Konnichiwa!

Hi everyone,

My name is Yuko, and I'm a Japanese girl.
As a graduate student in master's probram in Japan, I'm trying to look at young Japanese Americans' identity formation in this globalization age. I'd like to tell you about why I got interested in this topic as my introduction.

To be honest, I new very little about what Japanese Americans were before I studied as an exchange student at UCD 2 years ago. All I knew was "1908 Gentlemen's Agreement" in my history textbook from high school. Back then I didn't really understand what it meant. I think Japanese children should have more opportunities to learn about Nikkei people not just in the U.S. but in the world...but anyways.

At UCD, one American studies class changed my view. I studied about immigrants in the U.S. including Japanese Americans. I was quite surprised and embarassed in some way that I had such a limited knowledge about JA immigrants during WWII. For the final paper, I did a little research on JA experience during the War.

Actually I met some JAs in Davis. One Nisei girl from my Spanish class told me that her mom was from Japan long after we met even though she should have known that I was a Japanese. (With an American first name, I couldn't tell if she was JA or of other Asian descent.)Also I met some JA students in Japanese class I was tutoring who practice Kendo/love Japanese comics.

I guess Japanese people are likely to overestimate "Japaneseness" in Nikkei people. I was too. But, now I assume that depends. I think that's what it is interesting about. As an outsider, I have very few information about JAs, and also I should have some wrong assumptions. I want to study about JAs more and I believe this website would bive me deeper insigts.

Too long to be a self-introduction,but thank you for reading!