Cultural identity loss in Japanese Americans

1. Forgetting Traditions
Kimberly Fujita
Dance 255

2.  Culture- “Refers to the customs, practices, languages,
values and world views that define social groups”
(Cultural Identity, 2010)
 Cultural Identity- “sense of self that [guides them in]
how [to] relate to others” (Cultural Identity, 2010)
 One can have multiple cultures that they identify with
What is Culture?

3.  Commodore Matthew Perry- sailed into Tokyo harbor
 Frist look at the rest of the world for Japan
 Before this, travel was strictly regulated
 Japan’s economy plummets
 America becomes a symbol of prosperity
 1880’s- “legal barriers to emigration [begin] to drop,
and major emigration soon [follows]” (Immigration-
Japanese, n.d.)
Japanese Emigration to America

4.  Japanese-Americans heavily discriminated against due
to Japan’s involvement in the war
 Japanese sent to internment camps
 Cultural traditions flourish
World War II

5.  Spirits of ones ancestors return home
 The Legend:
 A disciple of the Buddha, Mokuren, was gifted with “the power
to see beyond the surface of reality of the world” (Zile, n.d.).
 He used this power to look for his mother who had passed
away. He found her in the underworld, plagued by starvation
and hunger
 A priest told him “to feed the priestly ancestral spirits on the
fifteenth day of the seventh month” (Zile, n.d).
 His mother became freed and he began to dance. Others,
seeing his joy began to dance as well
 This dance became known as Bon Odori
Obon Festival

6.  Shichigatsu Bon- held in July
 Hachigatsu Bon- held August
 Kyu Bon- based on lunar calendar so it varies each
year
Obon

7.  Dance moves in a circular formation around a stage
 Stage or yagura holds the musicians
 Movements represent occupations, history, and culture
 Fans, colorful towels, and wooden clappers used
 Kimonos are worn
 Known for the lanterns used for:
 To guide spirits back
 Decoration
 Offerings
Bon Odori

8.  A weak sense of cultural identity can lead to anxiety
(Williams, 2002)
 Long-term anxiety can lead to:
 Weakened immune system
 Cardiovascular damage
 Gastrointestinal problems
 Decreased fertility
 Fatigue
 Depression
Cultural Identity and Anxiety

9.  Research your culture and learn about its traditions
and history
 Ask an elder about what they know and experienced
 Find out how your culture has changed over the years
 Go to Cultural Festivals
Strengthening Cultural Identity

10.  Cultural Identity (2010). In The Social Report.
Retrieved June 19, 2014, from
http://socialreport.msd.govt.nz/document
s/cultural-identity-social-report-2010.pdf
 Immigration- Japanese (n.d.). In Library of
Congress. Retrieved June 19, 2014, from
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroomm
aterials/presentationsandactivities/prese
ntations/immigration/japanese.html
Resources

11.  Williams, J., Goebert, D., Hishinuma, E., Miyamoto,
R., Anzai, N., Izutsu, S., & ... Baker, F. M. (2002).
A Conceptual Model of Cultural Predictors of
Anxiety Among Japanese American and Part-
Japanese American Adolescents. Cultural
Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology, 8(4),320-
333.doi:10.1037//1099-9809.8.4.320
 Zile, J. V. (n.d.). Bon Odori.
Resources