In Japan there is a considerably more homeless men then there are homeless women. In the past, typically only the men would work to provide income for their families while women managed the house and took care of the children. Japanese companies on the whole believe that married men work harder and better than unmarried ones because married men feel more responsibilities toward their families. Since, companies are less likely to hire unmarried men or elderly men with grown children Japanese men in this social structure group face a harder time finding employment, in effect producing a greater number of homeless men than homeless women in Japan.

As discussed in the Parrillo text, social stratification leads to the use of the term: social class.

“Social class is one categorization sociologists use to designate people’s place in the stratification hierarchy; people in a particular social class have a similar lifestyle. Many factors help to determine a person’s social class, including the individual’s membership in particular racial, religious, and status groups” (Parrillo, 58).

Homeless Japanese citizens lack resources, power, or prestige and are the lowest in social class. This causes them to be looked down upon as inferior members of society. Accordingly, the Japanese government tried to get rid of the homeless citizen by having local authorities deal with ‘the problem’ by evacuating the homeless due to “environmental beautification.” Due to endless bureaucratic obstacles, it was quite hard for the homeless to obtain benefits that they might have been eligible to receive. Only in 1997, did the Japanese Government finally acknowledge the existence of the homeless and start negotiating.

Overall, homelessness and the accompanying social stratification is seen as a global issue that prompts many of us ask the tough question, “why does this issue persists and how can we work toward curing this matter that continues to affect hundreds of thousands of people all around the world?” I only hope Japan can come up with a better solution.

“We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.” –Mother Teresa

References:

Parrillo, V. (2008). Understanding Race and Ethnic Relations (3ed). Pearsons Education, Inc.

McMorrow-Hernandez, J. (2007). Sociological Perspectives on Homelessness. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/397286/sociological_perspectives_on_homelessness.html?cat=4

Ishiwatari, T. (1999). Homelessness in Japan Cardboard Village and the Shogun’s Law. http://www.share-international.org/archives/homelessness/hl-ticardboard.htm

Domestic Issue Review

Ask someone to define “the United States of America” and their responses will likely contain a number of answers, but on the whole most will respond with the phrase, “America the land of the free.” Indeed with the motto that “All men are created equal,” it is no wonder the opportunity of freedom in America has driven people from around the world to leave their country and make their way to America. Since America’s formation as a nation, over 70 million immigrants have come to the United States. As of 2006, the United States accepts more legal immigrants as permanent residents than all other countries in the world combined and Japanese Americans make up one of the largest percentage of immigrants that were able to integrate into American society. Studies and research concerning immigration are vast and are well debated domestic issues within the United States, but I will be focusing on the Japanese and examples of their assimilation into American society.

The process of assimilation, also called the majority-conformity theory, refers to the functioning within a society of racial or ethnic minority-group members who lack any marked cultural, social, or personal differences from the people of the majority group (Parrillo, 2008). During the late 1800s, Japan was experiencing a period of economic turmoil with large-scale unemployment, bankruptcies, and civil disorders. Many Japanese wanted to escape the civil unrest in Japan and travel to America in search of work in the United States. The majority of Japanese immigrants in the United States worked as farmers and farm laborers, immigrating into the United States more as sojourners rather than permanent settlers. Roughly three-quarters of the immigrants returned to Japan after working in the United States. However, as the years passed, a larger percentage of Japanese immigrants decided to stay in America. Many of them were able to assimilate into society adopting American cultural values and norms.

The American sociologist, Milton Gordon, divided assimilation into several different stages. I will discuss three of the most important ones below:

The first stage is cultural assimilation, also called acculturation, and occurs when a member of an ethnic group begins to change its cultural patterns such as its language, religion, values, and norms to match those of the host society (Parrillo, 2008). After the Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the United State government ordered thousands of Japanese Americans to be put into internment camps for the duration of World War II. However, despite this violation of their constitutional rights, the majority of Japanese Americans remained loyal to the United States. As one Japanese American said about the internment camps, “Yes, the United States did make a mistake but we felt it was our country–right and wrong.” This American patriotism among the Japanese was due to their assimilation process before their internment. Unlike the multicultural and melting pot views today, Japanese immigrant families were expected to acculturate to American culture. A creed by the Japanese American Citizens League emphasized this belief:

I am proud that I am an American citizen of Japanese ancestry, for my very background makes me appreciate more fully the wonderful advantages of this nation [America]. I believe in her institutions, ideals and traditions; I glory in her heritage; I boast of her history; I trust in her future….Because I believe in America, and I trust she believes in me, and because I have received innumerable benefits from her, I pledge myself to do honor to her at all times and in all places (Niiya, 1993).

The result of the Japanese assimilation process into American society and culture developed a sincere and deep patriotism for America for most Japanese Americans.

The second stage is structural assimilation when large-scale entrance into the cliques, clubs, and institutions of the host society on primary-group level. This stage best reveals the extent of acceptance of the minority group in the majority society. A good example of this is Hawaii born Nisei (second-generation Japanese American), Senator Daniel Inouye. Senator Inouye enlisted in the army when the ban preventing Japanese American from joining was dropped. He was assigned along with other Nisei Japanese Americans to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the most decorated unit in American history. After the war, Senator Inouye earned his law degree and was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1962 where he now resides as the longest-serving current senator and President pro tempore of the United States Senate, making him third in the presidential line of succession.

The third stage is marital assimilation (amalgamation). Amalgamation is where there is a large-scale intermarriage with members of the majority society. This concept was seen during the late 1800s. Anti-asian movements led to laws that prohibited Asian women to immigrate to America. Japanese men were no longer able to bring their spouses to U.S. giving Japanese men, who wanted marry, no choice but to socialize with non-Japanese and eventually leading to increased percentages of amalgamation.

Overall, from a cultural viewpoint, Japanese assimilation can both a good and bad thing. On the pro side, the Japanese were able to assimilate into American society and culture. However on the con side, those who became Japanese American, in the process of assimilating may have lost their distinct Japanese culture and identity, but have gained a new one…Japanese American. And I believe Japanese Americans are happy with this identity.

References:

Parrillo, V. (2008). Understanding Race and Ethnic Relations (3ed). Pearsons Education, Inc.

Niiya, B. (1993). Japanese American History: An A-to-Z Reference from 1868 to the Present. Facts On File, Inc.

First Posting

Aloha everyone!


Thanks for visiting my blog. My name is Josh and I am looking forward to blogging for my HPU SOC 3380 Cross-Cultural Relations course at HPU. Since this is my first post I’ll tell you a little about myself. I am a second year Biology student, born and raised here in Hawaii. I work part-time for the United States Tennis Association as a certified tennis coach. I am a member of HPU’s Spirit Club and I play on HPU’s Sea Warrior Men’s Tennis Team. Some activities I enjoy are playing tennis, hiking, walking my dog, playing Wii, practicing ping-pong, studying politics, reading my Bible, attending church, and spending time with family and friends.


Last semester I did a study abroad at J.F. Obirin  University in Tokyo, Japan. This was my first time in a foreign country and I can say I didn't quite know what to expect. Haha, but after arriving in Japan I was able to make a lot of international friends, from around the world (my 3 best friends are from Korea, China, and Iceland)! All in all, living in Japan was an amazing experience and made me more interested in various cultures around the world.


I am hoping to learn a lot in this course. Although the amount of writing is a little daunting (writing isn't my favorite subject) I'm going to...頑張ります！ (give it my best)


Josh