The Multiple Layers of "Zainichi" Korean Chinese Diaspora Viewed from a Kaleidoscopic Perspective through the Prism of the Documentary Indelible

Abstract

Abstract: In this paper, I analyze the documentary Indelible ( Chisuji , 2019), directed by Ryūichi Tsunoda (Seongwoo Kim). Depicting a "Zainichi" Korean Chinese in Japan, the documentary is a personal story of the journey of a man to find his father and, by extension, himself. Although it was produced with a focus on the family, particularly the father-son relationship, it also serves as a valuable historical account, illustrating structural realities in East Asia that continue to create diaspora. I elucidate the historical context of Korean Chinese in Japan and their migration and the difficulty of ascertaining the number of Korean Chinese living in Japan, discussing the connections between Korean diasporic histories across Korea, Japan, and China rooted in imperial occupation. I also explore, through intersectional perspectives, patriarchy, isolation of the elderly, female migration, and multilayered identification. I argue that the documentary serves as a prism through which the complexities of the Korean Chinese diaspora are revealed, not only deepening our understanding of the diaspora's historical trajectory and contemporary challenges but also illuminating the intersection and expansion of the identities of Korean Chinese in Japan.