Family narratives and transforming identities: three generations of Japanese Brazilians living between Brazil, Japan and beyond

Abstract

The identity formation of Japanese Brazilians migrating to Japan has attracted attention because of the different and dynamic ways these identities articulate representations of Brazilian and Japanese culture. However, one serious limitation in most studies is that they tend to assume a certain duality between Brazil and Japan. Once we consider their family backgrounds and life courses, we will see that Japanese Brazilians can frame their experiences in much more complex ways, positioning themselves not only between Brazil and Japan, but also against an unequal and hierarchical world context. This article focuses on the life stories of a Japanese Brazilian family encompassing three generations, examining how the elder generation develops different narratives which are later reproduced and reinvented by the younger generations. While family members live in Brazil and Japan, their constructed identities often point to a much broader horizon.