From Diasporic Communities to ‘Abandoned People’ (Kimin)

Abstract

In the contemporary globalized world, we are gradually moving from negative connotations inherent in diasporas to potentially positive possibilities. This is not the case, however, with established Japanese diasporic communities, whose image as kimin or abandoned people is still symbolic of their relationship with their homeland. Twentieth-century Japan lends itself to diaspora studies because of its involvement in most of the territorial disputes triggered by the Asian age of colonialism, which resulted in the displacement and marginalization of large numbers of people, groups, ethnicities and cultures. Oda Makoto was arguably one of post-war Japan's most prolific campaigners for the cause of Japan's disenfranchised minorities. This chapter discusses several examples of kimin from his literature and social discourse. It argues that diasporic communities in the developing world are currently undergoing a reappraisal that is repositioning their transnational flexibility in terms of being a potential intercultural resource for their country of origin. Keywords: abandoned people; disenfranchised minorities; Japanese diasporic communities; kimin ; Oda Makoto; territorial disputes