Japanese-American Women Research Articles

Gendered Interventions: Americanization and Protestant Evangelism under Japanese American Incarceration

In the vast scholarship on Japanese American "internment," with its ever more sophisticated attention to euphemism and doublespeak, the U.S. government's socalled relocation centers have often been characterized as concentration camps. This paper asks if they should also be considered as indoctrination centers. My essay first examines the vital role of camp schools in Americanizing imprisoned Japanese American children and adults. Second, I look at a particular set of popular representations that traded on a long‐standing American creation myth, the pioneer narrative, which was adopted and partially transformed by Japanese Americans inclined toward assimilation. Finally, I probe the more explicitly religious components of Americanization and the leadership positions held by Japanese American women in those campaigns. WRA officials and Japanese American Christians clearly saw incarceration as an unprecedented opportunity to evangelize on a grand scale. In the gendered hierarchies of church leadership, just below the male clergy, women lay leaders in particular led the charge.

Dietary Energy Density Is Associated with Overweight Status among 5 Ethnic Groups in the Multiethnic Cohort Study

Differences in BMI among ethnic groups may be partially explained by the consumption of energy-dense foods, which influences energy intake in controlled laboratory studies. However, the role of dietary energy density (ED, kJ/g) in free-living persons is less understood. Our objective was to determine whether ED is related to current BMI and the risk for overweight and obesity and whether these relations are consistent among ethnic groups. We calculated ED from responses to a quantitative food frequency questionnaire and validated the measures against multiple 24-h recalls. Subjects consisted of 191,023 participants in the Hawaii-Los Angeles Multiethnic Cohort who were African American, Native Hawaiian, Japanese American, Latino, or Caucasian. Mean ED varied from a low of 4.62 kJ/g in Japanese American men to a high of 5.08 kJ/g in African American men. Mean BMI was lowest in Japanese Americans of both sexes and highest in Native Hawaiian men and African American women. After adjusting for the amount of food consumed per day, age, current smoking status, physical activity, chronic disease, and education, a 1 kJ/g increase in ED was associated with an increase in BMI of ∼1 kg/m2 in each ethnic sex group. This same increase in ED was associated with a significantly increased risk of being overweight in all ethnic sex groups, varying from 4% in African American men to 34% in Japanese American women. Our findings suggest that consumption of an energy dense diet is a risk factor for higher BMI in both men and women across ethnic groups.

Remaking the "Home Front" in World War II: Japanese American Women's Work and the Colorado River Relocation Center

Remaking the "Home Front" in World War II: Japanese American Women's Work and the Colorado River Relocation Center

Review of Moore, Serving Our Country: Japanese-American Women in the Military During World War II

<scp>Review of Moore, Serving Our Country: Japanese-American Women in the Military During World War II</scp>

Gendering processes in immigration for Chinese American and Japanese American women

Structural factors during Chinese and Japanese immigration and settlement processes required families to adapt in ways that altered traditional gender behaviors. This study examines how two factors – spousal immigration order and family economic structure – affected the gendered division of labor and how gender roles consequently were reconstructed for first and second generation Chinese Americans and Japanese Americans. These issues are investigated through secondary data analysis of 21 in‐depth interviews with daughters of Chinese and Japanese immigrants on the West Coast.

Ethnic differences in hepatic lipase and HDL in Japanese, black, and white Americans: role of central obesity and LIPC polymorphisms

Hepatic lipase activity (HLA) is a determinant of HDL levels, and a polymorphism in the hepatic lipase gene (LIPC) promoter (C-514T) has been hypothesized to account for higher HDL in blacks and Japanese compared with whites. To determine whether the polymorphism contributes to ethnic differences in HDL, we compared LIPC allele frequencies and HLA in Japanese American (JA; n = 84), black American (BA; n = 94), and white American (WA; n = 110) men and women. The LIPC polymorphism was associated with HLA in all cohorts (BA, P = 0.012; JA, P = 0.008; WA, P = 0.009). WA men had 49% and 58% higher HLA than BA and JA men, respectively (both P < 0.05), yet no differences in HLA were found between the women. The higher HLA in the WA men remained after adjustment for the LIPC polymorphism's effect on HLA (P = 0.037) but was erased after adjustment for waist-to-hip-ratio (P = 0.46). Although the WA men had lower HDL and HDL(3) than the JA and BA men (all P < 0.05), there were no differences in HDL(2), implying that variance in HLA may not underlie the ethnic differences in HDL levels. These results suggest that 1) the LIPC promoter polymorphism contributes to variation in HLA and HDL(2) in the three ethnic groups; 2) WA men had higher HLA than BA and JA men, related to ethnic differences in central adiposity but not LIPC allele frequency; and 3) the higher HLA in WA men did not contribute to the ethnic differences in HDL, as the differences in HDL were made up entirely of differences in HDL(3) and not HDL(2).

A comparison of awake-sleep blood pressure variation between normotensive Japanese-American and Caucasian women in Hawaii.

To compare awake-sleep ambulatory blood pressure variation between Japanese-American and Caucasian women in Hawaii, specifically determining whether Japanese-Americans have reduced dipping of blood pressure during sleep, as is found in comparisons of Japanese and US samples. Normotensive school teachers from East Hawaii who were either of Japanese-American (n = 70) or Caucasian (n = 48) ethnicity were recruited. They wore an ambulatory blood pressure monitor (Spacelabs 90207) that took measurements every 15 min during waking hours and every 30 min during sleep for a 24-h period on a normal workday. All subjects provided demographic information and underwent a series of anthropometric measurements the day before monitoring. Japanese-American subjects also answered questionnaires relating to cultural identity and migration history. The Japanese-American women had significantly higher mean diastolic (P < 0.01) blood pressure during sleep. These ethnic differences in sleep blood pressure persisted when analyses controlled for age, body mass index, and the waist-hip circumference ratio. There were also significant differences in the proportion by which blood pressure dipped from waking to sleeping, with the Japanese-American women dipping significantly less than the Caucasian women (P < 0.05 systolic, P < 0.001 diastolic). Normotensive Japanese-American women have higher sleep pressure, and a smaller awake-sleep dip, in pressure than Caucasian women. The relative elevation of blood pressure in Japanese-American women during sleep, but not at other times of the day, is similar to the pattern seen among Japanese women in Japan.

Xiao-huang Yin, Chinese American Literature Since the 1850s, University of Illinois Press, 2000, xiv+307pp., Traise Yamamoto, Masking Selves, Making Subjects: Japanese American Women, Identity, and the Body, University of California Press, 1999, xiii+304pp.

Xiao-huang Yin, Chinese American Literature Since the 1850s, University of Illinois Press, 2000, xiv+307pp., Traise Yamamoto, Masking Selves, Making Subjects: Japanese American Women, Identity, and the Body, University of California Press, 1999, xiii+304pp.

Endocrine-related resources from the National Institutes of Health.

Endocrine-related resources from the National Institutes of Health.

Endocrine-Related Resources from the National Institutes of Health

Endocrine-Related Resources from the National Institutes of Health

The relationship between intimate partner violence and PTSD: an application of Cox regression with time-varying covariates.

This study uses Cox regression with time-varying covariates to examine the relationship between intimate partner violence and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a random sample of Japanese American women and immigrant women from Japan (N = 211). Because applications of survival analysis in trauma research are scarce, this paper presents the utility of this analytical approach by contrasting it with other common methods of analysis (chi-square tests and Cox regression with covariates that do not change over time).

Endometrial cancer in Asian migrants to the United States and their descendants.

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which the incidence of endometrial cancer in Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino residents of the United States varies according to country of birth. Women 35-74 years diagnosed with endometrial cancer between 1973 and 1986 among residents of the San Francisco/Oakland (CA) metropolitan area, 13 counties of western Washington, and the state of Hawaii were identified by cancer registries serving these populations. From a special tabulation of the 1980 US census, we estimated the size of the population at risk in each of these three areas according to age, race, and country of birth. The annual incidence of primary endometrial cancer was lower among Chinese-American (42.6/100,000) and Japanese-American (25.3/100,000) women born in Asia than among their counterparts who were born in the United States (57.2/100,000 and 51.2/100,000, respectively). No difference in incidence was observed between Filipino women born in Asia (27.4/100,000) and those born in the United States (25.4/100,000). The rate of endometrial cancer among US-born white women (77.0/100,000 women years) exceeded that in any of these Asian-American subgroups. These findings suggest that some clues to the aetiologies of endometrial cancer may be found in exposures whose prevalence differs between generations of Chinese and Japanese Americans.

JAPANESE AMERICAN WOMEN: BEHAVIORS AND ATTITUDES TOWARD BREAST CANCER EDUCATION AND SCREENING

Moores University of California, San Diego, Cancer Center's Asian Grocery Store-Based Cancer Education Program trained bilingual, bicultural student health educators to provide breast cancer information to Japanese American women. A subset consented to help evaluate the program by completing baseline and follow-up surveys. Study participants reported high adherence to mammography screening guidelines, but lower than optimal adherence to clinical breast examination (CBE) and monthly breast self-examination (BSE) guidelines. While less than half of the women felt they had enough knowledge about breastcancer, nearly all indicated that they would be willing to share any knowledge they gained with loved ones and that their loved ones would be receptive to their information. A limitation of the study is its small sample.

Rapidly rising breast cancer incidence rates among Asian-American women.

In recent years, breast cancer incidence rates have fluctuated over relatively short time spans; examination of these patterns can provide etiologic clues and direction for prevention programs. Asian-American women are generally considered to be at lower risk of breast cancer than other ethnic groups. However, their rates are typically based on an aggregation of ethnic Asian populations, which may obscure important ethnic differences in risk. Detailed analyses of the trends in ethnic-specific incidence rates will provide more information than when ethnicities are combined. Los Angeles County, California, the most populous and probably the most ethnically diverse county in the United States, has a large multi-ethnic Asian-American population. Trends in invasive female breast cancer incidence were examined using data from the Los Angeles Cancer Surveillance Program, the population-based cancer registry covering the County. Although overall breast cancer incidence rates remained stable in the late 1980s and early 1990s, data for the most recent 5-year period suggest that incidence may again be increasing for Asian-American and non-Hispanic white women over age 50 (estimated annual percent change = 6.3%, p < 0.05 and 1.5%, p < 0.05, respectively), although little change has occurred among black and Hispanic women. Invasive breast cancer incidence rates for Asian-American ethnic groups are heterogeneous and, for most, are increasing. In Los Angeles County, rates for Japanese-American women have increased rapidly since 1988 and are now approaching rates for non-Hispanic white women. Rates among Filipinas, who have historically had higher rates than their other Asian-American counterparts, are not increasing as rapidly as rates for Japanese women, but remain relatively high. Breast cancer risk among women of Japanese and Filipino ancestry is twice that of Chinese and Korean women. Asian women, who commonly have low breast cancer rates in their native countries, typically experience increasing breast cancer incidence after immigrating to the United States. Ethnic-specific incidence rates show that Japanese-Americans, the first Asian population to immigrate to Los Angeles County in large numbers and the most acculturated, have experienced a rapid increase in breast cancer incidence. Japanese-American rates in Los Angeles County may have already surpassed those of non-Hispanic whites if recent trends have continued unabated.

Focus on breast cancer.

We would like to acknowledge Fredi Rojo for his assistance in the preparation of the figures.

Do Ethnic-Specific Long Term Care Facilities Improve Resident Quality of Life? Findings from the Japanese American Community

Research on resident/family perceptions of quality of life in residential care facilities for the elderly (RCFEs) has been sparse and has ignored ethnic-specific facilities. This qualitative inquiry compared interviews with Japanese American women in Japanese and non-Japanese RCFEs, family members, and administrators, to examine how ethnic features (e.g., Japanese language, food, staff) meet resident needs/preferences and their influence on the residents' quality of life. Residents and families differed in their preferences and perceptions of quality of life. Residents discussed invisible life process domains such as boredom, socialization, privacy, staff attentiveness/personal qualities, and autonomy. Family members emphasized structural aspects of the homes such as location, cleanliness, costs, home-like qualities, food, and Japanese care. While ethnic-specific institutions were unique in meeting certain needs (e.g., Japanese-speaking staff), culturally congruent characteristics alone did not provide a desired quality of life for residents, contrary to family perceptions. All institutions, including those with ethnic-specific services, need to integrate resident needs/wishes into their operations, adequate staffing, and meaningful activities to make life worth living.

Comparison of the Menopause and Midlife Transition between Japanese American and European American Women

Cross‐cultural differences in the meaning and experience of the universal biologic phenomenon of the menopause have been well documented. Very few studies, however, have focused on the response to the midlife transition among ethnic minority women in the United States, and even fewer exist about Asian American women. This exploratory study compared the perceptions and experiences of the midlife transition among Japanese American and European American women. The midlife transition was viewed as a time of self‐assurance, maturity, and taking comfort and satisfaction in oneself. Biologically, it was a marker of mortality. Similar to menses, marriage, and motherhood, menopause was viewed as the final identity transformation, but interpreted quite differently by the two ethnic groups. The findings of this study support the cross‐cultural theories that emphasize the interaction of biology, society, age, gender, and acculturation in this universal female experience and suggest additional expansion of these theories to incorporate lifestyle choices that may affect the actual health consequences of female aging. [menopause, midlife transition, Japanese American women, ethnicity]

Masking Selves, Making Subjects: Japanese American Women, Identity, and the Body. Traise Yamamoto. Berkeley: U of California P, 1999. xiii + 304 pages. $45 cloth; $17.95 paper.

Masking Selves, Making Subjects: Japanese American Women, Identity, and the Body. Traise Yamamoto. Berkeley: U of California P, 1999. xiii + 304 pages. $45 cloth; $17.95 paper.

Posttraumatic stress symptoms and victimization among Japanese American women.

This study of Japanese American women and immigrant women from Japan investigated the relationship between posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms and the perceived abusiveness of partners' emotional and physical violence, with a community-based randon sample. Women who experienced injuries and/or fear for their lives, in addition to partners' emotional and physical violence, had significantly higher PTS symptom counts than those with no lifetime experience of partners' violence. Victimization by nonintimates also increased PTS symptom counts. Satisfaction with social support significantly mitigated the negative effect of childhood abuse for reexperiencing and avoidance symptoms. Language: en

Posttraumatic stress symptoms and victimization among Japanese American women.

This study of Japanese American women and immigrant women from Japan investigated the relationship between posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms and the perceived abusiveness of partners' emotional and physical violence, with a community-based randon sample. Women who experienced injuries and/or fear for their lives, in addition to partners' emotional and physical violence, had significantly higher PTS symptom counts than those with no lifetime experience of partners' violence. Victimization by nonintimates also increased PTS symptom counts. Satisfaction with social support significantly mitigated the negative effect of childhood abuse for reexperiencing and avoidance symptoms.