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.