Intraethnic and Interethnic Diversity: Researching the Japanese American and Mexican American Communities

Abstract

This chapter explores the cross-generational impact of the Japanese American internment of World War II upon the adult offspring of former internees. The incarceration of more than 110,000 Japanese Americans in desolate internment camps during World War II represents the single most dramatic historical event in that group’s history. Shortly after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, over 90 percent of those Japanese Americans living on the US mainland were abruptly interned, forced to leave businesses, homes, and friends. “Before camp” and “after camp” are phrases that continue to punctuate time, particularly for many first-generation and second-generation members in the Japanese American community. The Sansei Research Project included data from over 500 survey participants and over 40 interviewees from across the US mainland and Hawaii. Participants were recruited primarily with the assistance of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), a national organization with chapters across the country, the Young Buddhists Association, and through the JACL newspaper.