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A celebration of JA culture: facts, recipes, songs, words, and memories that every JA will want to share.
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.
"Being Japanese American is a superb guide to avoiding breaches of tact around Japanese friends, family, or visitors, regardless of one's own ethnic heritage or background, and is also chock-full of helpful ways to embrace, preserve, and treasure one's cultural identity."
— Midwest Book Review
"Offers a great opportunity for JAs to process their feelings and experiences in relationship to other JAs who, through their stories and photos, share empathy and understanding."
— Asian Reporter
"Teens who want to know a little more about contemporary Japanese American culture beyond all the history books about the World War II internment experience will find great information here…"
— Voice of Youth Advocates, April 2005 Issue
"A must-read book that will delight you with its humor and amuse you with its insights; for non-Asian, a must-read book if you’re curious about what makes Japanese Americans tick."
— John Tateishi, National Executive Director, Japanese American Citizens League
"Part history, part photo album, part cultural document, part memoir, part language lesson, even part cookbook, Being Japanese American is an entertaining primer on many aspects of the Japanese American experience."
— BookDragon
"A lighthearted view into the unique lingo, idiosyncrasies and nuances of Japanese American life."
— DiscoverNikkei.org
Gil Asakawa has worked in the media as a writer, editor, music critic and online expert for 40 years. He's currently Asoociate Editor for New Hope Network's Nutrition Business Journal.
Gil and his partner Erin Yoshimura recently launched visualizAsian.com, a website featuring live interviews with Asian American Pacific Islander leaders to inspire others to follow in their footsteps.
The author of Being Japanese American (Stone Bridge Press, 2004) and co-author of The Toy Book (Knopf, 1991). He is a nationally-known speaker and commentator on Japanese American and Asian American identity and issues. He writes a blog, Nikkeiview.com, about pop culture and politics from an Asian American perspective. He also tweets, spends too much time on Facebook, and is a member of every social site and service he hears about.
Contents
Introduction
Part I: JAs Yesterday
1 Where Did We Come From?
Paving the way • Here to stay • The camps • Fighting for a place in society • Speaking out • Redress
2 Memories of Home
Games • Crafting a culture • Musical roots • Spiritual roots
3 Customs
Turning Japanese • The gift of giving • Celebrations • The rules of death • Rules of etiquette • Values—good and bad
4 Food
What’s “authentic” Japanese food? • Ramen • Rice • JA specialties • Mochi and the special foods of New Year • Mochi madness • Recipes you can try
5 Language
Typically Japanese—and therefore JA • Growing up in a bilingual household • It’s my name; please don’t mangle it • Learning Japanese
Part II: JAs Today
6 It’s Hip to Be Japanese!
The power of anime • The man in the lizard suit • Ameri-kana • Hai! Karate • The sporting life • J-pop and the sound of young Japan • On the silver screen • JA lit • On the cutting edge
7 JA Communities
Japantowns • Community organizations • Community without J-towns • Church life, newspapers, and the Wonder Years • Nikkei, not just JA • Japanese Canadians, eh
8 Scrapbooking Your History
Photos, postcards, and other memorabilia • Climbing the Japanese family tree • Immigration records • Researching internment history • Recording your family history • Preserving your family’s legacy
9 Homeward Bound
Strangers in a familiar land • Ways to go • Getting young people to Japan • Tips for your trip
Part III: JAs Tomorrow
10 APA, Not Just JA
Pan-Asian, not pan-Oriental • Rugs are Oriental; we’re Asian • The rise of Yellow Power • A better tomorrow for APAs on screen • An apology at last • Our work’s not done • Building bridges in a post-/ world
Part IV: Resources
Organizations • Sites about Japan • Japanese culture • Genealogy • Hapa issues • Internment resources • JA/Nikkei/APA sites • Shopping • Travel to Japan • Books • Films and videos
Index