Japanese American identity dilemma

About this book

The major theme of this book is the label "Quiet American" for the Japanese American. In order to locate Japanese Americans sociologically and psychologically in the structure of American society, various concepts such as "marginal man, "alienation," and "inauthenticity" are examined, specifying these concepts as they are used in different situations. The chapters in the book deal with the origin of the Japanese immigrant characteristics of diligence, conformity, and self-control in the traditional Japanese value system; show how the Issei (first generation immigrants), with these attributes, overcame adversity and retained their Japanese identity; describe how the Nisei (second generation Japanese immigrants), without protesting against social injustice, quietly accommodated themselves to white society until they secured middle class status; examine the identity crisis experienced by the Sansei (third generation); describe the methodology by which data relating to Sansei college students in California were gathered; discuss the path analysis method applied to empirical data to relate Sansei political radicalization to family background, Nisei-Sansei relations, and Sansei attitudes; and portray the styles of the Sansei revolt.